Oru: The Last Light of Rhekari

GAME DESIGN DOCUMENT

Pirate Software Game Jam 14
Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 3
Game Summary Pitch ................................................................................................... 3
Genre ............................................................................................................................. 3
Target Audience............................................................................................................ 3
Inspiration ..................................................................................................................... 3
Platform ........................................................................................................................ 4
Development Software ................................................................................................. 4
Third Party Assets ........................................................................................................ 4
Concept ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Gameplay overview....................................................................................................... 5
Theme Integration: It´s Spreading ............................................................................... 5
Primary Mechanics ....................................................................................................... 6
Secondary Mechanics .................................................................................................. 8
Art ............................................................................................................................................... 10
Style ............................................................................................................................. 10
Environment Design.................................................................................................... 10
Character Design ........................................................................................................ 10
UI.................................................................................................................................. 11
Audio .......................................................................................................................................... 12
Controls ...................................................................................................................................... 13
Keyboard ..................................................................................................................... 13
• WASD – Moves the player ................................................................................... 13
• Right Mouse Click – Light Nova Ability ............................................................... 13
• Left Mouse Click – Light Bolt Ability ................................................................... 13
• Spacebar – Dash Ability ...................................................................................... 13
• E – Interact ........................................................................................................... 13
• ESC – Escape from Vendor UI ............................................................................. 13
• Mouse – Player look ............................................................................................ 13
• Enter – Pause Game ............................................................................................ 13
Development Timeline ............................................................................................................... 14

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Introduction

Game Summary Pitch

“Oru: The Last Light of Rhekari” is a top-down adventure with combat and
exploration elements. Defend structures from waves of attacks, collect resources
for character upgrades, and explore the game world.

Genre
Singleplayer, top-down adventure

Target Audience
The game caters to individuals who appreciate intense action intertwined with
exploration. It provides a moderately challenging experience, making it
accessible and engaging for a broad audience of gamers who enjoy dynamic
gameplay and the thrill of exploration.

Inspiration
Game One: The Mageseeker - A League of Legends Story.

The Mageseeker - A League of Legends Story, is a top-down action

adventure/roleplaying game with rogue-like elements. Our game draws
inspiration from the visual perspective that this game very beautifully represents,
as well as the idea of incorporating rogue-like elements with upgradable abilities.

Game Two: Othercide

Othercide is a horror tactical roleplaying game that inspired the creature designs
of our game. Key influences include the creature design work of Alexandre
Chaudret.

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Platform
The game is developed to be released on Windows.

Development Software
- Engine: Unity Version: 2021.3.33f1
- Pixel Art: Aseprite & Adobe Photoshop
- Concept Art: Aseprite & Adobe Photoshop
- Illustration: Adobe Photoshop
- Audio Middleware: FMOD Studio 2.02.13
- Music Production: Nuendo 12
- SFX Design: REAPER

Third Party Assets

- BulletPro
- Free Bullet Assets
- Gui Essetials
- Fantasy Icons

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Concept

Gameplay overview
The player controls a wisp of light that must survive a journey through an open
world with the help of its own abilities in order to ultimately achieve essential
goals for winning the game. The player will encounter several enemies who will
attack them under certain conditions. Most battles can be described as wave
battles, where several enemies appear and attack the player at the same time.
Through the careful distribution of valuable objects, the player is encouraged to
explore the world to unlock powerful upgrades with the treasures and currency
they find to improve their chances of survival as the game progresses. The player
is only given a limited number of options when it comes to upgrades, so they have
to think carefully about which improvements are better suited to their play style.

Theme Integration: It´s Spreading

To summarize, the game revolves around the idea of the power struggle between
shadow and light. Due to a cataclysmic event in the past, the shadows have
gained the power to engulf the world in darkness. The goal is to prevent this from
happening.
This is reflected in the gameplay in several ways:
- The player must activate the great tower of light in their base to stop the
spread of the shadows. To do this, they need 3 light essences, which they can
extract from smaller, more distant light towers. As some of the protection
against the shadows is lost after extraction, the shadows advance further and
become stronger and more threatening.
- The combat system is designed to mirror the spread of light, with the player
unlocking chain reactions that spread amongst the enemy masses by upgrading
their combat abilities. For example, a flash of light that jumps from enemy to
enemy.
- As the game progresses, the combat behavior of the enemies should
increasingly match the theme of spreading. For example, an enemy type that
can duplicate itself. Abilities are also closely linked to the theme of spreading;
for example a pulse of light that spreads to damage the surrounding area.
- More subtle ways of introducing the theme of it’s spreading is seen with the
influence the player has on the world. Not only is the player activley working to
stop the spread of shadows but they are also working to spread their light
around the map through the re-kindiling of lanterns as well as restoring the light
of the Towers.

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Primary Mechanics
Player combat abilities:

Base Sub Mechanic Description

Mechanic (Upgrade)

Dash Basic Evasion Mechanic. The

player can use a dash charge
to move in and out of danger
while being invulnerable. The
dash charge has a cooldown.

Lightning Dash Dash deals damage on its Revisit at later

trajectory. time

Nova Dash Spawn Light Nova on Dash

Impact

Double Dash Increase the amount of dash

charges to 2.

Long Dash Double the dash distance.

Light Bolt Basic single target damage

dealing mechanic. The player
shoots a light bolt towards a
direction of their choice.

Piercing Bolt Light Bolt pierces through

enemies.

It´s Spreading! Light Bolt has a chance to Revisit at later

explode on impact, spawning time
new light bolts that target
other enemies.

Lightning Burst Instead of firing one bolt, the

player now shoots an array of
light rays that has increased
spread and fire rate.

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 Bolt Swarm Each time the player fires, a
swarm of small light bolts that
home in on enemies spawn
around the player.

Light Nova Basic area of effect ability.

The player damages all
enemies in close proximity to
the player. The light nova has
a cooldown.

Deep Nova The player spawns a

persistent AoE zone around
themselves that damages and
slows enemies that touch it.

Unstable Nova If a light nova kills an enemy

there is a chance that a new
one will spawn at said enemy.

Big Nova Increase the range of the light

nova and add knock back.

Pure Nova Spawn a protective Ring of Revisit at later

light around the player. time
Enemies outside of the ring
cannot penetrate it.

Enemy combat abilities:

Type Abilities

Shade The basic enemy type.

Moves towards their target.
Deals damage by touch. Fast
movement Speed.

Phantom Enemy type that keeps their

distance to their target and
shoots shadow bolts towards it.
Can teleport over short
distances. Medium movement
speed. (intelligent)

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 Spreading Shadow Enemy type that moves towards
their target. Deals damage by
touch. Can duplicate itself. Slow
movement speed.

BOSS

Secondary Mechanics
Mechanic Description

Interaction System The Player can interact with NPCs and/or interactable
objects in order to upgrade abilities, purchase items and
trigger gameplay events.

Base Management The player spawns inside their base, which acts as a
safehouse. They cannot use combat abilities or take
damage inside their base. They can upgrade their
abilities and interact with NPCs or other objects.

Base Tower The Main Light Tower in the base has to be “fed” with
light essence in order to progress with the story. After
each essence the radius of protective light around the
base increases, giving the player a sense of spreading
light.

Shadow Essence Currency for purchasing items. Obtained by defeating

enemies, finding treasures, etc.

Light Shard Currency for upgrading player combat abilities. Obtained

by extracting Light Essence, finding treasures and
purchasing.

Light Essence Main resource to win the game. The player needs to
interact with Light Towers in order to obtain Light
Essence, which they will use to trigger the final boss
fight.

Circle of Protective A circle of protective light forms around each dormant

Light light tower with yet to be extracted light essence.
Enemies are not able to enter it.

Spreading Darkness Environmental effect, that happens after each

successful light essence extraction. Now the player

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engages in wave combat constantly without the ability to
fight back in order to force them to flee from the now
“unsafe” environment. The longer the player stays
outside of their base, the stronger the waves become.

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Art

Style
The primary style of the gameplay is pixel art inspired by classical fantasy rpg’s
with a small modern twist. The variety of colors in are kept to a minimum to sell
the idea of a corrupted world, slowly being consumed by darkness. A grim
aesthetic paired with bright instances of light gives the mood a dark tone with a
touch of hopefulness.
The Specific palette chosen for the bulk of the environment was Cyan Abyss by
Cabezinu. It's a dark color ramp with a bluey-green tint, tying all the outside world
together under similar colors. The town itself and the people do not follow this
light scheme, as they are not part of the spreading darkness.
Palette can be found at: https://lospec.com/palette-list/cyan-abyss

Environment Design
Environments will vary from Somber forests to vast ancient ruins. Each location
was crafted to evoke a sense of wonder and discovery. The environment has
visually distinct locations to help the player keep track of their whereabouts as
well as alert them to any potential shifts in the nature of their enemies.

Character Design
While human characters are not the main focus within the game, the villagers
have been designed to evoke a feeling of friendliness towards the player. They
are familiar townsfolk working to defend themselves from the spreading
darkness.

The main character is designed after will-o-wisps from etiological folk-tales. A

suitable champion of light.

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 The creatures of the shadows where designed to visually signify disfigured
almalgamations. Dark spiritual energy trying to become what they once were,
human spirits. Now forever lost to the will of darkness and the corrupted forces
behind it.

UI
Key UI elements such as health indicators, abilities, and their cooldowns, as well
as enemy health are kept very minimalistic to help reduce any clutter for the
player. This is a key decision as the player may become distracted with UI instead
of focusing on oncoming assaults by enemies.
Ability Icons:

UI elements for upgrading or purchasing abilities and buffs will present

themselves in intuitive ways. Protecting towers will allow the player to interact
with simplistic card-like options to upgrade their abilities. The player may also

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 interact with a shopkeeper npc who will have their own visually distinct UI to help
breathe some life into the game.
Shop Keep UI & Items:

Audio
Drawing inspiration from “Hollow Knight” and “Ori and the Blind Forest”, the audio
design in this game aims for a blend of somber, magical, and electronically
infused tunes to complement its pixel art style.

SOund plays a pivotal role in shaping the atmosphere of the game. It oscillates
between themes of light and shadow, mirroring the contrast between the
protagonist, represented by a light orb emitting magical sounds, and the shadowy
creatures, characterized by unsettling and grotesque noises.

The soundtrack and sound effects work together to immerse players in a world
where the interplay of light and darkness fedines the environment. The aim is to
create an audio experience that enhances the narrative and aesthetic elements
of the game without overshadowing gameplay.

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Controls

Keyboard
• WASD – Moves the player
• Right Mouse Click – Light Nova Ability
• Left Mouse Click – Light Bolt Ability
• Spacebar – Dash Ability
• E – Interact
• ESC – Escape from Vendor UI
• Mouse – Player look
• Enter – Pause Game

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Development Timeline
100%
Test Scene Alpisala

100%
Player Input Jason

Top Down Level 100%

(Basic) Alpisala

Character 100%
Controller Jason

100%
Enemy AI Alpisala

90%
Wave Spawner Alpisala

100%
Upgrade System Jason

Player Ability 100%

System Jason

100%
Interaction System Jason

100%
Camera Alpisala

100%
Shop Jason

100%
Main Tower Jason

Random 60%
encounters Alpisala

0%
Boss Alpisala

100%
Player Death Jason

100%
Visual FX Migor

Jason / 100%
UI Systems Migor

100%
Level Setup Migor

100%
MainMenu Jason

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Player Spawn 90%
System Migor

Migor / 90%
Light Tower Alpisala

Jason / 100%
End Credits Migor

Game State 100%

Manager Jason

World State Jason / 100%

Manager Migor

100%
Pause Menu Jason

Rudy & 100%

Art Ryn

100%
Music Migor

100%
Sound Effects Migor

15