Design Document
Battle Clown
Game Development Film 4750
Document written by Chris Bright
Version # 1.00
October 18, 2008
Design History
This is version 1.00 of the document.
Version 1.00
First Version of Game Design Doc
Game Overview
Type of Game
This is a 2D Platformer Game for the Mac targeted towards Children.
Game Ideas
This idea was inspired by a moment of when I was considering the idea of how
evil thrives off of despair and misery. It came to mind that the only way to actually battle
evil would then be through laughter and light heartedness… Clowns.
Location
This game takes place in a circus where a portal to a demonic world has opened.
It will progress from the outside of the tents to the inside of the main tent, and finally to
the demonic dimension.
Players
You will control Frizzel the clown in a side scrolling 2D environment. Your first
weapon will be a pie. Later you will get a Feather.
Main Objective
Your objective is to drive the hordes of demons back to their dimension.
Specifically the Demon Lord that came across with his minions.
Game Overview
The game involves searching for switches through out the levels that will drive
the lord back to his dimensional Portal. At the same time you need to defend yourself
from his minions who are disguised as normal circus goers.
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Features
General Features
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Colorful atmosphere
Cartoon Sprites
32-bit color
Enjoyable enemies and circus goers
Multiplayer Features
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N/A
Editor
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N/A
Graphics
2D Sprites/Cartoonish
The game is being made with Power Game Factory for Macintosh. Using this engine the
characters will be cartoony sprites along the lines of “Sam & Max Hit the Road”, or Saturday morning
cartoons.
Game Characters
Main Character
Frizzel the Clown is a friendly man whose only ambition in life has been to make people happy.
To this end he started his career as a politician and was elected the governor of Louisiana. This is when he
discovered that politics were a joke. Before he could be nominated for a second term in office he ran away
to the circus where he became a clown.
He has lived happily in this profession for five years when the circus was suddenly overcome by a
demonic presence, initiated by the Circus Janitor when he opened a cursed can of Salmon found in the tent
of cursed items around the globe, mistaking it for his lunch of Spaghettios.
Enemies
There are two main types of enemies:
1. Demon Lords Minions
a. Demons disguised in pink dresses holding balloons
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b. Demons disguised as circus performers riding elephants
c. The smaller demons found in the Underworld.
2. The Demon Lord
a. He is found at the end of each level driving his minions forward.
He retreats further into the circus as Frizzel stands up to him.
Circus Goers
Little girls that are roaming about the circus with their balloons. Frizzel is able to
steal these balloons from them in order to replenish health.
Weapons
Types
So far Frizzel has only two types of weapons:
1. Custard Pie – This is Frizzel’s projectile weapon. He will use this to attack the
demons from a distance.
2. Large Feather – With the feather at his disposal Frizzel will be able to attack the
demons as though he had a sword, but with an intent to tickle instead of cut. This
will also allow Frizzel to continue attacking if he runs out of Pies.
Musical and Sound Effects
Music
The game is using MP3 files provided from the film department’s link to royalty
free music for students. The music itself is upbeat in order to be more compelling for
children, and to give the fun atmosphere of the circus. It will be darker when Frizzel
enters the underworld.
Sound Design
The sound effects are those that are already found within the Power Game Factory
Engine.
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The Game World
Overview
A circus that has been over-run with demons from another dimension, Frizzel the
clown is the only one left who has a chance of driving the hordes back to the underworld
before the entire world is overcome with the demonic presence.
Level 1
The game starts on the grounds where the Circus is has been setup. Frizzel will
venture through the level in a mostly horizontal setup. The background will show several
tents, games and other such devices found with in the circus. On the first ten he will find
the Large Feather. This weapon will allow him to participate in melee type attacks.
Throughout the level he will encounter little girls with balloons, and demons disguised as
girls with balloons.
The Demon Lord will be located at the far right of the level behind a door. In
order to open the door Frizzel will have to find a switch and toggle it. Once the door is
open he will be able to attack the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord will eventually fall
down and cause a door located on a platform above him to open. Frizzel will have to
toggle the switch on the other side of this door to continue. The switch opens the
trapdoor underneath the Demon Lord, which causes him to retreat to the inside of the
main circus tent.
Objects
• Feather for Frizzel to use as a melee type weapon
• Balloons that replenish Frizzel’s health
• Pies that will resupply Frizzel’s stock so that he can fight against the demons
• Switches that will provide passage through doors to confront the Demon Lord
Level 2
This level takes place inside of the tent. The Demon Lord has retreated behind
some walls where he is toggling switches that cause more of his minions to appear. This
level is much more vertical than the previous one.
In order for Frizzel to encounter the Demon Lord he must first open a series of
trap doors that will make the Demon fall to a spot where Frizzel can get to him. This is
accomplished by rotting between two switches situated on the opposite side of the tent’s
support pole. In order to get to the switches he must climb over the pole and get back to
the ground. When one switch is toggled the opposite switch is untoggled. Frizzel will
travel back and forth to these two switches until the Demon Lord falls to the ground floor
at the bottom right of the level.
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While Frizzel goes back and forth the Demon Lord will be calling forth demons
using switches located by his hiding spot. These minions will include those disguised as
little girls and demons riding on elephants. Frizzel will also encounter more circus goers
from whom he can steal balloons.
When the Demon Lord is finally on the ground level Frizzel will be able to
confront him with pie and feather. After the battle the Lord will retreat through the portal
from whence he came from.
Objects
• Pies for ammunition
• Balloons for Health
• Switches that open trapdoors for the Demon Lord to fall through.
Level 3
The fight has been taken to the Demon’s home ground. This level will be colored
in many reds and have fireballs and other such furnace type devices. Frizzel will progress
over pits molten lava in his pursuit of the Demon Lord. The puzzles he will face here
involve swinging on platforms supported by chains over fiery lakes and looking for the
switches that will allow him to get near to the Demon Lord so that he can confront him
one last time to give him a laugh.
The enemies he will encounter here will be the minions in undisguised form. He
will also need to dodge fireballs being blown from the depths of the fiery lakes. The
Game will end when Frizzel wins in his battle with the Demon Lord.
Objects
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Balloons that will replenish Frizzel’s Health
Pie ammunition
Doors and switches
User Interface
Opening Menu
The Player will be presented with a screen where they can start a new game,
continue an old game, adjust computer setting, or see the designer’s notes.
Game Controls
The game will be controlled using the keyboard.
• Direction arrows – control the direction that the character will walk in
• Space Bar – make the character jump
• Option<alt> - use the weapon in hand
• Shift – change weapons
• Tab – toggle switches
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Esc – bring up the opening menu
Character Rendering and Animation
The characters will be cartoon styled sprites in the png format. The rendering will
be taken care of by Power Game Factory (PGF). The characters will be created using
Photoshop and importing those images to PGF.
Conceptual Designs for Characters
These designs are to give an idea of what the characters will look like;
they are not the final design (I don’t own them).
Frizzel
Circus Goer
Frizzel Dead
Demonic Minion (little girl)
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