ROLE PLAYING GAME
AfterBlink is a game that I planned while playing games, thinking that I would like to make a game like this someday.
Again, I designed it while thinking from the player's point of view.
AFTERBLINK
A doctor, who has been studying against violence and wants to see his dead wife again all his life, now paints blood in his hands to save his kidnapped daughter.
Genres: Action-adventure
Mode: Single-player
Production Period: July 23 - November 29 (2021)
CONTENT
STORY
Story
CHARACTER DESIGN
The Doctor
BASIC SYSTEM
AfterBlink / Afterimage / Kill & Reward
SKILLS: AFTERBLINK
AfterBlink
SKILLS: AFTERIMAGE SKILLS
Yellow / Red / Purple / Green / Fusion
SKILLS: GEOMETRIC COMBO
Geometric Combo / Preset Geometric Combo
SKILLS: PASSIVE SKILLS
Passive Skills
SKILL MENU DESIGN
Skill menu design
SKILL UNLOCK ORDER DESIGN
Skill unlock order design
ITEMS
Handheld items / Wearable Items
CORE MECHANIC: COMBINATION
Combination
MAP DESIGN
Map / Map description / Shuicheng Town / Home / Abandoned Military Base
PLAYER CONTROL DESIGN
Control
STORY
There is an old and kind scientist (doctor). After his beloved wife died, he cared for his only daughter and at the same time began to devote himself to research to meet his wife again. As a result of research day and night, the doctor developed a way to project a person's shape into reality. Knowing that it can even be touched or made hard or soft, the government offers him to use it for military purposes. Because he was a pacifist, he was extremely reluctant to use his research to harm people and wanted to focus solely on his original purpose of making the shape of his wife. Eventually, the government kidnaps his daughter and threatens him to cooperate if he wants her back. The doctor no longer wanted to lose someone precious to him, so he is determined to destroy the government of a country alone by creating a unique weapon based on everything he has studied so far.
In a showdown with the final boss, the doctor is tested for his beliefs, but he coolly establishes his beliefs.
Final Boss: "Look at what you're doing now, how many people have you killed? If you want to talk to yourself as a pacifist pretending to be noble, why don't you wipe the blood off your hands? I'm kidding, I rather like it. Your research results are beautiful, let's say that what has been slaughtered so far is just a simple weapon performance test. "
The Doctor: "I don't want to hurt people because they are also someone's family. But what you overlooked is that my family comes first to me, and if anyone hurts my family, I will surely revenge. My daughter needs to be safe, otherwise I'll torture you alive for the rest of my life!"
CHARACTER DESIGN
BASIC SYSTEM
AFTERBLINK
Afterimage + Blink
The doctor rushes a certain distance in one direction and leaves an afterimage in its original position.
The doctor can use AfterBlink endlessly. When he uses AfterBlink continuously, objects lead to a single line, and it breaks if he stops.
Avoiding enemy attacks by analyzing and predicting brings me a lot of fun in many games. Besides, I found that many game skills such as blink or dash have visual effects like an afterimage of a character appears behind the character in order to show how speedy it is and the direction of it. I thought that it would be great if this "afterimage" can be used to attack enemies so that players can dodge and attack at the same time.
Inspired by Overwatch (Tracer), Hades (Zagreus), Splatoon 2 (Dualie)
AFTERIMAGE
Afterimages are not just an afterimage. All of them have special abilities, such as explosion, decoy, trap... etc.
KILL & REWARD
Sekiro and Doom have execution systems that players can make enemies moribund and finish them with a special attack. After that, they can get some health points. These systems encourage players to play more aggressively despite their lack of Health Points, instead of running away from the enemies or hiding behind somewhere.
For the same reason, and more extremely, the only way for players to recover Health Points is by executing enemies.
It also makes players more immersed in the mad doctor, who fights desperately and lonely.
SKILLS
Most of the skills of AfterBlink are activated through AfterBlink. All skills are divided into shapes and colors.
AFTERBLINK
AfterBlink is a base of other skills.
The doctor rushes a certain distance in one direction and leaves an afterimage in its original position.
The doctor can use AfterBlink endlessly. When he uses AfterBlink continuously, objects lead to a single line, and it breaks if he stops.
AFTERIMAGE SKILLS
Circle
When the doctor uses AfterBlink, he leaves an afterimage in its original position, and Afterimage Skill represents what the afterimage does.
There are 4 slots for Afterimage skills, so the doctor can only use 4 afterimage skills at the same time.
YELLOW
Armor / JumpPad / Mine
Yellow Afterimage Skills are like a shadow on the ground.
Not moving in place.
Activates when a person touches or steps on it.
Disappears when it is activated or damaged.
Inspired by Ink Armor (Splatoon), Ink Mine (Splatoon), Octane (Apex Legends)
YELLOW: ARMOR
Afterimage Skill
If it is actually touchable and quite sturdy, there is nothing strange about calling it "armor".
Create a yellow Afterimage that you can get an impermanent armor by touching it.
The Armor will disappear after 30 seconds or earlier if it absorbs too much damage.
Your enemy can also get the armor by touching it earlier than you, unless you upgrade it.
YELLOW: JUMPPAD
Afterimage Skill
Designed for Genius.
Create a yellow Afterimage that launches anything steps on it.
It might be useless or essential. Try everything you can imagine!
YELLOW: MINE
Afterimage Skill
Watch your step!
Create a yellow Afterimage that works just like a landmine. It explodes when an enemy steps on it.
It automatically disappears if no one steps on it for a long time.
RED
Decoy / Smoke / Explosion
Red Afterimage Skills are like a explosive.
Not moving in place.
Activates after a few seconds.
Disappears when it is activated.
Inspired by explosives in shooter games, Finger Whistle (Sekiro)
RED: DECOY
Afterimage Skill
A big sound with flash is always the best way to attract enemies without blood.
Create a red afterimage that pops and makes a noise and a flash to attract enemies.
After execution, it disappears.
RED: SMOKE
Afterimage Skill
Made by disassembling the Afterimage very small and scattering it.
Create a red Afterimage that pops and makes a smoke to block enemies' sight.
The upgraded version will release toxic chemical in the smoke.
After execution, it disappears.
RED: EXPLOSION
Afterimage Skill
Whenever an experiment fails, it explodes. However, we can use the failure.
Create a red Afterimage that explodes after 3 seconds.
The upgraded version will release flammable chemical that keep burning after the explosion.
PURPLE
Forward / Back / Left / Right
Purple Afterimage Skill is like a doppleganger of the doctor.
Movable.
Activates immediately.
Disappears when it is damaged.
Inspired by Mirage(Apex Legends), Charger (Left 4 Dead)
PURPLE: DOPPLEGANGER
Afterimage Skill
It looks just like you, but all it can do is running.
Creates a purple Afterimage who runs in one direction and disappears when ti collides something.
You have to select which way it runs.
Upgrade version will also throw the enemy who is collided to the ground.
GREEN
Shield / ShortRange / LongRange
Green Afterimage Skills are like a friend.
Not moving in place.
Activates immediately.
Disappears when it is damaged too much.
GREEN: SHIELD
Afterimage Skill
Sometimes, the doctor feels lonely.
Create a green Afterimage that blocks enemies' apporaching.
It's back automatically loock forward you, but it cannot move.
GREEN: SHORTRANGE
Afterimage Skill
Sometimes, the doctor feels lonely.
Create a green Afterimage that attacks enemies with the shortrange weapon you have.
It's back automatically look forward you, but it cannot move.
GREEN: LONGRANGE
Afterimage Skill
Sometimes, the doctor feels lonely.
Create a green Afterimage that attacks enemies with the longrange weapon you have.
It's back automatically look forward you, but it cannot move.
Fusion AfterImage Skills
Fusion Afterimage Skills are final skills that players can unlock. In order to unlock a Fusion Afterimage skill, players need to have two Lv.3 Afterimage skills.
Fusion Afterimage skills have their own names. They are extremely powerful because a Fusion Afterimage Skill has two Afterimage skills' abilities at the same time.
Besides, some of them has additional ability. For example, "Be My Friend" is combination of Red Type Smoke and Yellow Type Armor, so when a player wears the armor, it releases toxic smoke in its place. Moreover, if an enemey steps on it before the player, the enemy will be hallucinated and attacks other enemies for a while.
FUSION AFTERIMAGE SKILL EXAMPLE
DAZZLING MAKEOVER
Afterimage Skill
Red Type Decoy + Yellow Type Armor
Transforming like a magic girl.
Create an orange Afterimage that you can get an impermanent armor by touching it.
The Armor will disappear after 30 seconds or earlier if it absorbs too much damage.
It produces a big sound and a flash when anyone puts on it or it is destroyed .
Your Enemy can also get the armor by touching it earlier than you.
GEOMETRIC COMBO
Rhombus / Blue
When the doctor uses AfterBlink continuously, objects lead to a single line, and it breaks if he stops. Thus, he can make shapes such as triange and tetragon which have special abilities.
Also, players should return to the starting point of the Geometric Combo to activate it.
There are 3 slots for Geometric Combos, so the doctor can only use 3 Geometric Combos at the same time.
GEOMETRIC COMBO: TRIANGLE
Geometric Combo
Triangles are simple but stable.
Enemies in the triangle made by Continuous AfterBlink cannot move for a while, but they can still attack you.
In order to complete Continuous AfterBlink, you should keep AfterBlinking just after the cooldown(0.5s) of AfterBlink.
GEOMETRIC COMBO: STRIANGHTLINE
Geometric Combo
Standing in a line gives them strength for some reasons.
Particular Afterimages in a straight line made by Continuous AfterBlink can get additional health points.
Yellow: Type Shield get additional 100 health points.
Green: All types het additional 50 health points.
Purple: All types get additional 10 health points.
Fusion Afterimages can have double benefits.
In order to complete Continuous AfterBlink, you should keep AfterBlinking just after the cooldown(0.5s) of AfterBlink.
GEOMETRIC COMBO: TETRAGON
Geometric Combo
Four Afterimages can create a electric field.
Enemies in the Tetragon made by Continuous AfterBlink keep getting damage.
In order to complete Continuous AfterBlink, you should keep AfterBlinking just after the cooldown(0.5s) of AfterBlink.
GEOMETRIC COMBO: PENTAGON
Geometric Combo
Five Afterimages realized that it is more fun to knock enemies down again and again than to hurt them.
The pentagon made by Continuous AfterBlink produce shockwaves to knock enemies down.
In order to complete Continuous AfterBlink, you should keep AfterBlinking just after the cooldown(0.5s) of AfterBlink.
GEOMETRIC COMBO: HEXAGON
Geometric Combo
The pressure the enemies have will be great if Afterimages come from all directions, and no way to escape.
The hexagon made by Continuous AfterBlink gradually gets smaller until all the Afterimages collides with something. Enemies in the hexagon could not escape from it and will be punished when they try to escape.
In order to complete Continuous AfterBlink, you should keep AfterBlinking just after the cooldown(0.5s) of AfterBlink.
GEOMETRIC COMBO: STAR
Geometric Combo
The first step to become an expert.
It automatically creates 5 Afterimages at the intersecting points and executes 5 Geometric Combo Type Triangle and 1 Geometric Combo Type Tetragon.
In order to complete Continuous AfterBlink, you should keep AfterBlinking just after the cooldown(0.5s) of AfterBlink.
GEOMETRIC COMBO: ARCHITECT
Geometric Combo
Congratulations! You mastered Geometric Combo Techniques.
It automatically creates Afterimages at the intersecting points and executes Geometric Combos.
In order to complete Continuous AfterBlink, you should keep AfterBlinking just after the cooldown(0.5s) of AfterBlink.
PRESET GEOMETRIC COMBO
Players can set which Afterimages they want to use for a Geometric Combo before they use the Geometric Combo, so that they can change the Afterimages which are used in the Geometric Combo to the Preset Geometric Combo.
PASSIVE SKILLS
Square
Unlike Afterimage skills and Geometric Combos, Passive skills don't have slots, so they will be activated automatically.
AFTERBLINK
Passive Skill
Dodging and Attacking at the same time.
You dashes in a twinkling and creates an Afterimage at the place you AfterBlinks.
WHITE: ESCAPE BY A HAIRBREADTH
Passive Skill
The courage and belief that you can do it strengthens you.
White: Escape by a Hairbreadth executes automatically when you AfterBlinks just before you got hit.
When it executes, the Afterimage The Doctor just created shines for a moment, and the enemy who attack this Afterimage will be stunned. Enemies who don't attack the Afterimage will also be stunned if they are within the effective range.
You can Critical Strike to the stunned enemy.
Inspired by Just in fighting games, Bayoneta (Super Smash Bros), Hikari (Super Smash Bros)
GRAY: ONE MORE SECOND
Passive Skill
Afterimages Never Die.
Gray: One More Second executes automatically when some Afterimage skills starts to disappear.
When it executes, the Afterimage's color turns gray and stand in position for a while. This Gray Afterimage can be used for making Geometric Combo, while disappeared Afterimages will make a Geometric Combo break.
SKILL MENU DESIGN
SKILL POINTS
/
TURNING POINT
Skill point is simply showed with a blue number.
"Afterimage Blink" and "Fusion Afterimage" are two buttons that players can click to change pages.
LEVEL OF SKILLS
(LOCKED - LV.1 - LV.2 - LV.3)
Players can use skill points to
Players need to unlock previous skill to unlock the next skill.
Locked : Players cannot use the skill.
Lv.1 : Players can use the skill.
Lv.2 : Lv.2 skills are more powerful.
Lv.3 : Some Lv.3 skills have additional abilities.
Players need to have 2 or more Lv.3 skills to unlock Fusion Afterimage Skills.
GEOMETRIC COMBO PRESET
/
SLOTS
Players can drag and drop the skills they want to Slots and Geometric Combo Preset.
SKILL UNLOCK ORDER DESIGN
The well-designed skill unlock order helps players understand the game's system naturally without burdening the player.
Besides, by applying a vertically symmetrical design, both aesthetics and practicality were established.
Before the explanation...
Players should unlock previous skills to unlock next skills, but they can also unlock skills that are on a different branch. For example, If a player only unlocked Yellow Type Armor and Yellow Type Mine, he/she can go back and unlock Yellow Type JumpPad or Purple: Doppleganger, or he/she can just keep going and unlock Red Type Decoy. However, in order to make it easier to explain, I'll separate skills into Yellow Route and Purple Route.
I. YELLOW OR PURPLE
First, players should choose one of the two options, Yellow Type Armor or Purple: Doppleganger, according to their preference. Both of these skills are low-risk-low-return skills, which are helpful for beginner players.
If they chose Yellow Type Armor, they can unlock other Yellow skills and Red skills later. Yellow skills and Red skills are more aggressive.
If they chose Purple Type: Doppleganger, they can unlock White: Escape by a Hairbreadth or Green skills, which are more defensive.
II.A.1. YELLOW
Yellow Type JumpPad is not strongly related to Red skills, so I placed it on the outside.
On the contrary, Yellow Type Mine is related to Red Type skills because all Red Type skills are explosives. Therefore, I made players unlock Yellow Type Mine first if they want to unlock Red skills.
It is also good for story narrative since players can naturally imagine that the doctor might developed Red skills after he created Yellow Type Mine.
II.A.2 RED
Red Type Decoy has three branches, which means that players can skip other two Red skills and unlock Geometric Combo skills, and they can choose the skills they want.
II.B.1 PURPLE
Since Purple has only one skill, the cost(skill points) to unlock it will be the same as others, but it would be much more costy to upgrade.
II.B.2 WHITE
In fact, Purple: Doppleganger is not that helpful in combat, so players can unlock White: Escape by a Hairbreadth to support them.
However, it is a little difficult to use. If players think that it is not very helpful, they can skip it and unlock Green skills.
II.B.3 GREEN
Like Red skills, Green Type Shield also has three branches, and players can skip other two Green skills and unlock Geometric Combo skills, and they can choose the skills they want.
It is also good for story narrative. Players can naturally imagine that the doctor might developed Purple skills, which can only run, and then developed them to Green skills, which can grab weapons and attack enemies.
III. GREY OR STRAIGHTLINE
Players need to unlock Red Type Decoy or Green Type Shield to unlock Geometric Combo Type Triangle. I designed like that because I believe that players will understand about Afterimage Skills if they unlocked two or three Afterimage skills, and I don't want to force people to spend too much time unlocking the skills they want to use.
Grey: One More Second is more suitable for Yellow and Red Skills, and Purple and Green skills will be more powerful with Geometric Combo Type StraightLine. Thus, players can choose one of two skills according to their favorite skills.
IV. PENTAGON OR HEXAGON
Both Geometric Combo Type Pentagon and Geometric Combo Type Hexagon are skills that can disturb enemies' movement, so players can focus on differences between them and choose what they prefer.
After that, they can keep going and unlock Geometric Combo Type Star or go back and unlock the other one.
V. FINISH
The final skill, Geometric Combo Type Architect, is a upgrade version of its previous skill, Geometric Combo Type Star. Besides, it is also better than any other Geometric Combo skills in all aspects. Thus, it is extremely costy to unlock and upgrade.
For this reason, players can go back and unlock or upgrade other Afterimage skills Geometric Combo skills, or Fusion Afterimage skills. No matter what they chose, it will make the game more fun and dynamic.
ITEMS
Handheld Items / Wearable Items
Items that help player be stronger or try more creative Combinations of skills.
Players can only take one handheld item and one wearable item.
Quickly press "G" to take a Handheld item out, Hold "G" to take a Wearable item on.
Weight: How great it affects player's agility. Heavy items slow the player down.
HANDHELD ITEMS
ICE GUN
You can make icy surface on anything by spraying special chemical.
Make a slippery road and roll something you want.
Freeze the road or water (river, sea) and block enemies approaching.
WIND GUN
You can make a giant wind to blow something you want.
Spread the fire widely.
Spread or disperse smoke.
Fly higher or further.
GEOLOCATOR
You can easily find where the Afterimages are.
Find the exact location of the afterimage.
WEARABLE ITEMS
GAS MASK
It protects you from toxic gases.
NIGHT VISION DEVICE
You can see in the dark and smoke.
EOD SUIT
Reduce damage.
CORE MECHANIC: COMBINATION
Afterimage skill & Afterimage Skill
Afterimage skill & Geometric Combo
Afterimage skill & Geometric Combo & Items
The combination of skills is the most exciting part of the game.
Players can kill their enemies and clear missions with all sorts of amazing, creative ideas.
These are some examples of Combinations.
RED TYPE DECOY & YELLOW TYPE MINE
Afterimage skill & Afterimage skill
The player can use Red Type Decoy to lure an enemy into Yellow Type Mine.
RED TYPE SMOKE & MAD SHORTRANGE
Afterimage skill & Fusion Afterimage skill
It is difficult for Green Type Shortrange to get closed to an enemy if the enemy has longrange weapon.
Mad ShortRange, a Fusion Afterimage skill of Green Type ShortRange and Purple: Doppleganger, can automatically rush to an enemy despite the enemy is invisible.
Thus, players can use Red Type Smoke to make the enemy difficult to see, and let Mad ShortRange rush to the enemy and kill him/her.
GREEN TYPE LONGRANGE
&
GEOMETRIC COMBO TYPE PENTAGON
Afterimage skill & Geometric Combo
Enemies in the Geometric Combo Type Pentagon will be knocked down again and again, so it is a good idea that put Green Type LongRange around them and keep shooting at them.
RED TYPE EXPLOSION
&
GEOMETRIC COMBO TYPE HEXAGON
Afterimage skill & Geometric Combo
All the Afterimages of Geometric Combo Type Hexagon will get closer and closer to the enemy inside it.
Beside, the enemy inside it can't escape from it.
Therefore, if players make a Geometric Combo Type Hexagon with Red Type Explosion, it can be a extremely deadly instant-death trap.
RED TYPE EXPLOSION
& YELLOW TYPE JUMPPAD
& GEOMETRIC COMBO TYPE TRIANGLE
& HANDHELD ITEM: WIND GUN
Afterimage & Geometric Combo & Item
Let's make a canon!
First, use Geometric Combo Type Triangle to grab an enemy. Players can use any color of Afterimage to make it but it is better to use Afterimages that can stay there for a long time.
Second, set a Yellow Type JumpPad and make a Red Type Explosion on it, so that Yellow Type JumpPad can shoot Red Type Explosion.
Third, use Handheld Item: Wind Gun to adjust the direction and the distance the Red Type Explosion flys.
Finally, Red Type Explosion lands on the enemy and explodes.
MAP DESIGN
Some places that the doctor will visit.
I drew the map, the doctor's home, and Shuicheng Town. Moreover, I made a 3D model of the doctor's home and Abandoned Military Base.
When designing the map, I wanted to give the doctor's character to the map. The doctor has the duality of being gentle to his family but ruthless to those who hurt his family. The map also has duality. Tarak City is a developed modern city, but a slum is very closed to it. Shuicheng Town seems to be a peaceful traditional place, while Abandoned Military Base is on the same island.
PLAYER CONTROL DESIGN
I designed control of the player character, based on my personal experience of playing a lot of games.
Players will use AfterBlink skills the most (except basic movements), so I placed them at ctrl, shift, Q, and E, which are the most convenient keys to press.
SOURCE FROM (NO COPYRIGHT IMAGES)
HANDHELD ITEMS & WEARABLE ITEMS PICTURES
gettyimages.com
MAP EXPLANATION PICTUERES
pixabay.com
pexels.com