Tug
About
TUG is a 5 player JackBox style party game. It is designed to be playable on user's phones and takes the same approach as JackBox games to create engaging gameplay through player relationships. In Tug, you are a Stuffed Animal, but also a Convict. Crazy right? You and the other four convicts are a part of a gang, but one of you is a guard imposter. In order to find out who the imposter is, players are tied together and must answer a series of questions, but in order to answer, they must pull the rope linking them in the direction of their answer. If you are in between two players with different answers you'll be torn in half! TUG is a whacky stab at making a party JackBox-like
Links
Read my GDD
What I Did
TUG was made for a class project in which we each had to make a game on our own that was based on a specific IP. The IP we were given was a massive prison in which every prisoner is tied together by a single rope. Guards are able to track any tampering with the rope, making escape virtually impossible. With this IP I couldn't help but want to design a game in which players would tear each other in half. On top of that, I loved the idea of the interaction having simple controls and feeling personal. This lead me to TUG's final design. I am very proud of TUG's design, though it is one of those games that is very difficult to explain on paper but is very simple to play. Within the project's life cycle I learned how to program multi-player networking through Unity, but could not properly incorporate it before the project's deadline. For now, the project is set up to work with Five players but requires everyone playing on the same computer.
Project Analysis
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Designed, Documented, built the art for, and programmed a solo project, which was finished within its project deadline.
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Developed a greater understanding of network code and networking philosophy.
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Created a cohesive UI/UX within Unities Canvas system.
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Researched my target audience, received and incorporated game feedback, and presented my final project to a sea of peers.
Systems Design Overview
Tug works primarily on its core system. Below I will utilize a flowchart I made throughout development to explain its basic system and how I designed it.
Starting the Game
Lets break down this flow chart. We begin with each player joining the game and selecting their character. Here I would include a little bit of character customization. The important aspect of this would be to avoid making the crux of the gameplay known to all players before the game starts. Sure whomever got the game will likely know its secret, but an important aspect of this is to illicit an intense reaction from a player when their cute avatar is ripped in half for the first time.
Tutorial 1
Next up is your first Tutorial. The Basic rules and premise will be outlined. "You are a bad stuffie. Bad. Or are you? Each of you is a gang member in a stuffed animal prison, but one of you is an Imposter. A guard has invaded your secretive group and you must weed them out. Simply answer the following "Would you Rather question" as truthfully as you can. You will pull the rope in the direction of your choice. The Imposter can be determined as they will have a slightly altered question to answer. If the Imposter isn't caught after four round, they win. Find them and you bad little stuffies win!"
Question Phase
Now the player's enter the "Question phase". Players are asked to answer a Would you Rather question and are reminded which direction the rope will be pulled based on their choice. They can see which all players on screen and are able to determine the outcome of their choice. The Imposter will be given a different prompt and will be given further info about their role. They are told to answer the question to the best of their ability, but that their prompt isn't random. It is made to be similar to the others, but has certain key differences. It is important for them to infer the other players prompts and to blend in during Deliberation. Each player is given a certain amount of time for this phase(unlimited time in the first round). Anyone who doesn't answer is counted as answering Yes.
Results Phase
Once all Players have answered, they will get to see the Results. This is where most of Tug's depth lies. Each player's avatar or stuffy will pull the rope in the direction they chose(Right or Left based on their answer).
If two players had a different response to the question, and there is another player in between them, they will both pull the rope in opposite directions, tearing that poor soul in half. That player will become eliminated and gameplay will continue without them. They get to help choose future prompts, but will be back in quickly as gameplay is short.
This is meant to be surprising and dramatic the first time it happens. It will also increase the threat of the imposter by demonstrating not only how they can be dealt with, but how they can get rid of others.
Tutorial 2
After a player has been killed, the second tutorial message will appear. This message outlines how you can rip other players. It informs everyone that killing the imposter is the only way to get rid of them. If the imposter were to be one of the last two players standing however, they win. The intention is for this clarity to drive the parties blood lust and to cause them to ponder how one might strategically tear someone in half. Do they answer a question untruthfully because they think they know who it is? What if the person on the other side does that? What do I say if I am wrong and everyone else then thinks I am the imposter?
Deliberation
Finally we come upon Deliberation. This phase recounts what happened during the results and essentially gives players the opportunity to discuss amongst themselves. They are meant to deliberate who the imposter is, while the imposter contemplates their strategy. This phase lasts only a short time, but serves to reset things and to help put players onto the right track. Shortly after, the loop will begin again at the question phase. The game will continue for four more rounds or until one side wins.
Conclusion
The intention is for the gameplay to be very fast paced, but also social. The question aspect of it is meant to be talked about amongst players. The hidden layer of gameplay here is a sneaky themed "Would you rather". Players will be setup to naturally fall into one of two play-patterns. Plotting to kill one another, or bonding over their shared loved of prison punch.