High-Level Design Document Excerpt
Game Overview
Core Concept
“Shroom Groove” will be a non-linear narrative RPG game about rediscovering the value of community, where you play as a mushroom gangster. Malcolm Funguy is a city shroom; he never even set his stem on real forest dirt; he wouldn’t know a pine from an oak to save his life and thinks glucose cartons magically materialize in the supermarkets. Yet he is desperate for cash, so when the Hebe Forest community offers to employ him to help fight EvilCorp, Malcolm takes the job.
Perhaps going against one of the most powerful corporations in the city is a death wish. Perhaps Hebe has been doomed to fall from the start. Or perhaps even a scumshroom like Malcolm can realize the true value of Hebe and use his gangster talents to protect it. The player will have to make Hebe a strong and resilient mushroom ecosystem if the forest is to have a chance against EvilCorp. The game includes fun facts about fungi.
Genre
Non-linear narrative dark comedy RPG with elements of mycology and socialist undertones.
Target Audience
18+
Platforms
PC/XBOX/PC5
Look and Feel
Handpainted 3D cartoon animation. An eerie, dark feel combines the style of Vegas Casinos with a thick, fantastical forest. Technology takes a retro-futuristic shape based on the 80’s with plant/mushroom elements.
Game Flow
The game follows the POV of Malcolm Funguy, who has to save Hebe Forest from EvilCorp. He travels to different forest regions where he has to find ways to rebuild the Mycelium and identify the infiltrators from EvilDev Corp. When all Hebe regions have regained their Mycelium, the player will have to help develop the forest so that the community can stand against EvilCorp. It can be done by growing Hebe’s economic strength by setting up unlicensed liquor distribution, establishing an edibles cartel, making Hebe a casino destination, and/or building up mushroom mafia structures. Choices made by the player lead to Hebe community evolving in several ways, and if the player is not careful EvilCorp just might get their way and destroy the forest.
Unique Selling Points:
Game about the true value of community where you play as a gangster mushroom. Dark humor with elements of mycology and socialism.
Scope
Characters:
Main Character:
Malcolm Funguy (Amanita Muscaria mushroom)
Other important characters (NPC’s): around 10-12 mushrooms, 3 humans, and one ant-humanoid secretary
Number of locations/ regions:
City region with 2/3 locations (Malcolm's apartment, EvilCorp headquarters)
Five Hebe Forest regions with 2/3 main locations each
Mechanics and Features
All the abilities will be based on real fungi abilities:
Mycelium
FACT: water and nutrients flow through ecosystems within mycelial networks, mycylium conducts waves of electrical activity, sending information.
IN-GAME: map, source of information, food supply
Spore bullets
FACT: some mushroom species can discharge spores explosively, accelerating 10,000 faster than a Space Shuttle.
IN-GAME: shooting mechanic with collectible spore bullets
Cocktails
FACT: using cocktails of potent enzymes and acids, fungi can break down some of the most stubborn substances on the planet, from wood to rock, crude oil, plastics, and even explosive TNT
IN-GAME: To rebuild the Mycelium in various regions, Malcolm will have to consume cocktails that will give him special abilities to deal with damage specific to each region
Alcohol
FACT: Yeat that performs fermentation and creates alcohol is a fungus
IN-GAME: Mushrooms are great brewers
Edibles
FACT: magic mushroom edibles are gaining popularity IRL
IN-GAME: Malcolm can get visions with tips on how to progress the game if he takes an edible