Plague Piper
Marek Lukášík 514523
Target audience: players with an interest in dungeon crawlers/steampunk willing to learn new
game mechanics in exchange for a unique experience
Gamer type: explorer, achiever, strategist
Target platforms: PC, possibly portable to consoles
Genre: dungeon crawler meets strategy, emphasis on looting and exploration
Number of players: 1
High Concept Statement:
In a Victorian-era world, Augustus, a highly intelligent rat and one of the first to be credited with
harnessing steam power during the Industrial Revolution, faces banishment due to the city's fear of
rat-borne diseases. Players assume the role of Augustus with a dark motive born from wrath – to
unleash a devastating plague upon the city's populace. This game blends strategic gameplay,
exploration, and customization, offering a unique dungeon crawler set within a 3D spatial
environment where rooms are intricately connected through a complex network of pipes. As
players navigate this labyrinth, they scavenge fallen enemies for parts to build their exoskeleton,
forge alliances with less-intelligent rat companions, and collect potent pathogens, all in pursuit of
their goal to brew and spread a cataclysmic infection far and wide.
Core mechanics: Story -> Explore -> Fight -> Improve -> Strategize
Feature Set:
● Story animated introduction to the game (inspiration Darkest Dungeon intro), tells the main
character’s recent history, and how he ended up in his sticky situation; later on, throughout
the gameplay, the player discovers pieces of the main character’s past through short
monologues/dialogues. Individual runs are accompanied with a short story which is tied to
the run’s location.
● Explore 3D node network interconnected with pipes; nodes = different rooms, mostly
enemies, but also “treasure” (archetypal: The Binding of Isaac etc..), “crafting room”...;
room types, layout etc. chosen by random from a pre-created set. One “final room” (city
inhabitant’s apartment/house) per node network (“per run”). Pipe system gives the player
multiple choices of how to get from point A to point B; the game’s nature encourages the
player to explore every room for best chances to get the highest score (no. of infected/killed
people). Pipes are also the location where rat companions, and other fight-aiding elements
can be found. Less usual random enemy encounters.
● Fight occurs in the rooms (nodes), real-time combat with preparation phase not limited by
time - preparation phase = tactical window - the player has a chance to see the room’s
layout and the enemy type (room visibility based on number and position of cracks in the
walls and other see-through parts of the room) - they can prepare their exoskeleton,
abilities, from where they and their rat companions will “drop into” the room, possibly
prepare their first attacks. Fight itself is rather challenging, emphasising melee combat as
the barebones option, with ranged options available (using semi-developed diseases and
mutated pathogens, using rat companions…). The player can eat companion rats to
regenerate. Occasional random encounters in the pipes are without the preparation phase.
● Improve Collect parts from dead enemies to build and improve your exoskeleton archetypal
drop relationship harder enemy -> better drops. Use pathogens to infect parts of
exoskeleton. Exoskeleton built mostly from organic matter, but can be reinforced with
scavenged scrap. Exoskeleton pieces can be exchanged during any phase of the game
except real-time part of the fights through menu-based equipment showcase. Any
modification to exoskeleton or “disease brewing” from pathogens is done in special “crafting
rooms”.
● Strategize While most of the strategy happens during the game, the player tries to
complete individual objectives usually consisting of infecting a given number of people for
current location. The final room - endgame of each run - is a populated house/apartment or
a public area, where the player releases this run’s disease. If the player manages to survive
all the difficulties up to here, they have few options on how to spread their disease: infecting
different water supplies, aggressively infecting as many people by direct contact, spreading
air-borne pathogens, infecting a new animal host for your disease; all while utilising rat
companions. Each pathogen combination is effective with different modes of spreading,
each location is immune to different pathogens. Disease creation similar to Plague Inc.
Player experience goals:
● Adrenaline -> during combat, random encounters, creepy atmosphere
● Getting better and planning ahead -> finding out what works for different enemy types,
finding new better ways for disease creation
● Exploration -> Main storyline and story bits, hidden places, atmospheric pipe network and
city locations, new enemies.
Team roles:
● Coder everything
● Artists concept, 2D, 3D, UI, animation, effects
● Designer / Tester preparation phase and battle system, progression, disease creation,
handmade room layouts, enemies, skills, balancing
● Writer main story, monologues, dialogues, hidden scenes, item descriptions
The Competition
The idea is heavily inspired by the steampunk theme for the story setting, narrative elements and
overall visuals and feel. There are multiple titles serving as a foundation for Plague Piper’s
atmosphere (Darkest Dungeon, Fallout series, Dishonored, Vaporum). Vaporum also serves as
inspiration for exoskeleton mechanics, with the initial idea influenced by “Pickle Rick”. Core
mechanics are built on an improved dungeon crawling system, and disease creation plays around
with Plague Inc. ideas and game’s mechanics. I am also aware of the similarity the story base
bears with Ratatouille, but that is purely unintentional and it was inspired more by being close to
pet rats, than to this Disney movie.
Compelling aspects / USP
This game represents a mixture of dungeon crawler and strategy which hypothetically makes use
of unique mechanics. Seemingly comedic aspects of the intro soon transform into a serious story
full of rats, disease and death, all fitting into the game’s main theme, Victorian-era steampunk.