Project Type: Prototype
Engine: Unreal Engine 4.23.1
Language: C++

In this Devlog we're going to take a look at the story, gameplay, art style, setting and music of DEADBEAT.

STORY

In DEADBEAT you play as contestants of a deranged game show, filmed in the world's biggest night club and broadcast over the entire globe. As a contestant you must stay alive the longest by dodging all of the traps that move according to the beat of the music. Run, punch, jump and dance your way to victory and become the DEADBEAT Master!

GAMEPLAY

In DEADBEAT 2-4 players will each have their own customizable character. They will be able to choose between a range of different heads, hats, colors and armbands (which all contestants of the DEADBEAT game show must wear to track their vitals and position).

 When the game starts, the players are dropped down on a conveyor belt. At the edge of it is a bottomless pit.  The crowd, looking down on the arena from above, starts to cheer as the thumping soundtrack comes in and the conveyor belt starts to move.

Players have to now make sure they don't fall off the conveyor belt, all the while dodging approaching traps that are positioned on it. The traps will activate on the beat of the music, making it easier for the player to time their actions. During all of this players will also have a weapon to their advantage, a Glove Gun. When used this can push players away for a short distance. To recharge the gun, the player will have to jump on the beat of the music. This tool can be used to distract people and launch them into traps. Every player starts with 3 HP.

Of course the Glove Gun is not the only weapon players can use to get an advantage over others. Every once in a while a drone will fly over and drop a pickup crate. When it hits the conveyor belt it pops open and a platform will spawn which projects a hologram. When a player stands on it he will receive one of these special abilities:

• A shield which protects a player from all damage for a certain amount of time
• A health pickup which restores one HP
• A syringe that restores the cooldown of the punching glove ability immediately
• A big glove that when used punches the ground and pushes all the other players away from the player that used it
• A tiny gun with a single bullet that makes an opposing player lose one HP when hit by the bullet
• A microphone that stuns players in a close distance for a short amount of time.

These abilites can only be used once.

This game is sort of like an infinite runner. The traps never stop coming until everyone is dead. To speed up this process the music will go faster and faster, and so will the traps. The player that survives for the longest time will be crowned the winner and win lots and lot of ingame money. (We're not 100% sure about this, but we might add a shop where players can buy new hats, levels and accessories)

ART STYLE

As you've probably noticed, we've decided to go for an isometric game with lots of big, readable, basic shapes. This doesn't mean that we were lazy though, as every design decision has been given a lot of thought. We decided that the most important thing in our visuals is CONTRAST. Have a look at the art style slide from our art bible.

Because the game is super fast paced and rythm oriented the player has to be able to focus and immediately see what's going on. This is why the readable shapes and contrast are necessary. However, if we do decide to make multiple level environments, we might make some that are a bit more distracting for added difficulty.

The main idea when creating the traps (and everything else that's unsafe for the player to interact with) was to use sharp corners. When making these we decided to always work in distances that are divisible by 5. As you've probably seen, the characters are much more rounded. Again, this is to provide contrast with the environment and traps.

As far as animations go, the ones for the traps are very mechanic and jarring. This is so they are much easier to align to the beat of the song, as well as to provide contrast with the player which moves a lot smoother.

Now that you have a clear vision of the art style we're going with, let us delve a bit deeper into the setting and music of the game, which kind of go hand in hand.

SETTING AND MUSIC

DEADBEAT is set in the world's biggest, most popular most dangerous and also sadly most fictitious nightclub in the world. The music they play at this club is very dark and industrial. Thumping drums and acid leads are what keep the clubgoers dancing through the night. We took inspiration from well known underground clubs such as Kompass Klub in Ghent, Belgium and Berghain in Berlin, Germany.

As you can see, the best clubs are always located in abandoned warehouses and factories. We wanted to approach the same feeling with our environment.

The game is also set in the future, and has a bit of a cyberpunk aesthetic. There will be drones flying around carrying cameras, drinks, tv-screens, traps, crates, ... Take a look at our moodboard and you'll get an idea of the atmosphere we're going for.

And to finish up this art update: MUSIC! This is probably the most important part as it is the one thing that inspired us to make this game. Listening to the industrial dark techno beats gave us many ideas for traps, the setting, lighting effects characters, ... We will make our own soundtrack, but here are some songs/live sets that can give you an idea of what we're going for, and again show the setting of the game.

Stay tuned for more art updates!

- The Deadbeat Art Team