“Democracy encourages the majority to decide things about which the majority is ignorant.”
John Simon
“Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving in words evidence of the fact.”
George Eliot, Impressions of Theophrastus Such
In my professional career I have built multiple full Game Design Documents (GDDs) and Pitch Proposals for high-level publishers such as Microsoft Game Studios and Warner Brothers. After multiple contracts with rising responsibility, Fuel Games awarded me a contract which gave me full creative direction on a multi-million dollar proposal.
This section of my personal portfolio currently offers one example GDD of a game called KnockDown. As this site is public domain, so is the game design (so your legal department would say it's fine to look at, and, frankly, steal).
Download the proposal here, and note that it is both a WIP and in the public domain.
The following is an early alpha video demonstrating the Launch Pads surrounding every platform. Players hit any edge to be thrown towards the distant platform that they were likely aiming for. Note that the visuals are incomplete and that it's a box environment rather than the inside of a volcano!
I have been inspired by fellow game designers who continue to create in their private time. Board games are an excellent way to flex the creative muscles and prototype new concepts, so here is my first attempt.
Hard Time is a 4-player board game where each player is an inmate in prison. The players take turns acquiring new 'tools' (more dice and stronger abilities), digging towards freedom (or collapse their enemies' tunnels), or outright attacking their opponents.
There is a guard who walks the cells, meaning that players can get caught for their actions and raise their sentence! If a player reaches 30 years, he gets The Chair and is out of the game.
The game mainly requires 6 dice, one fine dry-erase marker, a pointable object to represent the Guard (e.g. any standard key), the Game Board (prototype v0.81), and the Roll Board. There are also the instructions and rules for play. Optimally, both Game and Roll Boards should be printed and laminated before play, or put into a plastic sleeve.