Songbird's Tears
Elevator Pitch
Songbird’s Tears is a single-player or co-op, turn-based, zombie survival game inspired by The Last of Us and The Walking Dead. The game has a unique progression system that replaces the traditional character level system. Players increase their attributes and life skills by completing certain actions and activities. The game has permanent character death; players’ decisions will alter the fate of their characters and everyone around them.
Picture by Naughty Dog, LLC. Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
Setting
Songbird’s Tears sets in an alternate modern-day United States. In May 2008, A group of scientists traveled to a fictional, uninhabited island in the Caribbean Sea (about 270 nautical miles north of Venezuela) for research. And this event becomes the beginning of a nightmare for all humanity. The researchers were secretly infected by a rare fungal parasite. After they returned, the fungus quickly spread to the population in a month. When people realized what they were dealing with, it was already too late.
Progression
In Songbird's Tears, every action players choose has an effect on their characters. A character receives experience points in corresponding attributes and skills base on his/her action. A character can level up their skills and attributes when camping.
For example, crafting items (both success and failure) will grant the character experience in crafting skills and sophistication (attribute).
Gameplay Loops
Rock-Paper-Scissors-Combat
(The system is inspired by old school JRPG turn-based combat and Atlas Reactor)
Combat turn is divided into two phases: The decision phase and the execution phase:
Decision phase. Choose your next ability and (or) movement action
Executecution phase: Execute commands made in the decision phase.
Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats rock. I call this "counter"
After a successful counter, the losing side takes stun damage which is reflected by its stun meter
A creature is stunned when the meter reaches 100%
Controller Mapping
UI Examples
Non-combat UI
Combat-UI
