Game Idea A Week: Hide n' Seek

Week Twenty-Nine (23/04/2010)

In the idea for this week, is Hide n' Seek for children aged between 3 and 10. Play as a hider and try to reach home base without being caught or play as the seeker and try to find all the others before they reach home. Play with your friends in diverse levels, ranging from the park or a house to an underwater menagerie or snow-capped mountains.

Platform:

Any

Genre:

Family Game

Why it needs to be made:

This is a simple game that many children will be accustomed to already so that they don't need to learn a set of complex control maneuvers. Some children do not have the luxury of having other children to play with constantly or may be unwell and unable to go outside. It would give the children a safe environment to participate in activities that other children take for granted. It would also serve as an easy introduction to digital games and playing with friends over a server.

Description:

This game takes the classic children's game of of Hide n' Seek and allows children to play in both realistic and fantasy environments either on their own in single-player mode, or against others via a server. When hiding, the player controls their avatar running through the level while the seeker is counting. Before the seeker finishes, the player must choose a hiding spot by clicking on a bush, a cupboard or one of the items that allows hiding. The avatar will hide in that spot, and depending on how good the spot is, will be more or less likely to be found. Once the seeker stops counting, the player is given a bird's eye view of the level so they can see where the seeker is currently. The hider needs to try and make it back to the home base without getting spotted. If they are captured by the seeker, they will be seeker for the next round.

When playing as the seeker, the level starts with a quick countdown to represent the time that the hiders have to hide. Then the player must walk around the level trying to spot the legs or heads that can be seen poking out from behind bushes or other hiding places. The seeker must make sure to keep an eye on the home base to ensure that no hiders manage to get back safely. If the seeker manages to catch at least one hider, then they will not be the seeker next time. Extra points are gained for catching more than one hider or all of them.

In single-player mode, the player works their way through the levels trying to get the maximum score for each level. For each level they must play as both a hider and a seeker. When playing as the hider, levels become more difficult by having fewer hiding spots and less time to find a hiding spot. When playing as the seeker, the hiders have more places to hide.

A multi-player server will be set up so that players can compete against their friends on other computers. The players could play on the same computer/console, but they would have to all be hiders, since otherwise the seeker would be able to see exactly where the others are. The levels will be similar to the single-player levels and will include both realistic and fantasy levels. Level environments could include a playground, house, formal English gardens, the bush, a jungle, snow-capped mountains, underwater menagerie, an alien planet and more.

Players can tweak the rules they play with so that they can change the game to be like other childrens hiding games. Some examples include:

• 40-40 Home: The seeker can only call people out when they are touching the home base. If a hider makes it back to home base they can free everyone else (not just themselves).
• Sardines: One person goes out and hides. Everyone else becomes a seeker. If they find the hider, they try to squish in next to the hider and become a hider as well. The last person to find the hiding spot becomes hider for next time.
• Timeout: Instead of the hiders trying to make it home, they just have to keep hiding until a timelimit is up.

Why it will be a compelling game:

The world that the children can hide in will have beautiful scenery. Being able to change the rules within the game will allow children to develop their own house rules or match the game to what they are used to. It will give children a sense of power and control over the game that is not often found in digital games.

Other thoughts: