Author Topic: murder mystery- new game idea that nobody else is doing  (Read 1847 times)

Offline Cyborg

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murder mystery- new game idea that nobody else is doing
« on: October 26, 2013, 07:00:12 pm »
How about a dynamic murder mystery?


The murder takes place in a dynamically generated mansion. The player's job is to find the body, find the murder weapon, discover any evidence, and accuse the killer. Instead of the game being over at accusation, the player would have to trap or make sure that the accused does not escape before the police arrive.


Details:
Each computer character has a random set of traits and objectives.
Each computer character takes note of their surroundings and may even be a witness. Witnesses can be lying.
Each mansion is randomly generated. Rooms may have secret entrances.
Secondary objectives reward the player with optional inquiries, such as, "what floor did the murder take place in?'
Inquiries are tree structures, so following an inquiry line gives even more specific information about a crime. Depending on what the player has already discovered, they may choose a different inquiry line. For example, "what floor?"->"what side of the house?"->"what room?"
"Melee or ranged weapon?"->"gun?" or "knife" or "ligature"...
"who does [character] know?"->"what are the traits of [character]?"


Secondary objectives could be:
* Solving maze in a hidden entrance
* logic puzzle, including modifications on popular randomized IQ puzzles


Solving objectives and making good use of inquiries solves the crime. For added challenge, scale the mansion size, characters, add motives, and bury secrets all over the mansion. For longevity and replay value, randomized murder mystery as well as maybe secondary mysteries that could last beyond a given game. Solving a mystery gives the player points to use to unlock stories, skins, and maybe extra inquiries.
« Last Edit: October 26, 2013, 07:02:05 pm by Cyborg »
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Offline Draco18s

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Re: murder mystery- new game idea that nobody else is doing
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2013, 10:38:34 pm »
Sounds cool!