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Gameplay
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Movement - Jet Set Radio, Splatoon, Abzu, A Short Hike, Mario
Puzzle Solving - Chicory, Toem
Exploration - A Short Hike, Death Stranding, Shadow of the Colossus, Okami

Movement is key, with some kind of central color interactivity
- need to determine how color ties into a signature move for the character
- character needs to feel fluid + able to climb/scale walls
— Do they wield an oversized paintbrush? (used to hover, glide, double jump)
- They could also use color more abstractly...

Paint enables faster movement + more movement options (Wall jumping / zip lining

Paint mixing mini game which requires the player to be still and take in the scenery

Not fail state - the idea is that there are many other players working towards solving the primary goal, so the player can help as little or as much as they like. There is a time mechanic, but in the spirit of Boku no natsuyasumi where time only passes from completing tasks.

Could have several different brushes or painting tools that serve differing purposes
- Simple brush has the basics
- Wide brush can be used to paint large areas + hover
- Bucket used for zip lining + accents

Key moves
- Double Jump (float on the way down)
- Wall grab of some sort
- Glide
— Slide

There should be a “look” button

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Level Design
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6 levels - all representing different colors of the color spectrum
+ white hub world + black final level

Each Level has 2 things to find — collectable colors that allow you more paint, and a color master that give you a new color

• each level to have its own central 'gimic' a la megaman

Exploratory platformer, a la Journey
No combat

Needs to allow for multiple routes to the solution

Scale is important, the levels need to feel big

How do you reward exploring and experimenting? New colors yes, but new techniques?

Goal of each level is to bring color back to the world

BLACK - city + hub world (with museum in the center)

BLUE - sky world
RED - Canyon
YELLOW - Forest

Once you get the primaries, you can color mix and see the second half of the world

ORANGE - Desert
PURPLE - Mountain
GREEN - Ocean / Beach

White - Amalgamation world, where elements of different places have been collaged

When you arrive in each world, there should be a tiny bit of color, showing how the locals have been fixing their home on their own time too.

Could build in Metroidvania elements where your exploration is rewarded by enhanced techniques, deeper paint bucket, wearables, etc

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Character Design
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How do we express a fictional personality to a real person?

Could be cool to collage some aesthetics of famous painters across characters

Character isn't SPECIAL persay. They have access to the same tools as NPCs and the masters

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Story Design
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Should be able to finish in one sitting - 3-6 hrs

Keep story super minimal
What is the core question of this game?
Leave room for speculation and imagination

The color is gone, and its your job to bring it back

Arc...
Small scale exploration >
Open-ish world exploration >
High energy set piece >
emotional low >
Color returns >
End

When you topple the White kingdom there should def be some white spy characters who come through and help out from the shadows

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World Building

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Each color zone is an autonomous nation that each has its own variation on communal living + mutual aid. Each one can be a different utopian showcase, with a tie to a system of governance as well as a tie to a particular artistic movement.

Whats the most essential, bare minimum lore needed to understand whats going on?

Establish timeline of the world
Rules of the world - broadly + culturally
Government?

The evil force is whiteness - ie the absence of color
You play as a member of the black kingdom - ie the source of all colors as all colors are contained within black

very subtle but also overt commentary on blackness/whiteness