my own vortex (tentative title) is a concept for an unusual side scroller where the level you run on is your body. hard to understand? yes, look below:


my own vortex (tentative title)

how it works:

my own vortex plays similarly to a side scroller with one big exception. the level that the player walks on is in fact a bigger version of the player's body. not only will the player be walking on their own body, but their body will also serve as a place for an even smaller body to walk on. this vortex extends in both directions infinitely, like a fractal. as you traverse the perimeter (or interior) of your own body, you'll have to be careful you don't squish your smaller self with your body parts or get squished yourself by your bigger self. in each level, you control a different creature, and of course, that determines the landscape you'll be controlling that creature on. some creatures will be humanoid, some will be more spider like, some will be worm or snake like. some will be more like vehicles perhaps. sometimes you may end up inside your own body, and it may be very dangerous if your body has complex mechanisms for movement, like gears and pistons. each creature can attack in one way or another. some will use sharp objects like blades or spikes or saws. some will be equipped with projectile weapons.

the goal of this game is to eliminate all the enemies that surround your body. above (see picture), some fungus monsters are floating around the players body. unfortunately, they can only be destroyed by attacking them with a version of yourself higher up in the vortex. you'll need to position yourself so that you will be able to attack lower vortex versions of them. similarly, only higher up vortex enemies will be able to destroy you.


control:

depending on which creature you control, you'll be able to either walk, roll, fly, or drive in either direction around your bigger self. some creatures will be able to jump or do other sorts of movement. some may be able to fold up or transform. all creatures are able to attack one way or another. as the player, you'll be able to zoom in and out of the vortex. this can be useful to help keep your character appearing right side up. for instance, look at the picture above. the zoom is set to a level where the creature is taking up a reasonable amount of the screen and is essentially right side up. but, imagine the camera were zoomed in one level deeper into the vortex. the player would have to control the character in a sideways position which may be more difficult. as the creature crawls around their bigger self, it will be constantly changing its rotation and zooming is the only way to make everything seem upright. remember, there is no difference between versions of yourself. there is no right character. they all must be protected for they are all the same creature.


product:

this game is just a concept at the moment, and beyond my programming skills. i plan to show this idea to those who could potentially create this, so if anyone wants to work on a really innovative game, let me know.