Un-limb-ited Zombies

At the start of the year several designers, artists, and programmers got together at the AIE Melbourne campus to pitch several ideas for a major game project. Sunita Berry , one of the artists present, opened up about a concept she thought might be worth while - a zombie game where the players play as the zombies and pull each others limbs off. By popular vote we went ahead with what would eventually become "Un-limb-ited Zombies".

Quickly we determined the art style would attract a wider audience if it were simple and cartoon-like rather than realistic. Shortly later we decided that it would be best enjoyed as a beat em' up party game with humorous animations and weapon (limb) variants. Up to eight players would join in for an all out, anything goes, zombie-on-zombie battle extravaganza.

The core mechanic, limb detachment and reattachment, would serve as a visual indicator of health - the more limbs you lost, the lower your health. After a brief period of time, limbs that had fallen off could be "equipped". Restoring limbs would regain health, and it was originally suggested that in order to defeat another player, you had to deny them access to limbs whilst continuing to pummel them; however it was hypothesized that this would cause rounds to exceed the ideal time frame of 2-3 minutes, and so this idea was scrapped.

Different limb archetypes would have various effects on players. For instance, the strongman arm would cause additional damage and force the receiving player backwards; the mallet arm would temporarily stun an opponent, making them see stars, and the pirate sword arm would have a chance to instantly detach an opponents limb. Leg archetypes and power-up items were also discussed as a possibility.

Customization would form a major part of the experience. Pregame each player would be given the opportunity to customize their zombie to their preference with aesthetic items, which would include hats, suits, and accessories. It was intended that through an in-game economy players would earn "coins" which they could use to purchase vanity items for their zombie.

My association with the project largely concluded at the same time I commenced work on "Alone". Original team members Sunita and Kayne (Programmer) continued working on the game as part of their major assessment. As a designer I had laid much of the ground work for this future development, and happily liaised with the team's new designer to provide constructive feedback based upon the initial vision for the game as outlined above. I had contributed to the decision to use everyday spaces, and even designed such spaces to use for the arena, as well as documented the intended mechanics and game-play elements in a detailed Design Document, which was made available to the team. Unfortunately due to the time constraints of the assessment the game is not yet complete, however I will continue to act as a design consultant until such a time.