Character Concepts and Ideas

Block Boy is very versatile. He can use things he finds in his environment, such as skateboards! Block Boy, even though he might seem like                                           a typical nonaggressive block, beware! Because when Block Boy gets angry, boy does he get angry!


                                


Block Boy isn't the only character in his world though. Some potential friends and enemies he might encounter in his environment are sketched out below.

                                


        Block Boy is one of many characters in his environment. All of the characters in this environment are characterized by their minimalistic style of art, with most of their expressions conveyed through changes in color, body motion, and eyebrows. I care about Block Boy because I think a game character's core is what is important, as opposed to the flashiness of their exterior art. Block Boy illustrates this principle, since even though his character model is extremely simple (and in fact most of the other characters in the environment are very simple), he nonetheless conveys a lot of information. For example, Block Boy's lack of a mouth makes it impossible to smile, yet when he throws his arms up in the air, the player gets a sense of excitement from this character. I also think the minimalistic design makes it easier to invoke a sense of ironic humor when the character is decorated (e.g. with a hat or skateboard), because the accessories contrast with the very plain nature of the character. I also envisioned many different characters corresponding to various shapes (as can be seen in the concept sketch). Block Boy's shape as a square, in my mind, makes him as a more traditional main character, exuding a feeling of sturdiness (as contrasted to the pathetic-looking blob character that follows the shape of a circle in the concept sketch). Block Boy also has extremely long arms, and I want a lot of his gameplay to be focused on how he uses his arms. An additional feature that I would like to incorporate is the idea of different states, and having those states affect Block Boy's performance and abilities (e.g. angry mode = more attack).
        Within the world, Block Boy can be seen as a "fighter" type character, although he does not look like a traditional one. A background fitting for his demeanor might be something like "Block Boy was born as a simple commoner in the Block World kingdom", or something along those lines that emphasizes his averageness. I think further developments for this character would mostly involve creating more accessories for him to utilize, such as a vest, swords, hats, eyeglasses, mustaches, etc. I would also like to program Block Boy to have certain abilities, such as run, stretch his arms, rotate his arms, and other auxiliary abilities that can be comboed together to create new abilities (e.g. run and rotate arms creates a windmill-like-attack). In this way, I am trying to stimulate player technique to see if they can create new ways to use old abilities.
        The world Block Boy lives in is not necessarily peaceful, and Block Boy will often find himself clashing with other characters and the environment. However, with ingenuity, skill, and luck, he can overcome whatever challenges he might face. The accessories that Block Boy picks up and can utilize can benefit him in his environment, for example, by increasing his attack power, or letting him jump. The challenge for the player is finding the right accessories for them, as I envision Block Boy as only being able to use a limited number of accessories (e.g. 1 weapon, 1 vest). Furthermore, the accessories within the game can add an element of customization that will help provide unique experiences to the player.