Quartz 4

Design Proposals 151125

7 min read

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PHASE 1 — Define the Core Identity of the New Game (20 minutes)

Goal: Decide what this new project IS, so the rest of the session is grounded.

Step 1 — Choose the “Project Pillars” (5 min)

Answer these quickly in 1–2 sentences each:

  1. Fantasy or realism? (Hard science? Soft science? Light sci-fi?) Anything related to citizen science cannot be presented as confirmed (until it actually is), verified, etc. We can create narrative points from classifications (e.g. if you propose a planet candidate in Star Sailors, you are able to build on it).

So in short - real world as the “base/core” narrative, then I’m happy to delve into fantasy/fictional realms later.

  1. Tone? (Cozy, adventurous, eerie, exploration-heavy, survival, whimsical?) Survival in that users aren’t going to be given unlimited resources. Semi-Sandbox - users can build things (like in Crashlands or Stardew Valley, they can use any block order, it’s not just they can place 5 different buildings down). Users can explore. But it’s not going to be a voxel game (way too complex and challenging to build). I’d be open to a bit more of a cozy game.

  2. Player fantasy: what do players get to be? Examples:

    • Exoplanet ranger
    • Rover pilot
    • Interstellar naturalist
    • Stellar biology collector
    • Space archivist / explorer

I’m pretty open - I’ve not really thought about assigning users specific roles for a while.

  1. Primary loop style?
    • Pokémon-like collection
    • Stardew-like crafting + routine
    • Exploration + discovery
    • Resource gathering + upgrades
    • Base building
    • AR/photo-based real world contributions?

All of those mechanics are things I want, but I don’t want to presuppose any specific narrative, loop or plan.

Pick 1–3. Not all.

  1. Impact type? You’ve said: Not purely educational; must have real-world relevance or citizen science angle. Pick one:
    • Contributes data (photos, observations)
    • Inspires scientific reasoning
    • Touches real missions
    • Integrates with public datasets (sky surveys, satellites)
    • Environmental tie-ins (migration, climate impact, biosphere mapping)

Anything except number 2

Output:

These 5 answers form your Game Identity Compass, which will anchor narrative decisions.

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PHASE 2 — Build the Narrative Skeleton (20 minutes)

Don’t write lore. Write structure.

We want the “why” behind the gameplay.

Step 1 — Choose a narrative frame (5 min)

Pick one that resonates:

  • “Galactic Field Notes”

    You are a member of an interstellar research guild cataloguing phenomena across worlds.

  • “Stellar Keepers”

    You maintain balance and monitor ecosystems on scattered exoplanets.

  • “The Frontier Archive”

    Humanity has gone interstellar; you create the definitive atlas of alien worlds.

  • “Deep Survey Division”

    A Pokédex-style mapping initiative for space anomalies, organisms, microstructures.

  • “Starborne Rangers”

    Explorer/scientist hybrids protecting interplanetary ecosystems.

I think we could maybe create a simple narrative like Crashlands where you go around different planets (maybe including Earth as well) and explore the different climates, mining, simple base building, etc…trying to find different types of life or artifacts.

So sort of between “Deep Survey Division” and “Galactic Field Notes”.

Puzzle games like ‘merge dragons’ have some appeal to me, but I don’t want to create a merge game. As in, where it’s all about merging and that’s the game. However, placing things in certain areas/locations and having a result/target occur…treating different planets as different levels.

Step 2 — Define the narrative anchor (5 min)

Answer:

  • Why does the in-game organisation exist?
  • What are players collecting or cataloguing?
  • How does player action connect to something real?

Don’t really have an in-game org. Collecting? Minerals, natural resources? Creatures (on Earth, in space) - in space they’ll initially be created from some sort of procedural generation mechanic, I think…

Possibly we don’t actually have classifications (at least not in the early versions) - the web Star Sailors version is the source for all the different asteroids, planets, etc… That way I don’t have to focus on building UIs that can take all sorts of different images/layouts (for the initial anomalies being classified).

Would probably have to work on improving the web game (performance, UI, etc) in small areas over time, if we suggest that the early versions of this new game don’t have much/any classification.

Step 3 — Create a 3-Act Progression Outline (10 min)

Act I — Discovery What hooks the player?

What is their first mission?

What is the first creature/object/sample they see?

Act II — Expansion

How do they expand?

New tools?

New environments?

What big mystery appears?

Act III — Meaning

What is the bigger picture?

What are they ultimately contributing to?

This creates a narrative skeleton you can fill in later.

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PHASE 3 — Define the Game Systems (25 minutes)

Goal: Turn the narrative into actionable mechanics.

Step 1 — Choose 3 Core Loops (10 min)

Pick 3 loops MAX from this list:

  • Exploration Loop: Find new creatures/phenomena

  • Collection Loop: Scan, photograph, capture samples

  • Research Loop: Level up knowledge → unlock tools

  • Crafting Loop: Build instruments, drones, habitats

  • AR Loop: Use real-world images (plants, insects, stars, clouds)

  • Base/Home Loop: Maintain a lab or starship

  • Mission Loop: Daily/weekly tasks à la Pokémon Go research

  • Companion/Creature Loop: Raise star-creatures or bots

  • Transport Loop: Build star bikes/ships (Crashlands tone)

Choose the ones that feed into your narrative and interest.

Step 2 — Define the Real-World Tie-In (10 min)

Choose ONE:

  • Citizen science (real photos → real data)

  • Space data integration (JWST, Gaia sky map, orbital elements)

  • Environmental mapping (migration, flora, pollinators)

  • Crowd-observation of night sky phenomena

  • AI field guide tied to your in-game universe

Define the line between:

“The real world feeds the game”

and

“The game feeds the real world”

Pick which direction matters more to you.

Step 3 — Aesthetic Quick Pass (5 min)

Crashlands-like =:

  • Thick black outlines

  • Bold shapes

  • High readability

  • Small asset footprint

  • Easy for AI generation + manual cleanup

Make a note:

  • Top-down?

  • 2.5D?

  • Portrait or landscape orientation?

This will decide your asset generation workflow later.

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PHASE 4 — Plan the Bumble/Farm Game Release (10 minutes)

Make this structured and fast.

Answer 6 questions:

  1. What is the minimum shippable version?

  2. What is the final missing work?

  3. What must be done before launch (bugs, UI passes)?

  4. What is a reasonable audience for it?

  5. What can you reuse in future games? (UI, interaction logic, onboarding)

  6. How will you soft-launch it?

This gives you closure + reduces psychological overhead.

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PHASE 5 — Start the Audience Funnel (15 minutes)

You don’t need to be a content creator — just create signal.

Step 1 — Choose 1 platform for now (2 min)

Pick one:

  • Twitter/X

  • YouTube Shorts

  • Instagram

  • TikTok

  • Mastodon

  • LinkedIn (science-focused audiences)

Pick the one you can update on your phone.

(Most indie devs grow fastest on X or TikTok, for real.)

Step 2 — Define your identity tagline (3 min)

A single sentence you put in your bio so people know what you make:

“I’m building the Star Sailors universe — cozy space exploration games with real science behind them.”

Step 3 — Plan the first 3 posts (10 min)

  1. Devlog-style

    • “Here’s the next space game I’m designing — a science-infused exploration sandbox.”

    • Include 1 concept sketch (AI generated or even text → image).

  2. Farm/Pollinator game teaser

    • “Also finalising a tiny side project — a PWA farming game where pollinators matter.”

  3. Concept exploration

    • Show crashlands-like art mockups

    • Ask: “Which style fits the Star Sailors universe?”

You now have a foothold.

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PHASE 6 — Consolidate (5 minutes)

At the end of the 90 minutes, create a single page titled:

“Star Sailors: Project X — Flight Design Notes”

Copy all the above into a single Notion/Obsidian file.

This becomes the seed of your next game.

⭐ If you want, when you land

I can help you:

  • turn your sandbox loops into a full mechanic table

  • define your exoplanet ecosystem logic

  • build a companion-creature system that isn’t Pokémon

  • write the opening cutscene or the core lore

  • design your asset style guide

  • write your crashlands-ish art prompts

  • roadmap your dev

  • name the project

  • map how it fits into the Star Sailors universe

Some other notes:

  1. Would be nice if there’s some local 3d/2d asset generators I can run locally or on a rasp pi, or someth

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