The setting for this game is a mars colony in a sci-fi setting. Generally the technology is meant to be in the near future, plausible to be created within the next couple decades. 

Most of the colony is already set up, and most of the facilities are running. There will be some large domes, as well as some outbuildings, and other facilities. I plan on creating power generation areas in the form of solar farms, water condensing facilities and storage tanks, as well as some basic hydroponics bays. Additionally, storage silos, landing pads, and metal processing facilities will be present on the outskirts of the colony. Currently, they are all automated, and the player character is the only one around. 

The player controls a small robotic rover that works to build and maintain the colony. The controls for the rover are going to be standard vehicle controls, and the use of wheels allows the rover to move faster than a person would across the open terrain. This will be useful when the player is exploring the surrounding area, but could restrict their movement through the interior of the colony. 

The surrounding area is mostly flat, with some mountains, hills and craters to explore, though the main feature will be the colony itself. If time allows, I would like to add a mining complex, where the colony is getting raw metals for the construction of buildings and other machines around the colony. 

The player’s objective in this game is to do various tasks around the colony in order to prepare for the arrival of human colonists. This consists of gathering materials, building facilities, fixing machines that break, and exploring the surroundings for salvage. 

I plan on having the art style be fairly realistic, with large plastic/steel structures, and sandy red soil. I have general designs in mind for the different buildings, making it easy to tell what the purpose of everything is. 

The intended audience is players that enjoy sci-fi games, especially colony/city builders, or terraforming simulators. While there won’t be as much building involved in this game as in most city builders, the elements that make those games fun to play are intended to be included in this game as well. The resource management and allocation, as well as the steady expansion and upkeep are all part of the intended experience.

This concept sketch shows many of the important buildings and structures, as well as the player’s rover. The top of the page shows the main design for the colony’s domes, as well as some general ideas for power generation, storage silos, and communications towers. The center shows the landing pads, and metal processing, while the bottom has the rover and medical center. All of the structures should follow a similar white and orange color scheme, though I plan on having some reds and blues used as accents. The player will be viewed in 3rd person, and most driving will be done from behind the rover.

This shows the general scale I’d like to have for the colony. While it’s a bit more condensed than makes sense, I like the style of the buildings and other structures.

I like this concept for underground modules in the colony, which would generally be inaccessible to the rover, but still add a sense of scale.

This concept is a good representation of the colony domes.

This sketch shows the tunnels that connect each dome

The radio tower in this image is similar to the design I had in mind.

An actual height map of mars, which I plan on choosing a location to replicate from

Reference image for the rover design

This is a good idea of the color of the Martian surface, as well as some ideas for rock designs

Overall terrain map with a good barrier at the edge of the crater

Overview of the Mariner Valley, good concept for interesting terrain features