People

The Necropolis is inhabited by various entities, both alive and undead. Necromancers shop for materials and observe the corpses that have risen from the grave, and the spirits that have crossed the veil wander the halls, both helping and hindering. There is a rotating set of necromancers and warriors who stand guard over the lower levels and make sure all that must return to the land of the living do so. 

Necromancers in this world are less sinister that most would think at first. In the lands that surround the Necropolis, they are regarded as shepherds and watchers of the dead, making sure they pass on peacefully. Disgruntled dead make for violent and unruly ghosts, so those with a talent for magic are trained to perform proper death rites. 

The main character of this small level will be a reanimated corpse or skeleton controlled by a necromancer far too busy to make the trip down to the market. This creature – affectionately dubbed ‘Alice’ – is a curious thing, and loves to explore. Will Alice choose to complete the tasks set out for her, or will she give in to the call of adventure? 

Places

This level is a night-market-esque floor of the Necropolis. As one of the levels closest to the world of the living, all non-human entities are generally friendly and helpful. The worst things found are spirits who enjoy practical jokes. 

As the Necropolis is underground, the climate is quite steady. The temperature sits at around 35-40 degrees fahrenheit, and there is an ever present layer of fog that hovers low over the ground. Despite the general gloomy atmosphere, the market we are exploring only runs between 9 pm and the witching hour, when the Living Folk who patrol the Necropolis are more lenient. 

The Necropolis is a massive structure carved into a fissure in the earth. It extends far down, with some catacombs having not been explored since it was first built. The Night Market is located a short lift ride down to the 3rd floor of the Necropolis. 

Things

The player will be interacting with various market stalls to collect the ingredients desired by the Necromancer that created Alice. I plan to highlight those objects with a border when the player gets near  so they know they can be interacted with. If this were to go beyond a single level, that border effect would extend to interactable objects in the world. 

The player will also be able to interact with  the shopkeepers in order to browse wares.

Style

I plan to make this game in a relatively simple style, echoing games like Chants of Senaar. This is both to keep my workflow quick, and to have a specific, clean level of detail I am aspiring to. 

The atmosphere will be dark and moody in color and lighting – cool tones, greens, blues, many shadowed areas – but have an upbeat and full sound design to show a contrast between the perceived world and the way it actually functions. 

The architecture of the Necropolis will be based on the real world examples found in both Greece and Egypt, as well as the layering of Rome as it was built atop the ruins of the Ancient Greeks. 

Gameplay

To keep things simple, the current plan is a point and click walking simulator. If the game were to get bigger I would like to make it a point and click puzzle game, with the solutions getting harder as layers of the Necropolis were descended through. Perhaps some Slay the Spire inspired combat if it fit within the game 

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Concept Art

Moodboard/Inspiration