Performant Platformer

(Game Concept)

In this musical 2D platformer, refine your movement to reach high scores and deliver a stunning performance.

Description

Performant Platformer is a 2D platformer where the objects in levels operate to the beat of the song. The player can move freely but the level design encourages and rewards movement that goes with the song.  Once a player has finished "sight-reading" a level, they can go back and improve their score (performance) by making their gameplay more musical. In more rhythm-heavy levels, this means getting to the end quickly, which is only possible by running at max speed and performing actions to the beat of the song. In slower levels, the player is judged on how many times they were hit by an enemy or wall, encouraging a more flowy playstyle. After beating a level, the player is able to watch a replay of their movement as well as their score, and is offered an opportunity to retry. Players can also upload their replays, as well as view replays from their friends.

Inspired by the rhythmic  hazards of Just Shapes and Beats and Donkey Kong Country: Returns, and the leaderboard system in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Probably similar to Hi-Fi Rush, but I haven't personally played that game.

Gameplay Loops

On a fundamental level, the gameplay loop is the same as most other 2D platformers:

1. Enter a level
2. Avoid obstacles and obtain collectibles
3. Reach the goal
4. Repeat for each level

However, the "musical" scoring system encourages another, self-imposed gameplay loop:

1. Complete a level
2. Watch the replay and see your score
3. Possibly check friend's scores/replays
4. Replay the level with a better understanding of the layout and possible strategies
5. Improve personal best/friend's scores
6. Repeat

This loop can take place over much more time, even indefinitely if the player is invested enough.

Progression Loop

To progress through each world, the player must achieve a high enough score in a certain number of levels in that world. However,  hint replays will also be unlocked, showing the player strategies to improve their performance. This encourages players who are less intrinsically motivated to engage more with the scoring system, while still adding lenience for players who aren't interested in routing. Assuming the player has not already met the requirements, the progression loop is as follows:

1. Enter a new world
2. Complete each level in the world
3. Receive hints for difficult levels
4. Improve score in enough levels to leave the world
5. Repeat for each world