Traveling to the past Thread

So here's a initial concept I have for a story that maybe could be done into a game.

When you look to the sun, you are actually looking to the past because of the time light takes to reach earth.
So this story is very "magical", is about a boy that has lost his mother, he always remembers of her telling him stories and facts about the world, specially the one about the sun and looking into the past. This boy one day decides that he wants to see his mother again so he is determined to travel to the sun. So he builds a spaceship made of stuff he finds in his backyard...

and that's it for now. You can think how this will end, it could be a sad story (traveling to the sun is not very good for your skin ) or a happy imaginary one where you learn some kind of message.

What do you guys think?

Edited by: RicardoValenzuela

I think it sounds like it could be quite a sweet little story. I'd personally advice against things such as:
"Well, little Jimmy! If you wish and pray hard enough, sure your diseased mother will come right back to you!", as I feel it is quite misleading and to some it is likely hurtful even. I think I'd go with your idea of having some sort of message instead. It could be about coping and moving on while still honoring the memory of a loved one. Maybe about how friendships can develop through mutual loss.

I dunno, just tossing some stuff out there. Good luck with your story!

You could make a really heart wrenching story if you manage to it right; If you're able to come up with simple yet rewarding gameplay all the better!
Best of luck mate!

Thanks guys! I have the story, haven't thought about the gameplay and how I'm gonna make this real yet since my current dev team is busy in another game. I guess the feeling of it would be similar to Papo & Yo.

If anyone interested in developing this with me it would be really nice!

Horror game where the boy is tormented by demons, but uses sunlight as weapon/safe-haven to destroy/ward off demons? Could use some interesting puzzle mechanics with mirrors and water.

Since the idea is totally non-sensical and physically inaccurate you would have to stick to the perspective of the young boy who IMAGINES time travel could work this way. These could all be his imaginative adventures, while in reality he may be a senile old man, withering away in a sci-fi society. I think it could be a good adventure style game with the right kind of atmosphere set up.

It sounds good actually, it's a good premise for some emotional and motivational logic by the player. But it seems to be more of a short story/cgi animation concept than a full fledged game.

You could turn it into a game though if the boy went into different worlds or something, or different periods in time on his way there (accidentally) or into other peoples memories/nightmares etc or got flown into space to different planets or something. And yea, it would be a simple adventure/puzzle, or none overly violent game.

OR, to get away from the "the boy's going to have a total f-uped noggin job" ending/"twist", do what several other fun children's/"don't need violence & mature stuff to make a great game" games do: make it work. Keen traveled to different planets and fought cute aliens, no twist with to make it more "mature". Max & the Magic Marker had the boy enter his drawings and that was the game, the twist was at the end the boss you defeated was in max's real life too. Mario didn't have some twist ending. It's a great platformer.

So, decide on how the game will play and use the story to make the player keep on going. There's nothing wrong with lettings kids know that mommy isn't coming back ("they're not stupid just little" is a quote I hear a lot about kids) but you don't need to get twisted with it.

*Kid thinks that going to the sun will take him back in time to get mommy back.
*levels consists of kid finding stuff to build spaceship.
*For variety, add a moon level. Nazi & Duke have been there, so should your kid. Moon = full of imagination & neat stuff to kids! Plus bring some ham, mayo & mustard and make a sandwitch out of the moon.
*Game ends with a friend/dad stopping him from going to the sun because it will kill him and that mommy isn't coming back but he can still love her and remember her.
*A twist, if you must be one of those developers that needs a twist for lack of good gameplay & wants to make a movie script: The kid's name is Timmy Archer, his mom's name is Cate and his mom is actually a famous spy! See what i did there? The "keen is bj's grandson" twist but it's fun, the older people will go "I remember that game, neat!" and the younger ones will the the kid should be a spy in the sequel.

SinKing wrote: Since the idea is totally non-sensical and physically inaccurate you would have to stick to the perspective of the young boy who IMAGINES time travel could work this way. These could all be his imaginative adventures, while in reality he may be a senile old man, withering away in a sci-fi society. I think it could be a good adventure style game with the right kind of atmosphere set up.

I think you missed the part where he said "magical". I agree with the Friar here -- the story can just be something fun and original, like the Magic Treehouse books...

Off topic: Man has it been ages since I first read those. Now I feel old...

Edited by: TheUnabridgedGamer