Back to Game

Game Design Whitepaper

Last Updated: 2026-01-24

Version 1.0 — January 2026

Download Whitepaper (Markdown)

Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. Vision & Concept
  3. Design Philosophy
  4. Core Gameplay
  5. World & Factions
  6. Progression Systems
  7. Technical Architecture
  8. Art Direction
  9. Audio Design
  10. Business Model
  11. Development Roadmap
  12. Market Analysis

1. Executive Summary

You are an expendable contractor. The Company sends you to hostile space stations to salvage valuable technology and eliminate threats. Meet your quota. Try to survive. Clock out—if you can.

The Company doesn't care if you come back.
GenreSurvival Horror Roguelike
PlatformPC (Steam), Web
EngineSvelteKit + Three.js + Rapier
Art Style16-bit Pixel Art
Players1 Solo / 2-4 Co-op
Price$14.99 USD

Core Pillars

  • Corporate Horror — The real villain isn't the monsters; it's the system that sends you to die for profit
  • Procedural Dread — Every station is different, every shift is a gamble
  • Meaningful Progression — Your weapons evolve, your skills grow, but death is always one mistake away
  • Lo-Fi Terror — Pixel art horror through presentation, not gore

2. Vision & Concept

The year is 2387. Mega-corporations have colonized the frontier. When stations go dark, The Company doesn't send rescue teams. They send contractors.

You are a Shift Worker: a temp employee with a pressure suit, a basic weapon, and a quota to meet.

Thematic Inspiration

Lethal CompanyCorporate dread, quota mechanics
TerrariaProcedural 2D exploration
Alien: IsolationSurvival horror tension
Dead SpaceIndustrial horror aesthetic
FaithPixel art horror
SignalisLo-fi sci-fi atmosphere

3. Design Philosophy

Core Tenets

"Dark Dominates"

Threats emerge from void. Players can only see what their limited light sources illuminate.

"Tension Without Release"

Constant low-level dread. No truly safe spaces. The heartbeat never fully slows.

"You Are Expendable"

The player is not a hero. They are a resource The Company is willing to spend.

"Earned Power, Persistent Vulnerability"

Players grow stronger, but the horror never becomes trivial.

The Horror Triangle

⚠ Resource Scarcity
⏱ Time Pressure
☠ Environmental Threat

When all three align, true horror emerges.


4. Core Gameplay

The Shift Loop

1CLOCK IN
Select loadout, review briefing
2DEPLOY
Drop pod lands, timer begins
3SURVIVE
Explore, salvage, eliminate threats
4EXTRACT
Reach extraction or die trying
5CLOCK OUT
Convert salvage, earn XP, repeat

Weapons Arsenal (12 Types)

Pulse RifleShotgunFlamethrower Smart GunPlasma CasterShock Baton Acid SprayerCryo CannonGrenade Launcher Mining LaserNail GunEnergy Sword

5. World & Factions

4 Biomes

Station
Industrial decay, flickering lights
Hive
Brood-infested, organic growths
Jungle
Terraforming gone wrong
Wreckage
Destroyed ships, debris

The Brood

Insectoid species with hive intelligence. Chitin carapace, bioluminescent eyes, asymmetric anatomy.

Crawler • Drone • Spitter • Hunter • Broodmother

Apex Hunters

Cybernetic predators with cloaking tech and plasma weaponry. Featureless masks, trophy collectors.

Stalker • Marauder • Scout • Elder

6. Progression Systems

Weapon Leveling (1-100+)

Worn → Standard → Polished → Military → Tactical → Elite → Prototype → Apex → Corrupted → Void

Beyond Level 100, weapons enter procedural "Mythic" tiers.

Skill Tree (4 Branches, 31 Skills)

COMBAT
Damage, crits, fire rate
SURVIVAL
Health, armor, regen
UTILITY
Movement, resources
SPECIAL
Unique abilities, procs

Character Customization

480 unique combinations: 8 Helmets × 10 Suit Colors × 6 Backpacks


7. Technical Architecture

FrameworkSvelteKit
UISvelte 5
RenderingThree.js (Threlte)
PhysicsRapier.rs (WASM)
DesktopTauri
HostingCloudflare Pages

8. Art Direction

"Horror through presentation, not content."

Color Palette

Void Black
Warning Red
Blood
Visor Orange
Skull Gray
Bile Yellow
Eye Glow
Terminal Blue

9. Audio Design

"Silence is scarier than noise."
82Procedural Sound Effects
6Dynamic Music Layers
0External Audio Files

All audio generated procedurally using Web Audio API.


10. Business Model

Kickstarter Goals

$15KBase Goal
$50KPrestige System
$100KOnline Co-op
$150KConsole Ports

Revenue Model: $14.99 premium — No microtransactions. No loot boxes. No season passes.


11. Development Roadmap

Q1 2026Pre-Production & Kickstarter
Q2 2026Alpha Build (2 Biomes)
Q3 2026Beta Build (Full Content)
Q4 2026Steam Early Access
Q1 2027v1.0 Full Release

12. Market Analysis

Comparable Titles

Lethal Company10M+ sales
Terraria44M+ sales
Dead Cells10M+ sales
Vampire Survivors6M+ sales

Competitive Advantages

  • Unique Terraria + Lethal Company positioning
  • Lo-fi aesthetic stands out
  • 300,000+ weapon combinations
  • Free web demo removes friction
  • Viral-friendly shareable moments

"Every shift is a gamble. Every extraction is a victory. Every death is just another line item."

Clock in. Survive. Clock out.

Download Full Whitepaper
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Back to Game