Content Warnings

This game employs a lighthearted and humorous approach, frequently incorporating pop culture references and playful banter. It may not be suitable for those seeking a very serious gameplay experience or who do not appreciate humor-based content

Project Introduction

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STORY:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/144wskVNheB0PhYS0xs-43v2LfTNMebDAO-2qFC_K_Cs/edit
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The HYPER-DUNGEON:
Ah, the Hyper-Dungeon... one of the most infamous places in all of Parvamund! Feared by every adventurer! The dream and nightmare of any mercenary, locksmith, sellsword, criminal, rogue, scoundrel, outlaw, pirate, tomb raider, grave digger, bandit, looter, and/or any would-be suicide mission candidate worthy of the name! The brilliance of its treasures is only matched by the lethality of its traps and the fearsome ferocity of the monsters that lurk in its depths, waiting for the next unwitting soul to devour.

Expecting the usual dungeon filled with run-of-the-mill pitfalls? Spikes that shoot up from the floor, balls of fire, and poisonous darts spat out from wall slits? You poor fools! The Hyper-Dungeon is so much more!

667 years ago, this forbidden place splintered into the multi-verse. Some say it was due to the experiments of a drunken alchemist. Others claim it was the intrusion of a malevolent and powerful extraterrestrial entity known by the sinister name of WOPR. Since then, the place has been under the effect of a powerful random generation curse. It's impossible to encounter the same room twice! Memorizing the path? Madness! Relying on past experience to make it out alive? Foolish! After all, how can you map out the treasure of a place that is destined to continually change its appearance?

THE ORCS:
Yet it is precisely within its bowels, on the 49th level (or thereabouts), that the most precious treasure in all of Parvamund is kept— the legendary relic known as the Sacred Groowl!

Ah, the good old days when the Sacred Groowl was guarded by the noblest, most cultured, evolved, and sensitive of all the races inhabiting Parvamund: the Orcs. It's common knowledge, even rocks are aware, that Orcs have always been known for their elegance, refinement, gentlemanliness, and decorum. They gave the rest of the world music, poetry, painting, yoga, veganism, and ikebana.

All this changed with the Curse of the WOPR, turning them into a rabble of troglodytes. Music? At best, they bang empty enemy skulls to create tribal rhythms. Poetry? What could be more poetic than a massacre just before lunch? Painting? The only acceptable form now is the splatter of traitors' blood on cave walls. Yoga? Indeed, contorting enemy bodies until their bones snap is quite relaxing. Veganism? Perfect... if you consider eating a vegan as practicing veganism. Ikebana? Snipping off someone's protruding parts with garden shears will suffice.

What exactly transformed these environmentalist, progressive hipsters into a horde of reactionary lunatics, a gang of cave dwellers, a society of bloodthirsty bumpkins, remains a mystery. What is certain is that the most sacred treasure of their people, the Sacred Groowl, is still down there, hidden in the deepest level of the Hyper-Dungeon... waiting for the adventurer who will manage to lay his filthy, greedy hands on it...

KING DANDELION'S ENNUI:
King Dandelion is the ruler of the realm of Parvamund, and lately, he's been exceptionally bored. When that happens, trouble brews. For when King Dandelion gets bored, he inevitably ends up launching a war, planning a siege, organizing some public massacre, or randomly persecuting a specific ethnic minority by rolling a 1d6. All of this is well-known to his Chancellor, who also knows that this vicious cycle must be stopped. Something must capture the king's attention and divert him from his doldrums and the ghastly schemes they would spawn.

That is why the Chancellor decides to organize the first-ever formal expedition into the Hyper-Dungeon, aiming to unearth the Sacred Groowl and present it to His Majesty. The Chancellor hires the two most famous adventurers in all of Parvamund, Hero and Heroine, and sends them below in pursuit of the relic. Deep down, the Chancellor believes that the Sacred Groowl is likely some inconsequential trinket interesting only to an Orc, but that matters little. King Dandelion seems quite captivated by the affair, and therefore, for a time, he will stray from his ruinous plans. Of course, if Hero and Heroine take too long to return (or don't return at all), the king will once again succumb to his chronic ennui. In a way, one could say the fate of Parvamund rests in the hands of our adventurers.

THE LEGEND OF THE TOMB-RAIDER KING:
The odds of the average adventurer surviving beyond the fifth level of the Hyper-Dungeon are slim to none. Those naive enough not to pay close attention to the tutorial usually don't even make it that far. Thus far, it appears that only one human has ventured to the Hyper-Dungeon's final level. His name was Lando Lore, but many knew him as the King of Tomb Raiders.

He was the one to plunder the Upside-Down Pyramid of Anank-Anank, the Pink Pharaoh.
To loot the flying fortress of Lady Elizabeth Stiletto, the Vampire Princess.
To empty the treasure chests of Captain Calypso Kraken's ghost ship.
And so on and so forth.

Lando, a radiant archaeologist and an exceptional fighter, slashed his way through the Hyper-Dungeon with his two-handed broadsword. While he never returned, many speculate that he's still alive, lost somewhere in the depths. Some say he ended up married to an insatiable and terribly jealous Orc-ess. Others think he's still trying to figure out how to navigate those pesky traps separating him from the Sacred Groowl.

Whatever the case may be, Lando left a diary in the upper levels. His handwritten notes contain precious clues about the nature of the Hyper-Dungeon, tips on how to get out alive, and, naturally, tons of entirely useless information as far as completing the adventure is concerned—but highly entertaining to read (especially if you are one of those completionist players who want to know absolutely everything about the universe they've found themselves in).

THE PROTAGONISTS:
HERO: That's his actual name. His full name is Hero Achilles Williams Angelos McDurden.
Loves: Brawls; apple pie with whipped cream; treasure chests that aren't too hard to pick.
Hates: Boots that are too tight; dart traps; his cousin, Heroine.
Hero is skillful but not exactly wise. Thankfully, some kind-hearted Player will always guide him through the Hyper-Dungeon. Left to his own devices, he wouldn't even be able to find his way out of the First Level.

HEROINE: She's likewise aptly named. Her full name is Heroine Giada Brigitta Siglinda McDurden.
Loves: Fistfights; whipped cream with apple pie; treasure chests that are just easy enough to pick.
Hates: Boots that are too loose; fireballs; her cousin, Hero.
She's no more reflective or cunning than Hero. Essentially, she's his female counterpart.

Both are tailor-made for misadventures, unprepared but overeager, ill-equipped but full of gusto. Meet them at your own risk, for accompanying them may cost you not just your patience but also your logical faculties!

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GAMEPLAY MECHANICS:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AMn0CUsTPrprigC60HJXqyOJe1ncSs3_2I7tWjhAWO8/edit
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In this game, which is mechanically serious yet imbued with humor, you will delve into the so called Hyper-Dungeon brimming with traps and formidable monsters, in a quest for the legendary Orc artifact known as the Sacred Groowl. Along the way, your hero or heroine will meet a host of unique and whimsical characters, who might aid in navigating the labyrinth's depths and uncovering the mysteries of this ever-changing domain.
The gameplay is split into two primary sections. First, players traverse the dungeon labyrinths, searching for superior equipment, ingredients, and access to subsequent levels, while avoiding traps, engaging with characters, and solving puzzles.

Monsters appear on the adventure map, and player encounters lead to the second phase — combat, which takes place in dedicated window.
The hero and enemies are positioned on the battlefield, alternating turns based on their initiative scales. When the hero's initiative is full, he or she can attack the chosen enemy. Players must stop the weapon's moving icon in the hit zone — either normal or critical — to execute a successful attack. Similarly, blocking an enemy's physical attack requires selecting the aggressor and timing the stop of the shield icon over the attacker's weapon icon precisely.

Engaging in combat allows the hero to improve proficiency with the current weapon. Reaching specific skill milestones unlocks various powers for battle use. Players can unlock up to ten powers (in pairs) for each of the three weapon types, choosing only one power from each pair for combat. These selections are changeable outside combat, permitting players to customize their build according to their playstyle.

Moreover, successful actions in the level or during combat grant experience. Filling the experience bar enables the hero to level up and select from various character enhancements, such as increased weapon mastery, additional inventory slots, or increased maximum health or rage. Regarding Rage, it is depleted when using powers and regenerated during battle.

Rage, like health, can also be replenished with potions. Potions can be found or crafted. The game features three crafting stations: a kitchen for cooking meals, an alchemical lab for concocting potions, and a forge for creating equipment.
Crafting requires the appropriate recipes and ingredients.

Narratively, we've populated our Hyper-Dungeon with captivating characters whose eccentricities are filled with references to memes, video games, subcultures, geek culture, and popular culture, ensuring the scenarios they find themselves in are entertaining.
That covers the core game mechanics description. Yet, despite its seemingly straightforward foundation, TCHDC's gameplay mechanics have depths not fully explored in this brief overview. The combat system and the distinctions between weapon classes warrant a more detailed examination in a separate discussion.

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COMBAT MECHANICS: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17E5fR994GgeIkKkthbsiF7h3HoK4f3770jql0c2qpFQ/edit
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About Developer

We are four friends who have previously collaborated professionally and decided to design and develop this game in our spare time. Each of us is an expert in our respective field: Paolo is the programmer, Alexandr is the artist, Luca is the writer and Alessandro is the musician.