Royal Deceiver Project

1. Core Gameplay Mechanics

• Stealth and Deception:
  • The player should blend in with NPCs during the day, gathering information and planning attacks while disguised as a peasant.
  • At night, stealth comes into play, and the player must navigate the castle undetected. Using shadows, listening for guards, and timing movements are essential to avoid detection.
• Assassination Techniques:
  • Give the player a variety of weapons (like daggers, poison, or crossbows) and methods (strangling, pushing off ledges, or using environmental hazards).
  • Each assassination method has different consequences for the character's mental stability (e.g., poisoning might make them paranoid, while direct combat increases aggression).
• Mental Stability Meter:
  • Each time the player kills, they lose a bit of mental stability, displayed with a “Mental Stability Meter.”
  • If stability gets too low, the character might hallucinate, hear unsettling sounds, or see distorted visuals. Hallucinations could include guards who aren’t really there or doors that seem locked but are actually open.
  • Players must balance between achieving their goals and maintaining enough sanity to stay in control.
• Suspicion and Identity Management:
  • NPCs in the castle can grow suspicious over time. The player must interact carefully during the day to avoid arousing suspicion.
  • Engaging in odd behavior (like loitering near guards or showing up in unusual locations) will increase NPC suspicion, causing them to whisper or even report to authorities.
  • A “Disguise Level” mechanic could reflect how well the player is blending in. If suspicion reaches a certain level, guards may actively start searching for the assassin.

2. Psychological Horror Elements

• Hallucinations and Audio Cues:
  • As the player becomes more unstable, audio cues like whispers, footsteps, or the sounds of people calling their name can play randomly.
  • Hallucinations, such as seeing blood on their hands or distorted faces on NPCs, add tension and unease.
  • Mirrors or reflections could show a twisted, monstrous version of the player character, making them question their identity and morality.
• Paranoia Mechanic:
  • The game could feature a “Paranoia” mechanic that intensifies with each kill. At higher paranoia levels, the player starts imagining NPCs as hostile figures, mistaking them for guards or spies.
  • Paranoia can lead the player to accidentally harm innocents or waste resources in imagined scenarios.
• Internal Voice / Split Personality:
  • Add an internal voice or alter ego that talks to the player, commenting on their actions, mocking their weakness, or encouraging more violence.
  • This voice could argue with the player’s real thoughts, pushing them to commit increasingly violent acts or sowing doubt and confusion.
• Flashbacks and Guilt Mechanism:
  • After key assassinations, the player might experience flashbacks to moments of regret or guilt.
  • These flashbacks could be interactive, where the player is forced to relive the death from the victim’s perspective or see distorted memories of the character’s past.
• Environment and Visual Changes:
  • As the game progresses and the character’s mental state declines, the castle could start looking warped or decayed, reflecting their twisted mind.
  • Paintings, statues, or shadows might subtly change, showing haunting images that make the player question their reality.
• Nightmares / Reality Blurs:
  • The game could feature dream sequences or blurring of reality, where the player experiences nightmares within the castle that feel real.
  • They may “wake up” in these dreams and be forced to complete horrifying objectives or escape grotesque versions of castle guards.

3. Additional Gameplay Systems

• Inventory with “Cursed” Items:
  • Certain items that the player collects could become “cursed” as the player loses sanity. For example, a dagger could start appearing bloodied, or an ordinary cloak could look torn and haunted.
  • The player could be compelled to get rid of these items, sacrificing valuable resources to try to regain a sense of control.
• Hide and Seek Mechanics:
  • The player might occasionally need to hide when guards get close, using wardrobes, under tables, or dark alcoves.
  • Being caught triggers a chase sequence where they must navigate the castle’s maze-like corridors to escape. During these moments, paranoia kicks in, and the player might misinterpret sounds and shadows.

4. Endgame and Consequences of Mental Decline

• Multiple Endings Based on Sanity:
  • The player’s final mental state could influence the game’s ending.
    • A stable player might escape the castle after finishing their mission, walking away with a sense of guilt but control.
    • A highly unstable player, however, might be trapped in their hallucinations or condemned to haunt the castle forever, consumed by their violence and madness.
• Unreliable Narrator Twist:
  • Near the end, the game could reveal that not all events actually happened as the player perceived them, casting doubt on what was real.
  • For example, certain assassinations or key events might have been hallucinated, adding a layer of mystery and self-doubt to the character’s journey.