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Design Document for:

All work Copyright © 2007 by Dewi Stanley Roberts

Written by Dewi Stanley Roberts

Version # 1

Copyright (C) 2007 Dewi Stanley Roberts – All rights reserved

Thursday, May 25, 2023Table of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS______________________________________________________________- 2 -

GAME OVERVIEW________________________________________________________________- 5 -

DESIGN GOALS_____________________________________________________________________- 5 -Bring the Player Closer to the Game World_____________________________________- 5 -Less Gunning, More Running___________________________________________________- 5 -Use the Environment to Affect the Player______________________________________- 5 -Blend Genres to Create Something New________________________________________- 5 -

COMMON QUESTIONS_______________________________________________________________- 5 -What is the game?_____________________________________________________________- 5 -Why create this game?________________________________________________________- 5 -Where does the game take place?_____________________________________________- 6 -What do I control?_____________________________________________________________- 6 -What is the main focus?________________________________________________________- 6 -What’s different?______________________________________________________________- 6 -

FEATURE SET_____________________________________________________________________- 7 -

GENERAL FEATURES_________________________________________________________________- 7 -GAMEPLAY_________________________________________________________________________- 7 -

STORY____________________________________________________________________________- 7 -

GAME CHARACTERS_____________________________________________________________- 8 -

ELAINE CARLING____________________________________________________________________- 8 -ANDREW CARLING__________________________________________________________________- 8 -ANNA GIBSON_____________________________________________________________________- 8 -DAVID GIBSON_____________________________________________________________________- 8 -AARON ALLERTON__________________________________________________________________- 8 -MIRANDA ALLERTON________________________________________________________________- 8 -DINA KELLERMAN___________________________________________________________________- 9 -TERRY COWLISHAW_________________________________________________________________- 9 -CAROL TURNER____________________________________________________________________- 9 -SONITA RAE_______________________________________________________________________- 9 -BENJAMIN GRANT___________________________________________________________________- 9 -CHRISTOPHER MORRIS_______________________________________________________________- 9 -GRAHAM CREADY___________________________________________________________________- 9 -

THE GAME WORLD______________________________________________________________- 10 -

OVERVIEW________________________________________________________________________- 10 -TRANSFORMING ENVIRONMENTS______________________________________________________- 10 -

THE PHYSICAL WORLD_________________________________________________________- 10 -

OVERVIEW________________________________________________________________________- 10 -KEY LOCATIONS___________________________________________________________________- 10 -

Gadlesbury___________________________________________________________________- 10 -Arnsdale______________________________________________________________________- 10 -Meldon Art College____________________________________________________________- 11 -

TRAVEL__________________________________________________________________________- 11 -SCALE___________________________________________________________________________- 11 -WEATHER________________________________________________________________________- 11 -DAY AND NIGHT___________________________________________________________________- 11 -TIME____________________________________________________________________________- 11 -

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OBJECTS_________________________________________________________________________- 11 -

THE WORLD LAYOUT & STYLE_________________________________________________- 12 -

OVERVIEW________________________________________________________________________- 12 -ARNSDALE VILLAGE________________________________________________________________- 12 -

Village Map___________________________________________________________________- 12 -ARNSDALE AREA__________________________________________________________________- 12 -

Area Map_____________________________________________________________________- 13 -VILLAGE STYLE____________________________________________________________________- 13 -

CAMERA_________________________________________________________________________- 14 -

OVERVIEW________________________________________________________________________- 14 -PANNING (STANDARD THIRD-PERSON VIEWPOINT)______________________________________- 14 -CENTRE CAMERA__________________________________________________________________- 14 -OVER--SHOULDER VIEWPOINT_______________________________________________________- 14 -BACK VIEW (“IT’S BEHIND YOU!”)___________________________________________________- 14 -

MONSTERS______________________________________________________________________- 15 -

MILES TURNER____________________________________________________________________- 15 -“LUST”__________________________________________________________________________- 15 -ANNEKA__________________________________________________________________________- 15 -

GAMEPLAY______________________________________________________________________- 16 -

OVERVIEW________________________________________________________________________- 16 -ARNSDALE VILLAGE – NPC INTERACTION______________________________________________- 16 -EXPLORING HOMES AND BUILDINGS__________________________________________________- 16 -MONSTER ENCOUNTERS____________________________________________________________- 16 -SAFE ROOMS (SAVING THE GAME)___________________________________________________- 16 -THE MACE ARMS HOTEL____________________________________________________________- 16 -HOURS OF GAMEPLAY______________________________________________________________- 17 -VICTORY CONDITIONS______________________________________________________________- 17 -

WEAPONS_______________________________________________________________________- 17 -

OVERVIEW________________________________________________________________________- 17 -USE SURROUNDING OBJECTS AS ‘WEAPONS’___________________________________________- 17 -LIMITED ‘STANDARD’ WEAPONS______________________________________________________- 17 -

MUSICAL SCORE & SOUND EFFECTS___________________________________________- 18 -

OVERVIEW________________________________________________________________________- 18 -MUSIC___________________________________________________________________________- 18 -VOICE TALENT____________________________________________________________________- 18 -SOUND EFFECTS___________________________________________________________________- 18 -

GRAPHICAL INTERFACE_________________________________________________________- 19 -

GENERAL FEATURES________________________________________________________________- 19 -Elaine (The Player)____________________________________________________________- 19 -NPC (Non-Player Characters)__________________________________________________- 19 -Pointer/Object Names_________________________________________________________- 19 -Readied Item_________________________________________________________________- 19 -Health________________________________________________________________________- 19 -

READIED ITEM SELECTION___________________________________________________________- 20 -Selected Item Name__________________________________________________________- 20 -Unselected Inventory Items___________________________________________________- 20 -

CONVERSATION INTERFACE__________________________________________________________- 21 -Elaine & NPC__________________________________________________________________- 21 -

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Dialogue Choices_____________________________________________________________- 21 -‘General’ Dialogue Options____________________________________________________- 21 -Current Dialogue Selection____________________________________________________- 21 -Items_________________________________________________________________________- 21 -

CONTROLS APPENDIX__________________________________________________________- 22 -

WALK/RUN_______________________________________________________________________- 22 -EVASIVE MANEUVERS______________________________________________________________- 22 -PAN/AIM VIEWPOINT_______________________________________________________________- 23 -OVER-THE-SHOULDER VIEWPOINT____________________________________________________- 23 -CENTRE CAMERA__________________________________________________________________- 23 -BACK VIEW_______________________________________________________________________- 23 -EXAMINE OBJECTS/TALK TO CHARACTERS______________________________________________- 23 -INTERACTING WITH OBJECTS_________________________________________________________- 24 -

Pick up Objects_______________________________________________________________- 24 -Drag/Push Objects____________________________________________________________- 24 -Object-Specific Actions________________________________________________________- 24 -

‘READYING’ INVENTORY ITEMS_______________________________________________________- 24 -EQUIP CHARACTER WITH READIED ITEM_______________________________________________- 24 -ATTACK WITH EQUIPPED WEAPON (CLOSE RANGE)______________________________________- 25 -USE EQUIPPED ITEM________________________________________________________________- 25 -UNREADY ITEMS___________________________________________________________________- 25 -OPEN/CLOSE DOORS_______________________________________________________________- 25 -PAUSE SCREEN (INVENTORY)________________________________________________________- 25 -

Examine Item_________________________________________________________________- 25 -Use Item______________________________________________________________________- 25 -View Map_____________________________________________________________________- 26 -Documents___________________________________________________________________- 26 -Characters____________________________________________________________________- 26 -Options_______________________________________________________________________- 26 -

STORY APPENDIX_______________________________________________________________- 27 -

Game Prologue_______________________________________________________________- 27 -Gadlesbury – Tourist Town____________________________________________________- 27 -Arnsdale Village______________________________________________________________- 27 -Elaine’s Background__________________________________________________________- 28 -

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Game Overview Design Goals

Bring the Player Closer to the Game World

This game intends to exploit the new technology offered by the Nintendo Wii to create an exciting new ‘survival horror’ experience. Using the Wii’s unique motion-sensor control possibilities, it’s possible to offer intuitive controls that respond logically to the player’s own movements, immersing them closer into a tangible game world than ever before. Regarding the survival horror genre, this presents an opportunity to create an unnerving experience that the player themselves feel directly a part of. Their character’s survival relies on the strength of their own reactions and their own movements, such as jolting the controllers quickly to one side to dodge incoming attacks.

Less Gunning, More Running

Paper Trail takes the usual survival horror formula and flips it on its head. There are no big guns or magical ghost-zapping cameras just lying around, waiting for unsuspecting protagonists to pick them up; the only things the character has to defend themselves against the enemy are everyday items found in and around people’s homes. When there’s nothing on hand, there’s only one option left – run.

Use the Environment to Affect the Player

The game also aims to draw the player into its warped scenario by having the character’s ordeal last days or weeks instead of hours. The player will become a temporary resident of a cursed town; during their stay, citizens will disappear, the town will begin to change, and more secrets will be uncovered.

Blend Genres to Create Something New

As well as exploring Arnsdale’s interiors, solving puzzles and evading enemies, players will need to uncover more clues of the town’s secrets by engaging in a variety of conversations with its few remaining inhabitants (in the style of point-and-click adventures like ‘Broken Sword’) in the town itself. While these sections offer a change of pace, players are not necessarily safe if they’re outside talking to someone.

Common Questions

What is the game?

Paper Trail is a survival horror game that uses the Wii’s unique controller to draw the player further into a sinister mystery. The emphasis is on investigation, puzzle solving and evading dangers as opposed to conflict, using the Wii’s motion sensitive controllers to perform various escape maneuvers.

Why create this game?

Many games currently in production for the Wii, such as Manhunt 2 and Sadness, suggest that there is a market for mature horror-themed games on the still-new machine. Also, the unique abilities offered by the console’s remote, such as motion sensors and using the remote as a pointer, make the system perfectly suited to accommodate point-and-click style games such as the Monkey Island and Broken Sword series. Bearing these facts in mind, I believe blending the survival-horror genre with point-and-clicks

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would form a very unique brand of horror game, providing the tension and excitement of the former with the narrative strength of the latter to create a brilliant experience.

Where does the game take place?

Much of the game takes place in a fictitious English rural town called Arnsdale. The subject of a hefty redevelopment plan in the 90s, many of the buildings have been modernised but still maintain their Victorian/Georgian foundations. The town is thought to be built on some sort of cursed grounds, resulting in some big nasties.

What do I control?

The player takes on the role of Elaine Carling, a 25-year-old shop assistant who travels to Arnsdale to meet with her estranged brother, Andrew.

What is the main focus?

Elaine’s goal in ‘Paper Trail’ is to locate her brother in Meldon Art College near Arnsdale. As she searches, she is drawn further into the mystery surrounding the town, and needs to uncover its secrets in order to find her brother. The deeper she gets, the more dangers she runs into, and being generally unarmed, she will need to rely on her reflexes to avoid and escape the increasing horrors the town has to offer.

What’s different?

Unlike conventional horror games, Paper Trail asks the player to investigate the source of the danger in search of clues rather than tackle it with violence (although combat will be an option, in limited form). Rather than a typical survival horror, it will be more like a ‘point-and-click’ adventure set in a horror environment. And unlike many games of this genre, Paper Trail’s story pans out over a (currently undecided) period of time – days or weeks (in-game), rather than hours. Elaine becomes a temporary resident of Arnsdale, seeing it change from day to night, and from different perspectives as she meets the town’s few remaining (and deeply disturbed) inhabitants.

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Feature Set

General Features

Use the Wii controller’s motion sensitivity to execute evasive maneuvers, etc Sinister village setting that changes as time passes, and holds many mysteries Tangible environments – everything you can see can be examined and has a logical purpose Deep, horror-themed story – peel back Arnsdale’s layers to discover the root of the sinister forces

Gameplay

Explore Arnsdale in third-person, obtaining clues to Elaine’s brother’s whereabouts and about the recent goings-on from the people who live there

Avoid sudden dangers with the Wii remote and nunchuk – thrust both in a direction to jump out of the way of trouble, then run to safety

Alternatively, equip yourself with the nearest usable weapon and use the remote to swing at your assailant to temporarily stun them

There are no magic potions or first aid kits in the world of Paper Trail. There is, however, always an escape. Chases offer tense and dramatic challenges – decide for yourself if your enemy can be beaten, and if the rewards will be enough to risk it

Explore enclosed environments in search of answers to Elaine’s questions. Obtain and examine items that can either offer clues or be used to solve nearby puzzles. Just remember to always be on guard – danger could present itself at any time

Story When Elaine Carling spots a picture in the paper of her brother Andrew, whom she hasn’t seen or

heard from in three years, she takes it as a sign to find him and put an end to their estrangement. The picture is in an article advertising an exhibition of student work in a Lake District art college. Without hesitation, Elaine books a week from work and makes arrangements to travel.

After getting the train as far as a nearby tourist town, Elaine then attempts to get a bus the rest of the way to the college. On the way, the bus is driven off the road by a horrific creature and crashes in a field. Escaping the crash, Elaine runs for her life and finds herself in the village of Arnsdale, where the real story begins.

Travel from Arnsdale to the college proves to be impossible, but during her stay in the village, Elaine begins to discover some harrowing things about the place. Arnsdale is near-deserted, its inhabitants either having moved away or disappeared before they had the chance. Monsters have been seen prowling the streets, horrific wails heard in the night. Certain locals have been thought to be involved in a sinister cult believed to be responsible.

The further Elaine explores, the more disturbing her discoveries become. She finds notes left by a visiting historian detailing how Arnsdale was, in medieval times, believed to be a sacred place which could cleanse a person of their sin by sacrificing another in the appropriate ritualistic fashion. The abundance of such rituals eventually led to some unknown disaster which wiped out the village and everyone living there, until nearly a century later when people began to inhabit it once more. Somehow, they would learn of its

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legend and begin the rituals again, which would in turn lead to another disaster. This cycle continued up until the beginning of the 20th century, which is when the last recorded abandonment of the village occurred. The cycle then began again when Arnsdale was redeveloped in the mid 90s to coincide with the opening of the new art college.

According to the villagers, the amount of bizarre events has increased considerably in recent weeks. Nearly everyone has disappeared. Could the latest disaster be just around the corner? Elaine is determined to find out - especially when she begins to hear that there’s a strong possibility that her brother may somehow be involved.

Game Characters

Elaine CarlingThe game’s player-controlled character who travels to Arnsdale to visit her estranged brother, Andrew, after hearing about his art college holding an exhibition of student work. A timid woman of few words, she is a deep and very logical thinker. She has a habit of disappearing into her own thoughts when talking to people.

Andrew CarlingElaine’s brother who left their hometown to study at the newly opened art college near Arnsdale three years ago. Brooding and intense, Andrew has a presence about himself that unsettles most people, including his sister. His departure followed a vicious argument between the siblings, and he has remained out of contact since.

Anna GibsonNormally a cheerful and outgoing teacher trainee, Anna apparently became quiet and withdrawn shortly after moving to Arnsdale with her new husband, David. Only weeks after arriving, she began disappearing in the night to attend ‘bizarre rituals’ before disappearing entirely a few days before Elaine’s arrival.

David GibsonA young bank clerk who moved to Arnsdale to start a quiet life with his new wife, Anna. David quickly became worried when he began to notice drastic changes in Anna’s behavior not long after their arrival and started investigating what she was involved in. Shortly after Anna’s disappearance, he too went missing.

Aaron AllertonA mysterious ten-year-old who can be found lurking in many of Arnsdale’s locations. He will stand perfectly still and silently stare at Elaine while in the same room, only moving if she or something else attacks, whereupon he will run away screaming. If the player chooses to give chase, they will finally see him disappear into one of Arnsdale’s more dilapidated houses, which there is no apparent way for Elaine to enter...

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Miranda AllertonAaron’s mother. She died in a house fire three months earlier, apparently caused by a stray cigarette. Although she was a heavy smoker, she was tormented by unknown antagonists with messages insisting that her son was the devil’s spawn in the months preceding her death, which certain villagers believe led her to take her own life.

Dina KellermanA middle-aged woman who can often be found standing outside her house. Dina is apparently waiting for word back from her brother, who she contacted a week earlier asking for help moving away from Arnsdale after her car was tampered with, effectively stranding her in the town she believes is ‘haunted’. A paranoid gossip who nervously chews on rice crackers, she is a useful source of information early in the game.

Terry CowlishawThe Mace Arms’ landlord, Terry is understandably suspicious of most the townspeople. A man with an air of pessimism about him, he seems resigned to the fact that whatever is going on in Arnsdale won’t be cured anytime soon. Despite this apparent acceptance of the inevitable, he offers what information he has to Elaine and assures her safety in her hotel room.

Carol TurnerAn elderly woman who runs the village newsagent, Carol is quick to become unpleasant when questioned about the strange goings on in town. While the locals attest that her husband Miles ran the business alongside her until only recently, she denies his existence. Despite her shop looking decidedly under-stocked due to a lack of deliveries, she refuses to accept that anything is awry. It’s difficult to tell if her denial is merely a sign of dementia, or something more sinister.

Sonita RaeA student at Meldon Art College, whose family took Andrew in as a lodger when he moved to Arnsdale three years ago. The two were friends, but things turned sour when Andrew became fanatical about the sinister events occuring in town. Sonita’s parents have since left Arnsdale, and she intends to follow after completing her course.

Benjamin GrantAn eager historian who was recently carrying out research on Arnsdale for an article. During his stay, Ben stumbled upon some of the village’s darker secrets, and his inquisitive nature obliged him to dig deeper into the mystery surrounding the recent occurrences. His zealous search for information means he is often blunt to a fault and tends to rush into situations without thinking of the consequences, which may have led to his recent disappearance, leaving behind only notes of his research.

Christopher MorrisArnsdale’s mayor, and the keeper of its bizarre secrets. He has been using the village’s town hall to host meetings for followers he’s enlisted to carry out the ‘traditions’ dating back to the village’s foundation – rituals that supposedly cleanse a person of sin by sacrificing another. Noticeably absent by the time Elaine arrives, it soon becomes apparent that Turner has already begun to put something bigger into motion.

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Graham CreadyA policeman Elaine finds walled into the pantry of one of the Arnsdale’s residences, Cready is apparently looking into some of the disappearances in the village. His investigation took a turn for the worse when his contact with Gadlesbury Police Station was lost and he was captured by the locals.

The Game World

Overview

Arnsdale is a small village located on the outskirts of the Lake District. After being abandoned at the beginning of 20th century, it underwent a redevelopment scheme and was repopulated in the mid 90s. The foundations of many of the buildings were still solid despite their neglect, and the place was quickly modernised over the old. By the turn of the millennium, most of the twenty or so citizens of Arnsdale have left for unknown reasons; some saying the place is ‘cursed’. Those who remain find themselves haunted by disturbing voices and troubled by a sinister, invisible ‘force’ that somehow prevents them from leaving. When Elaine arrives in search of her brother, Arnsdale is already in severe decline.

Transforming Environments

During Elaine’s stay in Arnsdale, the environment warps in several ways. The modernised houses return to their early Victorian designs; the weather worsens considerably – fair to begin with, ending with torrential rains; rebuilt streets become muddy and cobbled. As time passes, Arnsdale appears to reverse the effects time has taken on it. The only thing that is gradually created during this time is a bizarre altar in a nearby field.

The Physical World

Overview

While one or two events occur outside the village (namely at the beginning when Elaine first makes her way there), the majority of the game takes place within and around the village of Arnsdale. The other locations - the train station in Gadlesbury and Meldon Art College – exist miles from the village and are only visited at specific points during the game (respectively, at the beginning and the end).

Key LocationsGadlesbury

A small tourist town where Elaine’s train terminates at the beginning of the game. Gadlesbury’s train station serves as a tutorial of sorts, allowing the player to become familiar with the exploration controls.

ArnsdaleThe game’s main setting. Within the village, the player will need to visit the following locations:

Mace Arms Hotel

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Mark and Anna Gibson’s HouseAndrew Carling’s HouseNewsagentsDina Kellerman’s HouseArnsdale Town HallChristopher Morris’ HouseThe Allerton’s HouseSunnydown Farm

Meldon Art CollegeThe college Elaine’s brother, Andrew, is supposedly attending, and her best lead on his

whereabouts. When Elaine finally makes it to the college, it is completely deserted apart from creatures similar to the ones found in Arnsdale. The information the player acquires during the game suggests that whatever disaster has been affecting the village has spread to the college. This is where the finale takes place.

Travel

Elaine uses various methods of transport to reach different areas in the game, but these are not controlled by the player. When players are given control to explore the various areas, it is entirely on foot.

Scale

Arnsdale is a small village surrounded by a vast expanse of field and hills that can be seen for miles around while walking around the village. This scale is used so the player empathises with the isolation that Elaine is experiencing, trapped in a strange village in the middle of nowhere.

Weather

The weather in Arnsdale village will worsen as the game progresses, symbolizing the town’s steady decline into darkness as time passes.

Day and Night

The player can select specific times of day to resume play after resting when they reach a safe area (e.g. Elaine’s hotel room). Some of Arnsdale’s locations can only be explored at certain times of day – for example, people’s homes that carry clues but are still occupied will need to be left until empty before they can be entered).

Time

As mentioned above, times of day can be selected from safe areas. These areas will be found locally to each area, so time can be conveniently altered without too much backtracking. Therefore, time will not pass naturally during gameplay.

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Objects

Elaine can obtain and keep small items in her shoulder bag. These objects are divided into two categories – key items needed to solve puzzles and attack items that can be thrown or used against enemies. Weapons will be scarce (one or two guns, with strictly finite ammo), but many items can be improvised as weapons, from kitchen knives to paper weights, or everyday stones. Healing items will also be difficult to come across.

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The World Layout & Style

OverviewIsolation and a sense of entrapment are two of Paper Trail’s key themes, which is reflected in the

layout of the game world. Arnsdale village is small but features many alleys and surrounding gardens that add plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. The world surrounding the village consists of seemingly endless fields, which can only be explored so far so as to restrict aimless wandering.

Arnsdale Village

Arnsdale is a small, neglected country village on the outskirts of the Lake District. The village has existed in some form or other for centuries, and has seen many redevelopments and new buildings created over the years, lending it a stylistically haphazard appearance and a slightly sporadic layout. Setting the game in a village helps keep a compact game world; the player needs to gain an intimate knowledge of the village in order to fully explore it and proceed with the game, as well as being drawn into the atmosphere of the location.

The various buildings within Arnsdale serve as the game’s levels. Only abandoned houses, sheds and public buildings can be explored to start with, but as the game progresses the player will be able to find ways of gaining entry to other buildings.

Village Map

Arnsdale Area

The village of Arnsdale is located in the Lake District countryside, around 15 miles from any other civilization and away from main roads. Most of the game takes place in and around the village; surrounding the village are fields, most of which are owned by the nearby (now abandoned) farm, which can also be accessed from the off. Exploration of some of these fields is allowed (and necessary at certain points) to provide a sense of location outside the village, but is limited to fields with gates – fields outside of the game world will be blocked off with higher walls with no gates. Roads leading out of the village won’t be visibly blocked, but the player will be unable to walk beyond a certain point before Elaine points out that she is likely to get lost.

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Area Map

Village Style

The theme of the architectural style used in Arnsdale is a mix of different periods, including Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian styles. The images below are intended to give an example of the types of buildings that might be found in the village.

A rural-Victorian house, similar to the one currently the occupied by the newly-married Gibsons.

A Tudor-gothic house. A large, sophisticated-looking house that would be occupied by a wealthy family, such as the parents of

Sonita Rae.

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Camera

Overview

Paper Trail utilizes different types of third-person camera perspectives – a standard, distanced viewpoint where the player can pan the camera to view their surroundings, and a close-quarters perspective that positions the camera over and behind Elaine’s shoulder for a closer view.

See the ‘Controls Appendix’, below’ for more details of how to switch viewpoints during play.

Panning (Standard Third-person Viewpoint)

In the standard third-person viewpoint, the player can pan the surroundings by aiming the pointer at the sides of the screen with the remote.

Centre Camera

To centre the camera behind Elaine in standard third-person view, the player can tap the C button on the nunchuk controller.

Over--shoulder Viewpoint

To switch from standard third-person view to a closer, over the shoulder perspective, the player can hold the C button on the nunchuk controller. In this viewpoint, movement controls become character-relative rather than camera-relative (e.g. Resident Evil - on the control stick, up goes forward, down goes backwards, while left and right, both on the stick and the remote pointer, rotates the character) and the player can look all around with the remote pointer to gain a better view of their surroundings. Releasing the button returns to the standard perspective.

Back View (“It’s Behind You!”)

The player can switch the camera view 180° by pressing the Z button. This is useful when being pursued by an enemy to check your distance and to better judge if and when any evasive maneuvers are needed, or simply to have a quick look at the surrounding area.

If the player holds the Z button down, movement on the control stick will remain relative to the previous camera angle. This can help to avoid player confusion, especially when being chased by an enemy, when error can lead to problems. When the button is released, character control will become relative to the current angle.

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Monsters The monsters Elaine encounters as she explores Arnsdale are mutations of the village’s former

inhabitants, both recent and old. Their twisted forms reflect the rituals in which they suffered. Elaine cannot kill the monsters (except in specific situations), but they can be attacked in order to slow them down.

Below are some examples of the creatures found in the game.

Miles TurnerCarol’s husband who ran the newsagent alongside her before vanishing weeks earlier. Miles was heavily involved in the cult organized by the village mayor, but supposedly became a victim of one of the rituals when his loyalties came into questions. Elaine first encounters his mutated form, his body still impaled with the metal spikes used in the ritual that caused his death, roaming the fields near Arnsdale on the night of her arrival. He is later discovered detained in his own house above the newsagent by his wife, Carol.

Miles is one of the earliest enemies the player encounters, and does not possess much in the way of speed or aggression. He can, however, manipulate individual spikes to attack Elaine if she gets too close.

“Lust”A seven-foot behemoth who was allegedly one of the ritual subjects before Arnsdale was abandoned in the late 19th Century. According to the research carried out by the historian Benjamin Grant, the creature was created by a ritual that placed a man and a woman in a metallic coffin barely big enough for one and buried alive. When it broke free years later, the two were largely fused together into the one creature. The monster is known as ‘Lust’ due to the sin that this ritual supposedly cleansed from the ‘client’. It can be found in one of the abandoned houses in Arnsdale – assumedly the house it (or at least a part of it) used to live, along with the corpses of its latest inhabitants.

“Lust” isn’t the fastest creature, but packs a considerable punch if it manages to corner it’s victim – a reason it attacks in enclosed spaces.

AnnekaAn apparition who haunts the village bearing the ropes that were used in the ‘ritual’ that resulted in her death. According to Benjamin Grant’s research, Anneka was bound tightly to a tree around the waist, whereupon the rope was tied to a horse, which was then commanded to run, tightening the rope and splitting the young woman in two. It is unknown what this ritual intended to symbolize, or even if it was a ritual at all.

Anneka can manipulate her ropes to trap her victims, or to fling objects at them in an attempt to daze them. She is also quite speedy, but her relative lack of strength balances this out.

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Gameplay Overview

Paper Trail’s gameplay blends the character interaction of point-and-click games with more traditional survival horror elements, combining both with a combat system that forces the player to rely on the objects surrounding them to defend themselves.

Here is a breakdown of the key components of the single player game.

Arnsdale Village – NPC InteractionThe village itself acts as a hub of sorts, where the locals will be able to offer Elaine information

about the town and suggest possible destinations that might help her investigation. Some NPCs will present a set goal – for instance, they may be unwilling to help until they’ve had a lost item returned to them, or certain information. These sections of the game will use a dialogue choice system similar to point-and-click games, allowing the player to choose the topic of conversation and their response to an NPC’s dialogue.

Exploring Homes and Buildings

Arnsdale’s various homes and other buildings act as the game’s ‘levels’. The player will need to locate clues and useful items – as Elaine only has a limited amount of space in her bag, the player will need to rely on their own thinking and the advice of NPCs to determine what is and isn’t useful to their cause. Some locations can only be entered under specific circumstances – for example, if a home is still inhabited, the player will need to break in at night.

Monster Encounters

While players explore, monsters are liable to appear and attack at any moment. When this happens, the player can execute a variety of evasive maneuvers to dodge out of the way of attacks, and grab suitable nearby items to use as weapons to temporarily stun the enemy. Elaine will always be disadvantaged physically against enemies, but her evasive speed makes up for this. Rather than try to fight the monster, players are encouraged to use their abilities to escape to the nearest Safe Room (see below).

Safe Rooms (Saving the Game)More often than not, when the player encounters a monster, they will need to escape rather than

attempt a fight. Each location has at least one ‘Safe Room’ – a room that once entered provides a safe haven from whatever was in pursuit. Safe Rooms also allow the player to save their progress, recover their health and change the time of day. They can be identified from the outside by a light coming under the door.

The Mace Arms HotelElaine’s room in Arnsdale’s only inn acts as a ‘headquarters’ of sorts, offering the features of a

regular Safe Room and also allowing the player to store the items and documents they’ve obtained from

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other locations. Stored items can then be swapped to and from Elaine’s inventory at will whenever the player returns to the hotel.

Hours of Gameplay

I would aim for it to take around 15 hours for the average player to reach the conclusion of Paper Trail’s story. I feel should it take any more than that to wrap up the plot the player would lose interest or become confused – after all, the game is set in a small village with a limited set of characters. 15 hours should be more than sufficient for the player to learn all their backgrounds and discover the secrets behind Arnsdale before the finale. In regards to interior locations, it shouldn’t be necessary to spend any more than an hour at the most in each.

Victory Conditions

The game is completed when the player reaches the conclusion of the story and Elaine escapes from Arnsdale.

Weapons

Overview

Paper Trail takes a realistic, more restrained approach to weapons and combat. Whereas most horror games present the player with guns and plenty of (conveniently compatible) ammo to be found throughout, in Paper Trail, when Elaine needs to defend herself from enemies she must rely on any small weapons (such as kitchen knives) she has happened upon and has stored in her bag, or on everyday objects that are lying around.

Use Surrounding Objects as ‘Weapons’

Everywhere the player goes in Paper Trail, there will be numerous objects on hand that can be picked up and used as weapons. Players will not be armed to the nines with guns and ammo, so they will need to grab anything on hand, from a kitchen chair to an iron, to defend themselves against enemies. These objects are generally too big to be stored in the player’s inventory, meaning the player will only be able to carry one ‘weapon’ around at a time.

Limited ‘Standard’ Weapons

The amount of orthodox weapons to be found in Paper Trail – guns, rocket launchers, magic cameras and the like – will be strictly limited. The purpose of this is to add a layer of realism to proceedings, hopefully drawing the player further into the scenario.

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Musical Score & Sound Effects

Overview

A restrained use of music and sound is a popular trait of horror games and films, creating tension and making it so that when sound does occur it fills the player with unease. This technique will be exploited in Paper Trail.

Music

Music in the game will be used sparingly, in the fashion of traditional survival horror games such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill. The main village area will have a subtle background theme, which will eventually disappear later in the game, when the village becomes completely deserted. Interior areas will mostly be explored without music, saving its use for when an enemy attack occurs, whereupon distorted music intended to panic and excite the player would begin. Some cut-scenes would also require the use of some rather melancholy melodies, in order to set the tone for the game.

Voice TalentAs the story is a crucial part of Paper Trail, professional voice talent is necessary to convey the

plot to its fullest. All the game’s cut-scenes and dialogue will be voiced. At key points when Elaine has a thought about an event in the game, this will also be voiced. While exploring certain environments, the player will be able to hear the distorted voices of various characters in the distance, which will hopefully cause unease within them.

Sound Effects

As with the music, the sound effects used in the game will be subtle, mainly being used to give feedback on option selections in menus. Generally, the sound effects heard during gameplay need to be as unobtrusive as possible; complimenting the on-screen action without distracting the player.

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Graphical InterfaceIn general, the game will use a graphical interface typical of point-and-click games (e.g. the Monkey Island and Broken Sword series), slightly tweaked to meet Paper Trail’s specific needs. To keep the player aware

of which item is currently on hand, it is displayed on the corner of the screen at all times.

General Features

Elaine (The Player)The character whom the player assumes control for the duration of the game.

NPC (Non-Player Characters)Characters that the player does not have direct control over, but can be interacted with. By

approaching an NPC, Elaine can engage them in conversation to obtain clues and information.

Pointer/Object NamesAt all times during play, the player is given control of a pointer that can be guided across the

screen to highlight objects. When the pointer is held over an object, its name will appear at the bottom of the screen to let the player know what it is.

Readied ItemThe item currently readied for use with the A button (see the Controls Appendix for more

information) is displayed in a box in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

HealthElaine’s current health status is indicated by the border surrounding the readied item icon. The

player can suffer approximately four hits from an enemy before Elaine dies (some larger monsters inflict more damage). For each hit, a side of the health gauge disappears, and the rest of the gauge changes colour – first from grey to green, then yellow, then red.

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Readied Item SelectionSelected Item Name

The name of the currently readied item will appear above it’s icon in the corner of the screen to remind them player of what it is.

Unselected Inventory ItemsDuring item readying, the other items in the player’s inventory will appear, grayed out, alongside

the currently readied item. They can be selected by cycling them left and right using the directional pad on the remote (see the Controls Appendix for more information).

When the player has more items in their inventory, it can be quicker and easier to ready the required item with the pointer rather than scrolling through. The image below shows an example of this:

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Conversation Interface

Elaine & NPCThe screen will display Elaine and the person she is talking to. The NPC’s facial expressions will

often be a clue to how the current conversation is going, and how much what they are saying can be taken as truth.

Dialogue ChoicesWhenever the other character finishes saying their piece on a topic, the player will get to decide

where to direct the conversation next. Elaine can (where possible) press the current subject further, raise another topic or choose to end the conversation (in most cases, the lowest option in the list).

‘General’ Dialogue OptionsDialogue choices highlighted in bold italics are topics that aren’t specific to any particular

character; for instance - taking the example shown in the image above - a general enquiry about people in the village who can drive.

Current Dialogue SelectionAiming the pointer at a dialogue choice will highlight it as shown above. From this point, pressing

the A button on the remote will prompt Elaine to speak the selected dialogue.

ItemsDuring dialogue choices, the player can also present items to the NPC, which may lead to further

conversation if the item is somehow relevant (for instance, a character may have requested that Elaine fetch them something). The current readied item is displayed, as ever, in the lower left corner of the screen during dialogue choices, and the rest of Elaine’s inventory can be brought up in the usual way, and then used by pointing at them and pressing the A button on the remote.

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Controls Appendix

Walk/Run

Elaine’s basic movement is handled with standard analogue control on the nunchuk control stick. Players are given a choice of character or camera-relative movement (apart from when using the over-the-shoulder perspective, when control is always character-relative).

Evasive Maneuvers

Evasive methods that can be performed by flicking the nunchuk controller in the appropriate direction Note: The direction of the evasive maneuver is always relative to the current viewpoint.

Dodge LeftFlicking the nunchuk to the left will execute a dodge in that direction. Tilting the analogue stick in the same direction while flicking the nunchuk will cause Elaine to dodge further.

Dodge RightSimilarly, flicking the nunchuk to the right will result in a dodge to the right. Again, tilting the analogue stick while flicking will further the distance moved.

Dodge Towards Screen (Back)To perform a dodge towards the screen, the player flicks the nunchuk up towards themselves. The move will alter depending on whether the controls are currently camera- or character-relative, but the function remains essentially the same. As ever, tilting the stick (in this case, down) will increase the effect of the maneuver.

Dodge ForwardsTo execute a forward-facing dodge, the player must thrust the nunchuk away from themselves. Elaine will then dodge away from the screen. Tilting the control stick up during the move will increase its effect.

DuckIf the player flicks the nunchuk downwards, Elaine will duck straight down. She will remain crouched as long as the nunchuk is held in the end position; when it is lifted, she will rise back up.

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Pan/Aim Viewpoint

In third-person perspective, the player can pan their immediate surroundings by guiding a pointer about the screen with the remote. Aiming towards the different sides of the screen will tilt the camera slightly in that direction. When using the over-the-shoulder perspective, pointing at the left and right of the screen will turn Elaine, allowing the player more freedom to view their location.

Camera Pans Left No Movement Camera Pans Right

Over-the-Shoulder Viewpoint

The player can press and hold the C button on the nunchuk controller to switch to a close-quarter, over-shoulder perspective. While in this view, movement on the control stick becomes character-relative, tilting left turning Elaine left and vice-versa. This perspective is useful for a closer view of environments for more detailed investigation and for targeting enemies.

Centre Camera

Tapping the C button (as opposed to holding it to access the over-the-shoulder perspective) will centre the camera behind Elaine while keeping the view in standard third-person.

Back View

The player can switch the camera view 180° by pressing the Z button. This is useful when being pursued by an enemy to check your distance and to better judge if and when any evasive maneuvers are needed, or simply to have a quick look at the surrounding area.

If the player holds the Z button down, movement on the control stick will remain relative to the previous camera angle. This can help to avoid player confusion, especially when being chased by an enemy, when error can lead to problems. When the button is released, character control will become relative to the current angle.

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Examine Objects/Talk to Characters

Objects/characters can be examined/spoken to by either pointing at them with the remote (when targeted with the pointer, the name of the object/character will appear at the bottom of the screen) or moving Elaine next to them, and pressing the B button on the underside of the remote.

Interacting with Objects Move to or point at an object… … Press and hold B… … and hold down A

Holding the B button down while next to an object will have Elaine examine it, and also allow the player to take hold of it with the A button. With both buttons still held, objects can be interacted with in various ways.

Pick up Objects

If the object is possible to pick up, this can be done by flicking the remote in any direction with both buttons still held down. Upon releasing either or both buttons, the item will either be placed in Elaine’s inventory (if it is small enough) or left where she is currently standing (if it is too large for her bag).

Note: Many lifted objects can immediately be used as weapons (see ‘Attack with Equipped Weapon’, below).

Drag/Push Objects

Some objects which cannot be picked up can be dragged or pushed by moving Elaine into or away from the object with the nunchuk control stick, while still holding the A and B buttons. Releasing the buttons will release Elaine’s grip on the object.

Object-Specific ActionsSome objects, such as cranks and handles, can be used with specific movements on the remote. These actions will be either obvious or explained to the player when encountered during the game.

‘Readying’ Inventory Items

When Elaine obtains an item, it is stored in her bag. One item or weapon from her inventory can be readied for use, whereupon it will be displayed in the corner of the screen. The

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player can cycle through stored items and change which item will be readied using the left and right directions on the remote’s directional pad.

Note: The game will, by default, continue during this process. However, the player can set an option to pause the game while cycling inventory items if they prefer (see “Options”, below).

Equip Character with Readied Item

Once an item or weapon has been readied, it can be equipped by holding the A button. With the button still held down, the player can carry out the following actions.

Attack with Equipped Weapon (Close Range)

To use an equipped close range weapon, the player must flick the remote with the A button still held. The direction in which the remote is flicked dictates which way it will be swung on-screen.

Use Equipped Item

Readied items can be used by pressing the B button with the A button still held.

Unready Items

The player can unready all items by pressing down on the remote’s directional pad. When there is no item readied, holding the A button will arm Elaine with her bag, which can be wielded against enemies like any other weapon. While less effective than most other makeshift weapons, the bag is nevertheless useful to momentarily stun enemies as a last resort.

Open/Close Doors Move to a door… Press and hold B… … flick the remote

Opening doors requires the player to approach the door and hold down the B button as they would when preparing to interact with an object. With the button held, a flick of the remote opens the door - a flick towards to push, away to pull. Keeping the button held as Elaine moves through the door will cause her to close it behind her – handy if being chased by something unpleasant.

Pause Screen (Inventory)

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The plus (+) button on the remote pauses the game at any point during play and takes the player to the Pause Screen, where they can change various options, view maps, documents and items in their inventory in more detail. Pointing the remote at an item will display its name and a brief description on screen.

Examine ItemPressing and holding B on a highlighted item will allow the player to have a closer look. The item can be rotated by tilting the remote in various ways, and a more detailed description will be displayed where possible.

Use ItemItems can be used by pressing the A button when the item is highlighted with the pointer. If the item is consumable (e.g. a food item), the game will ask if the player definitely wants to use it.

Note: Items can also be used without the need to go to the Pause Screen (see “Use Equipped Item”, above).

View MapPointing the remote at the Map button on the Pause Screen and pressing the A button will display the map of the current area. Different area maps can be selected from the list of explored locations shown on the screen.

DocumentsPointing at the ‘Documents’ button displays a list of articles, photos, etc. that the player has found which can be viewed again in detail by highlighting them and pressing the A button.

CharactersPointing at the ‘Characters’ button displays a list of the characters Elaine has encountered during the game. From this point, the characters can be looked at individual to bring up any known information about them.

Options Pointing the remote at the Options button on the Pause Screen and pressing the A button allows the player to configure various game settings.

* indicates defaults

Subtitles - On*/OffToggles subtitles for the in-game dialogue

Standard Movement – Camera*/Character-RelativeDictates whether control in 3rd person perspective will be camera or character-relative

Over-the-Shoulder View – Hold*/Press CDetermines whether the player must hold or just press C for O-t-S View (see “Over-the-Shoulder Viewpoint”, above)

Readying Inventory Items – Pause/Don’t Pause*Decide whether or not the game will pause while the player cycles through inventory items (see “Readying Inventory Items”, above)

Load GameAllows a player to load a previously saved file

Exit to Title ScreenReturn to the game’s title screen. As unsaved data will be lost, the player will be asked to confirm

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Story Appendix Game Prologue

Reading the paper in her lunch break, Elaine Carling is surprised to see a picture of her brother, Andrew, whom she hasn’t seen or heard from in nearly three years, attached to a story about a Lake District art college exhibition.

“Meldon Art College will be hosting an exhibition of student work throughout next week. Among the artists whose work will be on display are (pictured, left to right): Karen Allerton, James Pollock, Andrew Carling, Sonita Rae and

Norman Cane.”

Elaine wonders if perhaps this would be a good opportunity to try and mend bridges with her brother after their lengthy estrangement. She asks her boss for a few days off and arranges a visit to the lakes.

Gadlesbury – Tourist Town

Her plan is to meet her brother or ascertain his whereabouts from a fellow student at the exhibition, and take it from there. However, it is already late afternoon by the time her train terminates at Gadlesbury, a tourist town still a good 20 miles from the college. She makes her way to the bus stop, and is troubled to discover from locals that few buses actually seem to run the route in that direction anymore. When a bus does show up, the driver seems reluctant – it would mean passing through the village of Arnsdale. He nevertheless agrees, luckily for Elaine… or so she thinks, anyway.

It’s becoming late, and growing dark. She soon discovers the reason for the driver’s reluctance when a mysterious wailing can be heard as they pass through the moors. Out of nowhere, a horrific creature appears in the road, causing the bus to crash in a field. Terrified, Elaine struggles from the crash and runs through the fields for her life, eventually coming to a small village hotel. She pounds ferociously on the door until the landlord lets her in, whereupon she collapses from shock.

Arnsdale Village

Travel from Arnsdale to the college proves to be impossible, but during her stay in the village, Elaine begins to discover some harrowing things about the place. Arnsdale is near-deserted, its inhabitants either having moved away or disappeared before they had the chance. Monsters have been seen prowling the streets, horrific wails heard in the night. Certain locals have been thought to be involved in a sinister cult believed to be responsible.

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The further Elaine explores, the more disturbing her discoveries become. She finds notes left by a visiting historian detailing how Arnsdale was, in medieval times, believed to be a sacred place which could cleanse a person of their sin by sacrificing another in the appropriate ritualistic fashion. The abundance of such rituals eventually led to some unknown disaster which wiped out the village and everyone living there, until nearly a century later when people began to inhabit it once more. Somehow, they would learn of its legend and begin the rituals again, which would in turn lead to another disaster. This cycle continued up until the beginning of the 20th century, which is when the last recorded abandonment of the village occurred. The cycle then began again when Arnsdale was redeveloped in the mid 90s to coincide with the opening of the new art college nearby.

According to the villagers, the amount of bizarre events has increased considerably in recent weeks. Nearly everyone has disappeared. Could the latest disaster be just around the corner? Elaine is determined to find out - especially when she begins to hear that there’s a strong possibility that her brother may somehow be involved.

Elaine’s Background

Elaine and her brother Andrew (two years her senior) grew up in a city, raised by parents that considered them a nuisance, and were not shy about letting them know it. Their mother was ‘forced’ to give up a job she loved to raise them. Their father had to juggle his own job with the ‘demands’ of family life. In return, both parents expected great things of their children, and were not impressed when Andrew dropped out of a law degree to pursue a career in art, and his sister’s depression kept her from aspiring to anything better than a ‘brainless desk job’.

Through their childhood, the siblings’ hatred for their parents stemmed from their own disgust at their presence. As they grew up, the parents’ disgust changed to disappointment that the children hadn’t turned out better. Both Elaine and Andrew resolved this problem in the short term by moving out of the family home… but Elaine was not free for long. Her father had a stroke, the lasting effects of which prevented him from driving. As her mother could not drive, Elaine, being the closest offspring available, was called in to taxi them around. She was soon on the receiving end of more of her parents’ demoralising disappointment.

Before Andrew disappeared three years prior to the events of the game, their parents both died in a car crash. What the player does not find out until much later in the game is that Elaine was at the wheel of the car, and deliberately crashed in an attempt to take both her parents’ lives as well as her own. The siblings had both felt victimised and belittled by their parents; Andrew had often said aloud that he wished they were dead. The guilt he felt after their death caused him to run away following an explosive argument with Elaine, who attempted to assure him that no one was at fault. She never told him the truth about the ‘accident’.

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