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Coral

Event: Young Games Designer AwardsDate: Saturday 29 June 2019  Venue: BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, LondonHosts: TBC-Area: Game StillsBAFTA/Josiah Hendy

Coral (Console - Nintendo Switch, Xbox One & PS4) - Josiah Hendy (16), South Gloucestershire

“A 3D action adventure game set in a colourful underwater kingdom born from a child's imagination where the player's progress is measured by their skill and competence.”

Coral is an open world 3D action adventure title that encourages exploration and skilled play through a deep yet accessible combat and base-building system. The game is set in a vibrant underwater kingdom born from the imagination of a child named Carl. When he enters his imaginary kingdom he dons the title of Coral. As he explores his kingdom, real-life happenings will intersect the gameplay and affect the world around him, keeping the player invested and on their toes. A diverse cast of characters, fluorescent visuals and a mesmerising soundtrack will complement the addictive gameplay loop of exploring the world and upgrading Coral's base, weapons and abilities. Obtaining different materials and items from combat or exploration gives the player a chance to upgrade their base, whether that means building a new shop or expanding the size. Using the new tools that they gained from building or upgrading things at the base, the player gains more tools to explore the world and battle enemies. This is all complimented by a fair difficulty curve that increases as the player explores the map and progresses through the game.

The game should employ a watercolour-like style to make the varied underwater locales that the game is set in really stand out and pop. The underwater areas would be extremely varied to ensure that no single area looks generic or bland, from vibrant coral reefs to abandoned underwater temples with deep lore to uncover, to more technological research facilities. The playable character would be called Carl - in the real world, that is. In the imaginary world he dreams up, however, he goes by the name Coral - a play on his real name with a fun twist on the underwater setting. His design would be that of an adventurous youth with a practical albeit flashy design - it is from the mind of a child, after all. Coral would meet a diverse cast of characters amidst his travels - including lots of intelligent sea life, underwater researchers, and maybe even some ancient creatures with some dark tales to tell...

The game's target audience would be families, generally between the ages of 8 and 18, although older adults could find enjoyment in the game due to the open world. Children would find it accessible due to the vibrant visuals and quirky characters, whereas older players would take interest in the rewarding battle system, deep customisation options and the rich lore of the world. It could be a younger player's gateway into the wider world of gaming, as the visuals would immerse them in the world and they would then be hooked on the fast-paced battle system and deep story.