Game Design Document Preview: Ray's Midnight Routes
Published on March 18, 2025
Ray's Midnight Routes - Preview Page
Game Concept:
This project aims to help individuals with sleep problems improve their sleep patterns while also offering a story-driven experience. Players accompany Ray, who drives a taxi at night to combat insomnia. The most fundamental mechanic of this game, which can be played for a limited time at night, is that it establishes a direct link between the player's real-life sleep data, imported daily, and in-game progression: As the player achieves their self-determined sleep goals and improves their sleep quality, Ray also begins to solve his own problems in the game's story. For example, as the player consistently meets their sleep targets, Ray starts to encounter the person who could be the love of his life more frequently; thus, the main story of the game progresses in parallel with the player's personal success and with meaningful motivation.
I am developing "Ray's Midnight Routes," a game played not with an extension of the body, but with the “bünye” itself, using Unity, and I will distribute it in the mobile market.
Target Audience:
People with sleep problems, fans of story-driven and atmospheric games, mobile players seeking relaxing and meditative experiences.
Unique Selling Points (USPs):
- Sleep Integration: An innovative mechanic that synchronizes with real sleep data, personalizing both progression and narrative.
- Time-Limited Gameplay: Only playable at night, designed to encourage healthy habits instead of addiction, delivered in daily, Wordle-style doses.
- Meditative Atmosphere: Deep customer stories reminiscent of "Night on Earth," tactile storytelling like "Assembly With Care," enveloping jazz music, and professional voice acting.
- Relaxing Driving: A stress-free, assisted and satisfying driving experience with cinematic moments, requiring no complex thinking and focused on flow.
- Apple Watch Integration: Seamless sleep tracking and game interaction through wearable technology (iOS priority).
Platform:
iOS (with iPhone & Apple Watch integration) — Initial release
Summary:
Hop into Ray's taxi, glide through the city's night lights, and witness the stories of intriguing passengers. Each journey is a step not only toward Ray's inner peace, but also toward your own and a better night's sleep. "Ray's Midnight Routes" fuses technology and storytelling to promise players a memorable, enjoyable, and truly beneficial nighttime adventure.