Angel's Uprising

A tower defense game that allows users/players to experience different waves of feminism and comprehend historical events that occurred to deliver equal rights to women in many fields.

Co designers: Mercedes Lamb, Joe Piccuirro.

Concept

The Angels Uprising aims to educate people about women's struggles and help them comprehend them.

'Who, When, and How' played an important part in gaining equal rights for women in various fields. In this game title, we focus on key subjects ranging from sexual liberation to violence against women. At the start of each game, the player is given the option of selecting which character he or she wishes to play with. They gain strength and summon NPC (Non Player Controller) activists to help them in an epic battle to promote equality to society.

Genre(s)

Real-time strategy

Tower defense

Storyboard

Wave 3 Storyboard

Level Design

Player Experience and Game POV

The player will take the role of the 2nd in command to historical figures across different eras of feminism. The settings of the waves will be New York, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington. The game enables players to step into the past and experience the planning and tactical skill many of these early fights for equality took on.

Visual Style

The game has an artistic, semi-realistic approach to its art style, similar to the “Hades” game. Each character feels as if they are a real person that the player can interact with while still being a fictional character. The key players, the historic feminist figures, will look incredibly like their real-life counterparts, showing them during the time they really existed during their key moment in the feminist movement to which they belong. The levels will be designed in a 2D isometric style, showing off key locations of major moments in feminist history, such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory or the Denver Supreme Court.

The instrumental version of key songs and music from each period is performed by women. The first wave, for example, includes an instrumental remixed of Bessie Smith’s “Sam Jones Blues,” which plays on loop with other early 1900s songs by women until the player can complete the objective. Other musicians who will be remixed include Dolly Parton, No Doubt, Nina Simone, Kesha, Pussy Riot, and many more. Players will also be able to hear soundbites, either recreated or recorded, by the many famous women who are used as level leaders and power-ups within the game. When a player uses the power-up, they will be able to hear a quote by the woman they choose to use.

Audio Style

1st Wave

“Sam Jones Blues” by Bessie Smith Bessie Smith - Sam Jones Blues

“Giving the Ballots to the Mothers” by Elizabeth Knight Elizabeth Knight

Giving the Ballots to the Mothers

2nd Wave

“Four Women” by Nina Simone

“The Pill” by Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn

3rd Wave

"Just A Girl" by No Doubt

“Deceptacon” by Le Tigre Le Tigre

4th Wave

"Woman" by Kesha feat.

The Dap-Kings Horns Kesha ft.

The Dap-Kings Horns - Woman “Free Woman” by Lady GaGa Lady Gaga

Game Mechanics

Core Loop

The core loop will be the upgrading of weapons as the player progresses through each wave of enemies. They will become stronger with time, necessitating the player's engagement with the upgrade system.
Players will receive points for every enemy they “DISARM”, and lose points for any player characters that are “ARRESTED”. The points will be used to upgrade the power of the players abilities, and upgraded versions will in effect do more “damage” to attackers.
The Players Ultimate for the level will be unlocked also when they pass a certain point threshold. This is where the HERO of the time (i.e. Ruth Bader Ginsberg for wave 2) will arrive and DISARM all enemies currently on screen.

Objectives & Progression

Players will need to meet objectives on each level of the game. These can range from physical units on the board to a “points” goal of disarming enemies. For example, in the first level, players will need to disarm X amount of enemy police units while maintaining Y number of units on the board. These are not quick waves and will have players remaining on the level for 5-10 minutes. Longterm, players want to keep their number of units growing and resist said units being arrested. If a player loses all of their units, this triggers a fail state, forcing players to restart from the beginning of the game.
This is supported by the game’s style, as we need the game to change from sepia tones to a more vibrant, modern color. The play area and rate at which enemies spawn also grow significantly as players witness the pushback that feminism has historically faced while also seeing the diversity of units change from primarily white to including POC and other minorities such as LGBTQ+ members. Unit signage also carries changes to reflect major feminist movements and slogans, including “Ain’t I A Woman?” “Will Makeup Cover the Wounds of my Oppression?” “MY Body, MY Choice,” and more.

Game world Fiction & Unique Selling points

Game System

Using the core principles of feminist HCI as a springboard, the game mechanics will be directly related to allowing the player to feel and experience these.

Participation: The act of determining who goes where in the feminist movement and on the screen will give the player the sense that they are part of it.

Pluralism: The player will be engaging with pluralism or the acceptance and encouragement of diversity of views by their actions of protecting their protestors or “units” and by the mechanic of “disarming.” Instead of killing enemies like in other tower defense games, the player's goal is to have the police lay down their arms through their nonviolent “attacks.” Once the police unit's “HATE METER” is 0, they will stop attacking and disappear from the screen, changing their views to one of more understanding and equity.

Advocacy: The player being in control of their design of how to defend the feminist movement best is an example of advocacy in our game. They are free and encouraged to express themselves in whichever way they see as best, helping support the movement and, of course, to win the level.

Ecology: Similarly, all game systems are interconnected, from the points to the upgrades to the position of defense and support units. Having an understanding of this from the beginning of the game will progressively become more important as it gets more difficult in later levels.

Embodiment: “concentrating on the material attributes of human-computer interactions is essential for understanding the way differences and commonalities impact interaction” (Wikipedia), and the tactile interface of the game assists with this. The player's finger is just as much a part of the game as internal systems.

The game will be playable on IOS and Android devices, utilizing a touch-based interface. It will be a 2D isometric view, programmed in UNITY by a lean team of 3 programmers/designers. The estimated completion time is 6 months, and major risks include coding errors, programming enemy AI, and balancing all of the core mechanics. A few of our unique selling points are as follows:

Educational Value: This game is not only entertaining but also educational. By focusing on the history and growth of feminism in the United States, it provides players with a deeper understanding of the subject matter and the important role it has played in shaping our society.

Unique Learning Experience: The game teaches history in a clever and unique fashion, making it an engaging and interactive way for players to learn about important events and figures in feminist history.

Historical Accuracy: The game is based on extensive research and strives to be historically accurate, providing players with a comprehensive and authentic look into the history of feminism in the United States.

Story-Driven: The game is story-driven, providing players with a personal and emotional connection to the subject matter. Players will be able to experience the struggles and triumphs of feminist figures and movements through a compelling narrative.

Innovation: The game is innovative, with unique gameplay mechanics and a creative art style that sets it apart from other games.

Empowerment: The game aims to empower and inspire players, providing them with a sense of agency and encouraging them to become active participants in the ongoing fight for gender equality.

Cultural Relevance: As the game focuses on the history and growth of feminism in the United States, it addresses an issue that is not only relevant to the US but also to the world. It is a game that can be enjoyed and learned from by people all around the world.

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