AQUARIUS AGE

Genre: RPG, TBS

Setting: Future, Ancient Egypt, if it had continued to exist

Similar Products: Immortel (ad vitam), Dune, Nancy Drew: Tomb of the Lost Queen, Bakugan, Alan Wake, The Matrix, The Hunger Games, Divergent, teen, “Womb” with Eva Green

Unique Features: Dynamic Photo Camera, decentralized game design, planet symbolism instead of traditional RPG classes, initial character generation based on real birth date, stealth dependent on dynamic shadows

Keywords: ancient egypt cyberpunk game, future, aquarius, ideal decentralized society, astrology, faith, logic, technology, detective

Target Audience: 13-25 years old

Key Experiences: “I’m new”, “I’m an enthusiastic detective who works better than the police”, “I’m a rebel who is curious about everything”

The protagonist wakes up in a futuristic utopian city. He tries to comprehend how everything works, like a newborn, although he is 25 years old. The necessary information for life has been artificially uploaded into him, but among it, he occasionally experiences strange visions—memories that aren't his own. Like a live-born child, even though in the city, everyone is conceived in laboratories and learns "through wires," just like him. During his investigation, the protagonist stumbles upon traces of cybercrimes and, as an enthusiastic detective, attempts to uncover who is behind them. How did the city become a utopia, and is it really as it seems at first glance? What are the fragments in his personal memory? Are the murders in the city connected to this? In the course of his search and negotiations, the protagonist must find a balance between faith and rational thinking, as well as establish relationships with other communes.

Player's Purpose

Player's goal is to find places from their visions, piece together bits of information into a complete picture, and decide what to do with it.

Central Conflict

Idealism vs. Experience. The naive vision of a newborn / young person versus the rigid knowledge of old-timers, the view of youth as an indicator of the shortcomings of the system, and not something stupid.

Human, 25 years old. Belongs to the commune of his own planet.

Psychological Profile

Like all other citizens, was artificially gestated in a capsule (lived unconsciously). At 25, brain formation is considered complete, so he was released to live as a fully developed human. However, he behaves more like a teenager because his physical life has only just begun.

Physical Traits

Like everyone else, his body is mostly replaced with bionic prosthetics and aligned to a standard. The parts can be easily swapped out while maintaining connected nerve endings, longevity, but not immortality. It is possible to replace one's face at a special center for the purpose of masking. At this center, one can track who has which face and fingerprints, and generally edit one's appearance. His bionic eye has a built-in camera, so the protagonist can take photos or screenshots at any moment. The body requires charging, and there is a battery indicator on him (previously located where a necklace would be on the neck). Egyptian motifs. Long clothing, flowing fabrics. Futuristic neon accents.

The Age of Aquarius has brought technology, decentralization, and the rise of debate as an art form. People have agreed on a single faith—astrology, which provides a shared system of calculations but remains impossible to prove, thus permanently fulfilling the need for mystery and magic. The inhabitants belong to planetary communities—Venusians, Jupiterians, Solarians, etc.—and perceive reality through the lens of their ruling planet. All conflicts are resolved through negotiation. The "home" for the protagonist is their temple. Every building in the city belongs to a specific temple, and depending on their birthright, the protagonist can freely enter some while needing an escort for others. This means they can hide in related temples and their buildings. Some places require negotiation to access. Staying in an affiliated temple balances the protagonist’s attributes, just like a public obelisk.

Geography & Map

The Circular City. At its center lies a main square, with districts arranged according to astrological houses. There are static zones—temples and obelisks for energy restoration—and dynamic zones—shadows cast by the Sun, where energy depletes. Each location contains NPCs with friendly, neutral, or hostile dispositions. Depending on the ruling planet of each NPC, the protagonist strengthens relationships both with the individual and their entire planetary community. Every NPC follows a route influenced by story points.

Economy & Currency

The world’s currency is beer. The protagonist can either negotiate in battle or offer "beer" for a favor. Likewise, when an NPC is grateful, they "owe you a beer."

Movement & Entering Locations

WASD and mouse to enter special buildings. The player can switch the viewpoint to one of the 2D planes. Some areas are static (e.g., temples), while others have variations - either a randomly generated residential room or a fixed story-related space. Entering a new location does not unload the current scene but instead shifts the player into a closed space with a fade-out effect. The city features a teleport system via metro stations. Approaching a station brings up the map. The map can also be opened with M to view the player's location from above. Walk around, search for NPCs, enter special locations, and hide in street niches or temples to evade pursuers.

Shadow stealth

Stealth is available in areas with shadows, toggled on/off by a button. Hiding in the shadows speeds up movement within them, allows passage through narrow areas, enables spying, and helps evade pursuit. However, shadow mode consumes energy.

Energy (spirit) management

Energy or spirit is a universal attribute. It is used in battles, consumed during stealth, and regenerates slowly on its own or faster near temples and obelisks. Energy can be quickly restored using beer as a currency. Max can be increased with experience.

Beer management

Beer is an in-game currency and a form of obligation. By helping NPCs, the player can earn beer and then use it to restore energy, exchange or skip battle. Drag to use.

Planet management

The protagonist has a set of planets, distributing power of faith among them and positioning them before battle. During combat, they can scroll through them like a wheel. The outcome depends on power distribution and correct planetary effect usage. To track progress you need to go to the altar.

Fighting (Negotiating) and using planet energy

During dialogue, understand both your goal and the opponent’s. Channel energy through planets, aiming to reach their mind with electric thoughts and lower their confidence. Whoever’s confidence drops to zero loses the argument. Turning around and leaving counts as fleeing. Through negotiations, NPCs can be recruited to visit locations, provide photo-related info, or grant access to restricted areas (e.g., a Venusian escorting the player into the Temple of Venus). Influencing the world. For example, using the Sun, the player can emit a beam to create an artificial shadow from an object, providing a hiding spot when no natural shadows are nearby.

Photography

Holding anywhere to take a photo. At any moment, the player can take a screenshot of a selected area of the screen and review it later. The image can be shown as evidence (e.g., to find the owner of a face) or used to assemble a puzzle from multiple fragments. No scripted mandatory actions should be tied to photos—this mechanic is purely a bonus for the player.

Voting

Connect Discord and click to vote. Voting helps to adjust the game balance together with other players. The number of votes is limited, but increases with faith.

Inventory

Press I to call bot. The object can either be put on, taken off, or sacrificed to the altar (thrown away). You can find new objects while completing quests, by fighting, exchange them for beer in stores, or steal them from random apartments in residential areas.

Getting around the city

To investigate and progress through the story. The important thing is that everything around casts a shadow and can be photographed and interacted with by the forces of the planets, the city is alive, and it leads to the solution of the main mystery different ways

Carrying relations with different communes and players

To feel an invisible connection with other people, unity and own significance. There is an element of romance in the fact that you and another player will find each other in your own world

Building up faith and planets to be competitive

To be strategic, able to fight and defend yourself or escape into the shadows in case of attack, and also to have more and more effects influencing the game world

Newcomer Effect

A sense of wonder, learning mechanics through interactions with other people.

Ingenious Investigation

Searching for clues through visions. Stumbling upon crime scenes by chance. Constructing a chain of actions—what to look for and whom to talk to.

Feeling like a hero

Using magical methods.

Sense of involvement

Visibility of other players through elements of the game world.