Specimen Zero – Two Sides One Fate

Specimen Zero is a single-player 2D puzzle-platformer where you play as **Echo**, an extraterrestrial test subject trying to escape a collapsing research facility after a catastrophic lab explosion. Swap between Echo’s physical body and his volatile Void form to navigate hazardous test chambers, manage corruption, and reach the exit before the lab—and Echo—fail.

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Genre

2D puzzle-platformer with dual-form character control

Premise

Escape a compromised laboratory by switching between Echo (physical, interacts with the world) and Void (gaseous, high mobility but cannot interact and slowly corrupts Echo)

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Key Features

• “One player Two character” design — Echo interacts; Void moves and bypasses hazards
• Void contamination meter that fills faster in heated zones and slows in frozen zones
• Colour-coded buttons, platforms, and zones for clear, readable puzzle logic
• 4 Main Stages containing 5 substage each with increasing difficulty

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Target Platform & Audience

• Platform: PC
• Input: Keyboard (WASD / Space / E, Esc)
• Recommended age: 13+ (light sci-fi tension, no gore)

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System Requirements

• OS: Windows
• CPU: As long as you have a CPU you should be fine
• Memory: 4 GB RAM at least
• Graphics: Don't need one
• Storage: ~500 MB free space

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How to play the game

Getting started

1. Download the latest build from the project’s release Latest Build Download.
2. Unzip the downloaded file.
3. Run SpecimenZero.exe.
4. Play in fullscreen 16:9 (1920×1080 recommended) for best visual clarity.

Controls

Action	Key(s)	Notes
Move left	A	Horizontal movement
Move right	D	Horizontal movement
Jump (Echo only)	W or Space	Void cannot jump; it drifts and is affected by forces
Swap Echo ↔ Void	E	Enter/exit Void form
Pause / Options	In-Game UI Pause Button	Open the pause and options menu

Core objective

• Collect the keycard as Echo.
• Navigate hazards (falling spikes, shooting traps, disappearing, heated, and frozen platforms, fog zones, forcefields).
• Reach the exit door in Echo form while holding the keycard to complete the level.
• Manage the Void meter: spending too long in Void—or entering heated areas—will overfill the bar and instantly reset the stage.

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Gameplay

• Core loop:
  Explore world → Swap forms to navigate → Solve Puzzles → Collect keycard → Reach exit in Echo form with keycard before the Void meter fills.

• Form roles:

  • Echo (Physical):
    • Can pick up keys, press colour-coded buttons, toggle levers, and ride platforms
    • Vulnerable to spikes, traps
  • Void (Gaseous):
    • Floats upward, passes through fog, and benefits from wind/forcefield manipulation
    • Cannot pick up keys or use interactables and is governed by the corruption timer

• Environmental feedback:

  • Heated areas apply an orange heat-wave overlay and accelerate corruption.
  • Frozen areas tint the screen blue, slow Void, and can trap him.
  • Buttons, platforms, and hazards are strongly colour-coded to their effects.
  • Death fades the screen and instantly restarts the chamber for quick iteration.

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Other information

• Visual & audio design: Cold industrial sci-fi lab aesthetic with simple geometric tiles, clear silhouettes, and strong foreground/background separation. VFX overlays, particle effects, and contextual SFX reinforce heat, frost, transformation, and death states.
• UI & progression: Minimal HUD with stage label, death counter, and Void meter; level select screen with numbered nodes (1-1 to 4-5) and a main menu themed around Echo as “Specimen Zero”.
• Difficulty & feel: Tight movement, short but demanding levels, and a visible death counter create a mildly unforgiving yet fair experience where solving a chamber and executing a clean run feels rewarding.
• Credits: Developed by Group 6 for 50.033 Game Design and Development:
  • Yi Shen Goh, Jun Jin, Juliette Gelderland, Koo Rou Zhen, Lindero Dianthe Marithe Lumagui, and collaborators (see GDD/Appendix for full asset credits).