This is a skeleton/reference for a game design concept. Your full design documents will be much longer!

GrandTheftHeist

GrandTheftHeist is a PvP heist shooter where you’re either robbing banks or crushing the robbers. Join Robbers or Cops and execute chaotic heists in 5-minute rounds and fight to escape with the cash or die trying, level up, and much more.

• Round-Based PvP Heist Shooter

• 18+ competitive players who crave fast-paced, team-based PvP (fans of CS:GO, Valorant, Payday 2).

Critically important. What makes your game stand out? How is it different from all other games?

• Pure Cops vs Robbers PvP: No bots, only real players on both sides.
• 5-Minute Heist Sprints: Plan fast, fight faster.
• Bounty System: Robbers get loot, and cops get bounties. Riskier heists = bigger targets.
• Jail Mini-Game: Bust out early after arrest to jump back into action.

Who is the player? What is the setting? What is the fantasy the game grants the player? What emotions do you want the player to feel? What keeps the player engaged for the duration of their play?

• Robbers: Tense coordination (hack vaults, grab loot, fight to escape).
• Cops: Strategic counterplay (set traps, breach rooms, hunt high-value targets).
• Emotions: Adrenaline, rivalry, and the thrill of "clutching" a heist.

What is the “look and feel” of the game? How does this support the desired player experience? What concept art or reference art can you show to give the feel of the game?

• Gritty, Cinematic Maps: Detailed banks, casinos, and armored trucks with destructible environments.
• Sound Design: Heart-pounding alarms, radio chatter, and weapon SFX that emphasize weight (e.g., Battlefield-style gunplay).

Briefly describe the game world and any narrative in player-relevant terms (as presented to the player).

• Criminal underworld where elite thieves and elite cops clash in high-stakes heists. No story—just rival crews fighting for rep and cash.

• PC

How do game objects and the player’s actions form loops? Why is this engaging? How does this support player goals? What emergent results do you expect/hope to see?

Robber:

• Team up.
• Timer ticking 5-minutes to open the vault, grab loot, escape via exit (leaving bank-area).
• Win/Lose.
• Again.

Cop:

• Team up.
• Timer ticking 5-minutes to stop the robbery by triggering lockdown at the bank and killing all the robbers.
• Win/Lose.
• Again.

How does the player move through the game, literally and figuratively, from tutorial to end? What are their short-term and long-term goals (explicit or implicit)? How do these support the game concept, style, and player fantasy?

• Short-Term: Escape with loot (robbers) or stop the heist (cops).
• Long-Term: Unlock gear (e.g., thermal drills for robbers, EMP grenades for cops) and climb ranked leaderboards.

What systems are needed to make this game? Which ones are internal (simulation, etc.) and which does the player interact with?

Bounty System:

• Robbers’ stolen cash becomes their bounty. Cops earn cash equal to the bounty for arrests.
• Example: Steal 250k --> Yourheadisworth 250k to cops.

Jail Mini-Game:

• If arrested, play a 1-minute lockpicking/bribing mini-game to escape early. Fail = wait 2 minutes.

Match Flow:

• Prep Phase (1 min): Robbers plan entry; cops set defenses.
• Action Phase (5 min): Heist chaos!
• Escape Phase (1 min): Robbers fight to reach exfil points; cops hunt stragglers.

How are different kinds of interactivity used? (Action/Feedback, ST Cog, LT Cog, Emotional, Social, Cultural) What is the player doing moment-by-moment? How does the player move through the world? How do physics/combat/etc. work? A clear, professional-looking sketch of the primary game UX is helpful.

Moment-to-Moment:

• Robbers: Hack terminals, shoot locks, carry loot bags (slows movement).
• Cops: Reinforce doors, deploy drones, use riot shields.

UX Flow:

• Main Menu → Quick Play (heist or cop).
• Lobby: Customize loadout, vote on map.
• Match: 5-minute round.
• Post-Match: Cash rewards, taunts, rematch button.

Key Innovations:

• Dynamic Heist Exits: Escape routes randomize each round (vents, sewers, rooftops).
• Reputation System: High-value players get unique callouts (e.g., "Priority Target: $1M Bounty!").

Next Steps:

• Prototype one heist map (bank) with cops/robbers mechanics.
• Playtest TTK (time-to-kill) and loot/cash balancing.

Thoughts? 🔫💵