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Based on an animated series and graphic novel by award-winning author Terry John Barto. Players become part of Miniature City and chase a monkey on a wild journey through a mythological world.
Series #1 - Worlds Discovered©
The player uploads their photo.
To enter the game, they must configure the panel of a Rubiciube (similar to a Rubik's Cube). When the gemstones' "faces" match correctly, multi-color rays shroud the screen, and the player is transported into the game.
Side note: Written initially, a beam of multi-color light transports the main characters into Miniature City in a flash. However, as it plays out in The Ride, the method of entering the video game is detailed and demonstrated.
The player's uploaded picture gradually changes into an animated version of themselves. Each part of the transformation happens by taking the correct path on a roller coaster track/ labyrinth. As the wind rushes by the player's image, an animated body part attaches to them piece by piece.
Gameplay: The ride operator announces rules to help players distinguish the correct path to the next phase (color consistency, formations, track matchups). As they continue on a roller coaster labyrinth, the player scores points as they complete each body part of this task.
If they take an incorrect path, the ride comes to a screeching halt at a dead end (game over), they fall into a trap (phase 1-A to grapple with a way out), or fly into limbo where they'll take a foggy back route to Miniature City (Phase 1-B).
When the player is entirely animated, they are placed into Miniature City as a fellow action figure. A backpack with the player's initials appears in the lower right corner.
A MEDIC ARMY MAN places a hand on the player's shoulder. "You shouldn't move too much. Not until we're sure you have all your parts and accessories."
ADAPTOR pushes through the crowd and tells the Medic that the player's parts are much more complex to lose.
Direction Notes: This prominent action figure is a likable male with a trustworthy timbre and dependable sound.
Add-on: At this point, the game can branch off in another direction. The player may purchase an upgrade for Uncovered Realms.
Meanwhile, in Series #1 - Worlds Discovered
"Alright, team, here's the deal." Adaptor presents the Rubicube and explains its importance. He warns of the evil action figure DARKNEL trying to get it.
STERLING is among the action figures. He spots a clue and goes to a nearby house to investigate.
Direction Notes: We need a Timothée Chalamet-type to give the character a "hero in the making" voice with enough confidence to lead the next game of the series.
A mischievous monkey, HANUMAN, enters the scene and snatches the Rubicube. In a golem-esque voice, he exclaims, "Mine, all mine." Sterling tells the player to catch the monkey.
The player chases the monkey throughout Miniature City. They end up in a "room" with a shrinking window, and Hanuman jumps through it.
Gameplay: The player must get through the window before it closes and vanishes. Otherwise, they'll be in phase 2-A to find another way to continue to the next phase.
If the player leaps through the window in time, they'll slip into a whirlwind of challenges.
Side Note: In the graphic novel, Sterling's best friend, SaiI/Yoga, shoots down a multi-colored slide/tube with lights and colors swirling past him as if crossing the entire universe in the blink of an eye. Here, the transition is a series of game events unfolding for the player.
Gameplay: The player participates in a combat sequence through a galaxy of space battles. Then, they must circle the moon correctly, hitch themselves on a shooting star, and pass certain planets to continue down the right multi-color tube. There will be rules equivalent to the roller coaster labyrinth that distinguish the correct path.
Direction Notes: We need a histrionic vocal style that builds with intensity to guide the players.
The player lands in a surreal place. Think of India in a mythological era. Hanuman gazes at the Rubicube in adoration. KALIYA, a fearsome multi-headed snake, slithers in and snatches the Rubicube. Hanuman tells the player, "My cube, get my cube."
Gameplay: The player tries to get back the Rubicube and avoid being eaten by the snake. Hanuman tosses the player a sword and hides in a tree. Points for each head the player cuts off.
Sound Cue: A fading hiss with each slice.
If the player avoids doom for 28 seconds, a large bird named GARUDA flies in to help. As Garuda and Kaliya fight, pieces of the Rubicube flail about.
Direction Notes: Garuda is a vast, mythical bird with the golden body of a man, red wings, and an eagle's beak. The right voice will be literal and robust.
Gameplay: Garuda tells the player to catch the pieces and place them in their backpack—points for each piece the player finds.
Two pieces that Kaliya kept will be missing, and the player must set out to find the replacements. Enter YOGA to help.
Direction Notes: We'll cast someone with a smooth, easygoing voice and engaging eagerness.
Yoga says, "Wow, you made it far. But now you need to find the missing pieces of the Rubicube." Garuda says, "Climb aboard. I'll take you to the village."
Yoga, Hanuman, and the player climb onto the massive bird and fly over the mythological world.
Cutscene: Garuda imparts the story of his and Kaliya's turbulent history.
Garuda drops them off at CHARNA's village. Hanuman gets distracted and wanders off. Garuda flies off to retrieve the central axis of the Rubicube. Yoga introduces Charna to the player and mentions the missing gems.
Direction Notes: Charna's lineage helped her obtain knowledge beyond her years, which gives her confidence and a straightforward approach.
Charna says, "We know where to look. Come on."
They cross the topography of a vast jungle while paying attention to unknown dangers. Enter SOORPANAKA, a shapeshifter who appears as a vile creature. Soorpanaka bares her fangs and raises her claws.
Side Note: This scene is not in the graphic novel. Although everything is tailored specially for the game, this section is a bonus for loyal fans to experience.
Yoga says, "This is new."
Charna says, "My dad warned me of this varmint."
Soorpanaka is tricky and may shapeshift into an innocent deer, insect, or bird. Charna and Yoga struggle with her as the player recognizes her differing shapes.
Charna says, "If Soorpanaka gets away, she'll tell her brother."
Gameplay: Players look for similar colors that remain no matter what shape she becomes. Points for each time the player identifies her new shape. Points are subtracted if they are wrong.
Power Up: If they catch her in the original form, the player gets bonus points, skips the following section, and moves on to phase 7.
Soorpanaka prevails. Angrily, she hurries back to her brother Ravana's lair.
Yoga says, "Let's go. Hopefully, she won't find us."
Cutscene: Soorpanaka's brother, Ravana, commands his army of demons to prepare for war. Soorpanaka shows the mob where she left the player and the kids.
Charna and Yoga lead the player on a path over a mountain. At the mouth of the valley, Ravana's army gathers. Soorpanaka points at the player and the kids.
The floor rumbles, and the trees shake as numerous glowing eyes emerge from the jungle's darkness. Charna gives the player a bow and arrow.
Gameplay: The player must shoot down 80 demons to clear a path to continue their journey, scoring a point for each member of the army's downfall.
Charna ushers them into a system of caves. The player enters and pursues a tunnel.
Gameplay: Players look for symbols leading them to a room-sized cave. Once inside, to access the gems, the player must unlock a riddle lock to enter.
Direction Notes: The riddle references "giving up what you want to gain what you desire."
If they trip a failsafe, the symbol disappears into a funnel. If they succeed, a door-shaped wall section slides inward. Charna says, "Now, we have to go this way."
The kids, followed by the player, step through the "door" and slide down a multi-colored slide/tube like the one that transported them there from Miniature City.
As the player disappears down the chute, the shadows of silhouetted figures approach the "door" from the tunnel leading out of the cave.
The player and the kids land in an area with a waterfall pouring down from an unseen place – the waters have a prismatic effect on them, and a large "cloud" of multi-colored mists surround the waterfall and pool where the waters collect. There are roiling mists that form a cube-shaped prism room around them.
ASHTAVAKRA steps from the mists and marches toward them. The player may perceive him as menacing due to a curse that made him crooked in eight places. But he's not threatening at all. Ashtavakra tells them his story with the moral of not judging a book by its cover.
Gameplay: In the story, Ashtavakra speaks of the issues he experienced growing up and his journey to King Janaka during a royal assembly. The myth has Ashtavakra set out to regain his father's freedom in a philosophical discussion. The game will focus on his challenges and have topical questions appropriate for the age group. Points for each task completed.
Direction Notes: We need a Pee-wee Herman vocal style resonating through the space to make the scene fun.
Once the player passes this roadblock, they slide down another multi-colored slide/tube and land in a wondrous landscape.
As they look around, different pathways appear and disappear in front of them – like how light refraction comes and goes based on the viewing angle.
"Whoa… there are endless possibilities…" Yoga stammers. Charna agrees.
They begin turning, pausing to focus their vision down the paths, one after another.
Charna stops and says, "GOT IT!" as she sees the right path. "Let's go." She gestures for the player to come along.
Gameplay: The player can only enter when the light fully ignites this path.
The player and the kids head down the path. As they vanish, Darknel and his bobble-headsmen step into view.
Direction Notes: This is our first real sight of the villain; he looks cruel and menacing. The bobbleheads, not so much, add a slight comedic flair to the moment.
The player and the kids approach the end of the walkway; a bright golden glow showers the screen.
They step off the walkway and see a giant gold temple decorated with various gems. Each gem casts out a beam of multi-colored light.
Sound Cue: As they enter the temple, we hear a "sproing." (The bobbles are moving quickly to catch up).
Once inside the temple, there are several antechambers. Each has a different object on display sitting atop raised daises. In one antechamber, they see one of the gems – secured inside a gilded bird cage with no door.
The kids beeline for the gem – Charna and Yoga move through the Archer Pose – at first, Charna gets it right, but Yoga does not. Nothing happens.
Gameplay: Charna instructs the player to move the same way. For the game, it's like a lightning bolt with a short zig, a long zag, and a curve.
Sound Cue: Once the player moves correctly, chiming sounds fill the air.
The gilded cage rises up and away from the gem. The player clicks the gem, racks up points, and the gem goes into their backpack.
"Ok, one left!" Yoga announces. And I bet it's in there." He points to the far side of the main chamber; a smaller doorway leads into the darkness, with some light flickering back in. They head there and stride into darkness.
Cutscene: The bobbles come through the entryway and try to move all ninja-like.
The player and the kids enter a massive room in the dark antechamber. Fifty yards ahead, a spinning globe is projecting colored beams of light.
We see the final gem cube on the floor – the light beams' source. Yoga tells the player to pick it up. The player clicks the gem, raises more points, and places it in their backpack.
Just as they exit, the bobbles jump out from hiding and demand they give them the gems. A fight ensues.
Gameplay: Yoga tells the player to hang on to the gems and explains a way out. The player tries to avoid being caught by the bobbles as they close in on Yoga and Charna.
Yoga pulls a discus from his jacket, and Charna produces a staff. The kids use warrior poses to win a back-and-forth fight with the bobbles.
Cutscene: Darknel is atop a mountain as the bobbles stagger up to him. They explain that the kids have powerful weapons and fear Darknel can't overcome them. Darknel laughs maniacally and says, "Leave that to me! And me! And me!" At the first "me," a half-sized version of Darknel comes over the hill behind them, followed by another and another until an entire army of half-sized Darknel action figures appear. "Meet my Monocronies!" The Monocronies race down the hillside toward the kids and the player.
Gameplay: Like a frisbee, Yoga flings the discus to the player. The player reflects the sun off the discus and beams rays at the Monocronies, who vanish in a puff of smoke—points per strike.
Sound Cue: Instead of a puff sound, let's do something like when a ghost catches a Pac-Man character.
A large shadowy black raven, the size of a Clydesdale, flies into the scene. The bird blocks portions of the sun and limits the ability to reflect light onto the Monocronies. Charna uses her staff to mow them down. The black raven flies toward them.
Amid the mayhem, Garuda returns with the central axis of the Rubicube and drops it to Yoga. Garuda wards off the black raven.
Yoga tells the player, "We gotta get out of here, fast." Yoga grabs the backpack to get the pieces of the Rubicube. Configures it and beams Charna, the player, and himself to Miniature City.
WGAw registration: 2247130
Illustrations by Sanjay Patel
In phase 2 of Worlds Discovered, there is an option to purchase an upgrade, and the game can branch off in another direction. Here is what it looks like;
The player is a fully animated action figure. Sai/Yoga is among the assemblage. Hanuman snatches the Rubicube, and this time, instead of the player, Sai/Yoga gives chase as he does in the graphic novel and animated TV series.
The player joins a team to search for clues about Sterling's missing father's whereabouts, which segues into an epic battle with Darknel and the Evils. The action figure subplot develops into a unique adventure for the player.
Cutscenes for their evil counterparts are provided throughout the game to explain why they're squaring off with each team:
Adaptor is with Sterling and serves as an anchor who guides the team. The paths in Miniature City lead to locations like Figure Nation and the Courtyard of Doors.
Besides the Rubicube, there are more talismans. Each opens a path to different worlds, like a futuristic puzzle box, gemstone thumb drive, and holographic skeleton key.
The areas in Figure Nation can present exciting backdrops for the game: Destiny, Paintball Park, Monstrocity, Rock Gardens, Paradise Island, and Screenland (or Reel Magic). Others will be created and made available for more games in this franchise.
The graphic novel's main emphasis becomes Comicopia, a 2D comic book world with a distinctly different art technique. The player's animated image will morph into this look and become part of the Golden Age of comic books—an old, dot matrix printed-looking style with mid-20th-century architecture, vehicles, and technology. Original comic book characters that the player interacts with—
At the Courtyard of Doors, one entrance, a giant set of double doors covered in vines, leads to Dino Shore, where the player encounters WRECKS—an all-black Tyrannosaurus rex. In the graphic novel, the kids are briefly in Dino Shore, but this is a significant part of the game.
The player can enter other doors to fantastical worlds. In chapter one of the graphic novel, the reader sees a dead, magical location. But as a result of the storyline, that world becomes alive, with rainbows, unicorns, and fairies—like My Little Pony meets Chronicles of Narnia.
Beneath this facade, in a dark forest, is a place that looks like where a witch would eat Hansel and Gretel. We zoom into the woods and see a creepy old cabin—two kids are at the door. The girl says, "They say a witch lives here—we mustn't disturb her!" "Nonsense!" says the boy. "Don't you know there's no such thing as witches? He opens the door for the player to go in.
To be continued... in Charna to the Rescue (Series #3)
Sterling's transformation into the action figure size plays out and immerses theme park guests in a thrilling ride based on an animated series and graphic novel.
Sterling and Yoga get struck by a beam of light from a mysterious object called a Rubicube. They find themselves inside Miniature City, a hub connecting to a mythical world, Figure Nation, and other realms.
In a parallel world with action figures, a shy kid traverses unfamiliar territory to find his missing father and fights against an evil villain determined to rule all empires.
Terry John Barto is an award-winning author and screenwriter. His story is being adapted for an animated feature film at arx anima, an international studio in Vienna, Frankfurt, Madrid, and Gran Canaria.
He is an accomplished creative director and show director with consistent professional results. AEA, SAG-AFTRA, SDC
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