Invader from Zorch!

A few months ago I had an interview at a game company in Montreal. One of the things I had to do for that interview was to come up with a two-pager presentation for an original game idea, with a description of the gameplay, the storyline, the main characters, main inspirations and a complete level designed. The concept had to be original, and I could do anything I wanted. Fun times, indeed. Here's what came out:

Name of the game: Invader from Zorch

Inspirations: Rampage, Mars Attacks, Carmageddon, psychobilly band The Meteors

Description: The Zorch invader has arrived! Part the Hulk, part Juggernaut, the Zorch invader is all about destruction and chaos. Pummelling buildings, smashing cars, surviving wave after wave of military strikes, the Zorch invader appears to be invulnerable.

Main Character: Scientists have studied the scrambled footage of the rampaging Zorch invader and are unable to explain its motives, origins and why it’s wearing what appear to be a black leather jacket, blue jeans and combat boots, even though it apparently came from interstellar space. One thing they do know, however, is that nothing appears to stop the 20 feet high, green-skinned, ape-faced creature from reaching its unknown goals.



Storyline: The creature, which hails from the alien world of Zorch, has come to Earth crashing in what appears to be a hollowed-out meteor which was likely used as transportation. Scientists have been studying the crash site for evidence concerning its origins and motives. All they found was a license plate that reads “ZORCH” and some molecularly indestructible pocket lint. The license plate itself is made of an unkown and indestructible alloy, which might explain why the Zorch invader is itself unstoppable.

Since the day the creature has arrived on Earth, it has leveled entire cities, caused trillions of dollars in damages, and survived an entire spectrum of earthly warfare – from napalm to guided missiles to nuclear bombs – none of which have caused it to even flinch! Scientists have worked double shifts in trying to figure out a weakness, but to no avail.

Amidst all the destruction and chaos, however, there have been no casualties. The Zorch invader seems to be utterly uninterested in our species. Scientists are awaiting more data…

Unknown to mankind, the Zorch invader’s true objective is to simply collect stuff he left on Earth when he was last here, 65 million years ago (he is also immortal and billions of years old). These artifacts are: his collection of 8-track tapes, his coffin-shaped double-bass, his axe-guitar, and his many weapons and gear such as his Jump Boots, Spiked Shoulderpads and Brass Knuckles. His final artifact is an escape pod which will fly him all the way back to Zorch to get to the concert on time. These artifacts can be found in various places such as in Top Secret military bases, in holy temples and shrines, or deep within the Earth’s strata.


This level was designed for the test but a ton of fun levels would be designed, in such places as the bottom of the ocean (gotta get across, somehow!), hopping across the Himalayas or in the center of a nuclear explosion.

The point of the game was to experience what it is to play an indestructible character, and the challenge was to figure out a way to keep it fun throughout. Mechanisms such as time limits are interesting but annoying. I was thinking of opting more for combo bonuses, hidden areas, achievements and tons of humorous feedback.

The game was to be highly humorous and graphic, but with no gratuitous violence. No blood, no injuries, no casualties; just massive destruction of inanimate things. The tongue-in-cheek tone of the game would even be accompanied by a wicked rockabilly soundtrack from the Meteors, the Stray Cats and the Cramps.