Target Audience: Fans of historical settings, action RPGs, and deep narratives.
Platform(s): PC (initial launch), Android (soon after launch), other platforms later.
Elevator Pitch: In 16th-century occupied Morocco, by night; the leader of the Argan Vanguard, a clandestine resistance cell, must use seduction, stealth, and steel to fight Portuguese invaders in a shadow war her own people know nothing about, while maintaining a public identity of a noble girl known only for her beauty and kindness.
Unique Selling Points (USPs):
A unique and unexplored setting in a historic Moroccan RPG.
Deep narrative rooted in the real history of 16th-century Morocco, the Portuguese occupation, and the aftermath of the Spanish Inquisition.
A complex protagonist who operates in the moral grey areas, using unconventional tactics.
Built on Unreal Engine 5.8, utilizing the GASP animation project and the GAS ability system for fluid and advanced gameplay.
2. Story & World
Synopsis: The year is 1552. The player assumes the role of Aicha bent Abdelkader, the charismatic and resourceful leader of an underground resistance movement operating on the outskirts of the Portuguese-occupied fortress of Mazagan. Driven by a deep-seated duty to protect her homeland and not by a need for recognition, she wages a secret war. While the major Moroccan dynasties fight the invaders, they refuse to officially recognize Aicha’s group due to her “underhanded” methods. Aicha must navigate a complex political landscape, fighting a common enemy while proving her group’s worth and protecting her people.
Setting: The game is primarily set in and around the Portuguese fortress of Mazagan (modern-day El Jadida) in Morocco. The atmosphere is one of tension and simmering conflict under foreign occupation. The wider world is shaped by the power struggle between the weakening Wattasid dynasty in the north and the powerful, emerging Saadian empire from the Sous region in the south.
Key Characters:
Aicha bent Abdelkader (Player Character): The leader of the Argan Vanguard. Her name means “the one who is alive.” Publicly, she is seen as a typical village girl—the beautiful, dutiful daughter known throughout the towns, distinguished by a minimalist Amazigh tattoo on her forehead that represents a frog, symbolic of magic in Amazigh culture. This persona is her greatest weapon, allowing her to move unnoticed. In secret, she is a pragmatic and exceptional fighter specializing in stealth, driven by a fierce, personal desire to liberate her homeland.
Idir (Fiancé & Co-Leader): Aicha’s partner and the secret co-leader of the Argan Vanguard. His name means “the one who is alive” in Tamazight. Publicly, he is a respected soldier in a company of local warriors responsible for the village’s defense. He uses his official position to feed crucial intelligence to Aicha.
Mohamed (Oldest Brother): A seasoned merchant who travels the trans-Saharan trade routes, providing the resistance with exotic materials, resources, and crucial information.
Youssef (Older Brother): An exceptionally talented blacksmith who designs and forges prototype weapons and unique gadgets for Aicha.
Meryem (Sister): An energetic and intelligent teacher of history, biology, and botany. She collaborates with Youssef, using her knowledge of plants to create potent poisons and potions.
Abdelkader l’Gharnati (Father): A noble and wise Moorish scholar who fled Granada in 1502, imparting his wisdom and the spirit of resistance to his children.
Lalla Zahra (Mother): The daughter of a Sheikh from a powerful tribe in the Sous region, representing the heart of the Moroccan resistance.
Lore: The world’s backstory is deeply tied to the fall of Granada in 1492 and the subsequent Spanish Inquisition. Morocco itself is a fractured land, with Portuguese coastal fortresses representing a constant threat. Aicha’s story begins within this crucible of cultural memory, foreign occupation, and internal Moroccan power dynamics.
Gather Intel: Player explores the open world, talks to NPCs, and uses Aicha’s public persona to overhear conversations and discover mission opportunities.
Prepare: Player crafts gadgets, potions, and weapons with the help of Youssef and Meryem, and plans their approach.
Infiltrate: Player uses stealth and social engineering to access hostile locations like the Mazagan fortress.
Execute: Player completes the objective (e.g., rescue, sabotage, assassination) using a mix of stealth, combat, and unique tools.
Escape & Regroup: Player exfiltrates the area and returns to the resistance hideout to receive rewards and progress the story.
Key Mechanics:
Core Character Attributes:
Health: Represents the player’s overall well-being and ability to withstand damage.
Stamina: Governs the player’s capacity for physical exertion, such as running or performing actions.
Satiation: Indicates the player character’s hunger level, requiring food consumption to maintain.
Hydration: Reflects the player character’s thirst level, requiring water consumption to maintain.
Stealth: A dynamic stat representing the player’s level of concealment.
Zen / Wrath: A mental composure system that affects social interactions, combat performance, and stealth. Zen is analogous to Aicha’s mood or mental state; it can be recovered through actions such as sleeping, eating, and drinking, and is negatively affected by lack of sleep, hunger, or thirst. Under the “Wrath” effect, Aicha no longer cares about being stealthy, making stealth actions impossible.
Social Stealth System: Aicha’s public persona as a “typical girl” allows her to blend into crowds, access certain areas without suspicion, and gather information that would be unavailable to a known warrior. Her actions can raise or lower suspicion in different social circles.
Dynamic Combat: The player can seamlessly switch between stealthy takedowns and open, fluid combat. The “Wrath” state turns Aicha into a powerful but reckless brawler.
Crafting System: Players will use materials gathered by Mohamed and knowledge from Meryem to have Youssef craft unique gadgets, poisons, potions, and advanced weaponry.
Sample Mission: The Cistern Rescue
Objective: Free captured local warriors being tortured by the Portuguese.
Location: The Portuguese Cistern, a heavily guarded underground location in the center of Mazagan.
Gameplay Focus: This introductory mission teaches the core loop. The player will first need to gather intel on guard patrols and potential entry points—perhaps by visiting the souk as Aicha to eavesdrop. They will then infiltrate the cistern, using stealth to navigate the underground passages, rescue the prisoners, and escape back to the surface.
Player Progression: Player progression is driven by gaining experience points (XP). Gaining levels will allow the player to improve their attributes and unlock new abilities via a skill tree.
4. Art & Sound
Art Style: The visual direction is photo-realistic, utilizing Unreal Engine’s Metahumans to create characters with high-quality textures and life-like facial animations. The goal is to create an immersive and authentic representation of 16th-century Morocco.
UI/UX Design: The user interface will be diegetic and themed to the period. For example, menu buttons will appear as torn scraps of paper from old letters.
Health:
Stamina:
Satiation:
Hydration:
Backdrop:
Music & Sound Design: The soundtrack will feature classic RPG-style music and sound design, tailored and inspired by traditional Moroccan music, including genres such as Malhun and Tarab al-Andalusi.
5. Technical
Engine: Unreal Engine 5.8
Key Systems:
GASP (Game Animation Sample Project): For high-quality character animation.
GAS (Gameplay Ability System): For implementing skills, attributes, and complex abilities.
Metahumans: For high-quality character animation.
Localization: Full UI and audio support for English, Arabic, and Tamazight.
