JR The Game - Final Concept

Intro/Story: JR The Game is centered around an alligator named JR, who owns a BBQ club/restaurant in North Carolina. He has always had a big appetite for mischief and food, and knows how to be wild and have a good time. However, one day, an incident occurs where he is thrown out of his restaurant, which is taken over. The man responsible for the incident is Pedro, the owner of a rival Mexican restaurant chain, who is tired of falling second to JR. Distraught and lost, JR traverses the many marshy environments of the southern USA, battling Pedro’s minions along the way. He takes back his restaurant, only to find that Pedro has trashed the place and fled. So, JR then heads to track him down at his capital, a place known as Fiesta City!

Environments: The game has a diverse array of environments found in the southern USA. JR starts out in the swamps, which are glum and dark. This kind of environment is rough, but is less of a problem for JR due to his species, along with a lower quantity of minions stationed in the area. As you progress throughout the game, JR will encounter more open environments such as highways and marshes, which introduce more difficult hazards. As you progress through the game, the color schemes for the areas will become brighter and more vibrant, motivating the player to progress further and bringing about a hopeful vibe.  One of the more interesting environments will be the coastal beach, one of the last environments before reaching the restaurant. A beach may seem relaxing, but it is very hazardous to JR. There are jagged rocks in the water, plenty of minions, and most importantly, there is salt water. Salt water is not healthy for alligators, so JR can only stay submerged for a short amount of time. Things will also take a turn when JR enters the urban Fiesta City, which will feature bright, neon colors, and a stark contrast to the natural environments the player will be used to.

Abstraction and Realism: Being a non-serious and generally humorous game, the art takes on an abstract and cartoonish style, similar the the style utilized by the Mario series and Genesis-era Sonic the Hedgehog games. The weapons Pedro’s minions utilize are toned to fit the light hearted and comedic theme. For example, hot-sauce-filled gasoline tanks, and paint-firing pistols.


However, some realism is still utilized in the game’s concepts. Aside from the salt-water gimmick, one of the game’s main gimmicks centers around the fact that JR is cold-blooded. This gimmick takes the form of an energy meter. The meter goes down slowly over time, and results in a lost life if emptied completely. Therefore, JR must find sources of energy periodically. Rays of sunlight will slowly fill JR’s meter while resting within them, while buckets of BBQ food will  fill a part of JR’s energy meter instantaneously. The amount filled depends on the kind of food.


The gimmick is further built upon during the Fiesta City levels. As they all take place at night, where are no rays of sunlight that JR can utilize. Instead, he can utilize heat lamps found in various places throughout the city. His BBQ food is also much much rarer throughout the city, and in it’s place is much of Pedro’s own kind of food. This food, however, causes JR to LOSE energy, so he must utilize his resources carefully when traversing the city.

Location/Time Period/Technology: As stated during the intro, the game takes place in the southern United States. More specifically, in states such as the Carolinas and Louisiana. This setting establishes an array of diverse and gator-centric environment that JR will traverse. However, after the game’s plot twist, JR must track down Pedro. This event brings JR to the game’s penultimate setting: the heart of Mexico!


The game’s takes place within the recent decade. However, technology does not play a large role during the main part of the game. This is due to the emphasis on natural environments. The one exception to this rule is the highway levels, as vehicles such as cars, trucks, and motorcycles are present, and their rooftops utilized by JR to cover a large portion of ground. Technology makes itself more present once the plot twist comes around, as JR rides a train to Fiesta City, and frequently utilizes taxis (with parades acting as obstacles!) and subways trains to navigate the large complex metropolis.