Game Concept

Working Title: Commander Cockerel and the Undead

Concept Statement: Take control of Commander Cockerel, a feathered war hero with attitude and a machine gun, as he defends his farm from an unrelenting undead invasion. Survive wave after wave and unleash chaos with power-ups and plenty of firepower! It's fast, it's fun, it's fowl play at its finest.

Genre

The genre is a single-player, 2D top-down arcade shooter with wave-based survival. It mixes fast-paced action with a bit of comedy and horror and is made to be easy to play but still challenging as the game goes on.

Concept Creation Process

Commander Cockerel and the Undead came from a round-based survival game (an old favourite of mine), Call of Duty: Zombies (Activision, 2008), where players face increasingly difficult waves of enemies in a confined map. I used a mashup design approach to blend this concept with the fast-paced, top-down 2D arcade shooter style of games like Vampire Survivors (Poncle, 2022), focusing on simple but addictive mechanics and chaotic action.

To add a layer of comedy and give the game its own identity, I came up with the war hero Commander Cockerel. This character was heavily influenced by my real-life experience of owning a flock of chickens and living on a farm, which also inspired the chosen environment for this game — a farmyard with a grim horror vibe. I thought it would be funny to take something familiar and turn it into something weird and spooky.

Players will manoeuvre around a light-hearted horror environment with typical farm obstacles like trees, hay bales, and mud pits, facing off against your classic side-shambling green zombies, using a machine gun, egg grenades, and brain bombs.

The design process also included subtractive elements — stripping back complex shooting mechanics so players can focus on surviving and having fun, while still giving them the chance to master dodging and crowd control as the game gets harder.

By combining these influences, the result is a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously — using cartoon violence and absurd humour — but still delivers the tension and intensity of a survival game. The mix of familiar gameplay with a weird and funny theme helps the concept stand out and encourages replayability through short, intense sessions.

Audience

Commander Cockerel and the Undead is designed for players aged 13 and up who enjoy fast-paced action and arcade shooters. The game will appeal to casual players looking for some quick fun and hardcore players chasing high scores and mastering survival.

The simple controls make it easy to pick up and play, which will appeal to players who enjoy working through levels and taking on a growing challenge. The mix of comedy and light horror gives it a unique tone that stands out from other zombie games, making it perfect for fans of titles like Plants vs. Zombies (PopCap Games, 2009), Vampire Survivors (Poncle, 2022), and Chicken Invaders (InterAction Studios, 1999–2023). 

Players who enjoy beating their high scores will find the game’s progression system rewarding. The short, repeatable rounds are ideal for players who like something fun and chaotic but that doesn’t require a huge time commitment. The silly but challenging action could also make the game fun to watch and share, which may appeal to content creators and streamers looking for something entertaining to showcase.

Competitive Analysis

Similar games in the indie and arcade shooter space include:

• Vampire Survivors – A top-down survival roguelike known for its addictive loop and overwhelming enemy swarms. It offers minimalistic visuals but deep progression and shares the “survive as long as you can” gameplay philosophy (Poncle, 2022).
• Call of Duty: Zombies Mode – Known for its round-based survival structure, unlockable areas, and cooperative play. While far more complex, it helped inspire the pacing and wave-based design in this concept (Activision, 2008).
• Chicken Invaders – A humorous twist on classic arcade shooters that uses a poultry-based theme, proving that farmyard mayhem can have mass appeal when done right (InterAction Studios, 1999–2023).

Compared to other games, Commander Cockerel and the Undead stands out by mixing wave-based survival with a funny farmyard horror theme in a 2D top-down shooter style. Unlike Vampire Survivors (Poncle, 2022), which uses auto-attacks and focuses on upgrades over time, this game gives players full control over aiming and movement, which adds more challenge and intensity during gameplay.

The strong personality of Commander Cockerel and themed enemies help the game feel more original and fun. The mix of humour, action, and strategy makes it appealing to those who enjoy indie games that are weird, different, and easy to return to — especially for casual players or streamers seeking something fresh and entertaining.

Game Treatment & Concept Art

You are Commander Cockerel…

A grizzled war-hardened rooster armed with wit, weapons, and a relentless hatred for the undead. Your once peaceful farm is now crawling with zombie farmers and it’s up to you to hold the line — one wave at a time.

You’ll blast your way through hordes of grotesque enemies, unlock new parts of the battlefield, and unleash devastating farm-themed firepower. With each round, the chaos intensifies, but so do your chances to rack up points, unlock power-ups, and prove you’re the baddest bird in the barnyard.

Core Game Loop

• Survive endless waves of increasingly tough enemies
• Earn points by eliminating zombies
• Collect pitchforks for random power-ups and grenades
• Unlock new zones for more breathing room
• Face new enemy types and environmental hazards as you progress
• Beat your high score, and repeat the chaos

Key Features

• Brain Bomb: Drops a juicy brain that lures zombies in — then detonates after gathering a crowd and buying some valuable time
• Egg Grenade: Drops an explosive egg behind the player while moving. It has a limited range but can do big damage when timed well
• Dash Move: Zip through tight spaces and away from danger
• Unlockable Areas: Expand your survival zone and use terrain to outsmart enemies
• Strategic Obstacles: Use hay bales, fences, and mud pits to control the undead flow

Enemies

• Farmer Zombies: Basic shufflers that gain speed and strength over time
• Obese Farmer Zombies: Slow tanks that deal major damage if they reach you

Future versions may include exploding sheep or teleporting goats... stay tuned.

Map & Level Design

The battlefield is set on a gritty, haunted farm:

• Starting Area: A tight coop with minimal space
• Unlockable Zones: Open up the barnyard, silo ridge, and more for tactical breathing room

Grave markers act as spawn points. Environmental hazards (like mud pits and fences) create chokepoints and slow zombie movement.

Art & Visual Style

The visual style draws from retro pixel art, blending humour with horror. Gritty textures, chunky outlines, and exaggerated animations give it a chaotic but cartoonish vibe.

Character Design

• Commander Cockerel: A rooster in military gear — helmet, bandolier, angry eyes, and a machine gun
• Zombies: Slouching, twisted farmers with glowing eyes and a hunger for brains

Concept Art

• Figure 1: Commander Cockerel sketch in combat stance (OpenAI, 2025).
• Figure 2: Top down view of potential sprite concepts (OpenAI, 2025).

• Figure 3: Top-down map layout with zones, grave spawns, and fences (OpenAI, 2025).
• Figure 4: Themed concept visual of a  potential cover (OpenAI, 2025).

All concept art shown in this section was generated using DALL·E through OpenAI’s ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2025), based on prompts I created to match the game’s design.

Sound & Music

• Music: A looping, banjo-fueled track that gets more intense with each round
• Sound FX: Exploding eggs, zombie moans, farmyard ambience, and rooster victory crows

Progression & Replayability

• Waves get harder — faster, stronger enemies, new patterns
• Unlock new weapons and power-ups through gameplay
• Survive 10 rounds to open all areas

Future Feature Ideas

• Multiplayer Co-op Mode: Two chickens team up to defend the farm together
• Boss Fights: Face off against massive zombie livestock every 10 rounds
• More Weapons: From corn cannons to haybale launchers
• Random Power-ups: Drop crates that grant temporary buffs (speed, splash damage, invincibility)
• Additional Maps: Choose from a variety of maps, each with unique layouts, weapons, and power-ups
• Achievements
  • “Cracked 100 Skulls”
  • “Unlocked Area”
  • “10 Rounds, No Feathers Lost”

## References

Activision. (2008). *Call of Duty: World at War – Zombies Mode* [Video game]. Treyarch.

InterAction Studios. (1999–2023). *Chicken Invaders* [Video game series]. InterAction Studios.

OpenAI. (2025). *Concept art for Commander Cockerel and the Undead* [AI-generated images]. Generated using ChatGPT and DALL·E on 10–11 April 2025.

Poncle. (2022). *Vampire Survivors* [Video game]. Poncle.

PopCap Games. (2009). *Plants vs. Zombies* [Video game]. Electronic Arts.