# Game Design Ideas & Mechanics

## 1. Demo & Monetization Structure
*   **Trial Version Badge:** The game displays a "Trial Version" badge. It records the date when the user first downloaded/started the demo.
*   **"Purchase Full Game" Trigger:** A UI prompt (badge) appears, encouraging the player to buy the full version.
*   **Limited Progression (The "Hook"):**
    *   **Housing:** In the demo, you can only upgrade from a **Sleeping Bag** to a **Tent**. You *cannot* build the wooden cabin or better houses. This makes the difference between Demo and Full Game very obvious and painful (motivation to buy).
    *   **Hoarding:** Players CAN hoard materials and loot as much as they want. This is key: "I have so much stuff, I don't want to lose it!"
*   **Endless Sandbox Demo:** The demo has **NO time limit**. The player can play forever.
*   **The Trap (Hoarding):** Since there is no end, the player can build infinite storage chests and hoard massive amounts of resources. They invest hundreds of hours gathering materials.
*   **Restrictions:**
    *   **No Story:** The plot does not advance.
    *   **Zombie Limit:** Only ONE basic zombie type appears. It does not level up, evolve, or get harder. It becomes boring/easy eventually.
    *   **Housing Cap:** Stuck at "Tent" level forever.
*   **The Payoff:** When they finally buy the game, they unlock the Story, evolving Zombies, advanced Building, and keep ALL their thousands of gathered resources to instantly jump-start the real game.
*   **Day Count Legacy:** If a player grinded for 200 days in the demo, they start the full game on **Day 200**. They keep their "time served," but the game logic treats it as the moment they finally "start living" and expanding beyond the basic survival grind.
*   **Achievements (Steam):**
    *   **"Stubborn Survivor" (Trmasti preživeli):** Awarded if the player reaches Day 200 *within the demo version*.
    *   **Unique Reward:** A special **Statue** placable in the full game to commemorate their persistence.

## 2. Advanced Zombie Mechanics
*   **Camouflage/Disguise:** Zombies can disguise themselves as farmers/NPCs.
    *   *Visuals:* A zombie wearing farmer clothes.
    *   *Mechanic:* They appear friendly until the player gets within a certain radius, then they reveal their true nature and attack. This adds tension and paranoia.

## 3. Environmental Hazards: Toxic Fog
*   **Nature:** A purple/toxic cloud or explosion event.
*   **Mechanic:**
    *   The fog spreads over time (e.g., expanding daily).
    *   **Choking Damage:** Entering the fog causes the player to choke (take damage).
    *   **Counter-play:** The player needs to build/acquire "Fog Sensors" or filtration systems to navigate or clear it.
    *   **Environmental Expansion:** The fog might block off new biomes or areas. Clearing it or surviving it allows map expansion.
    *   **Zombie Synergy:** Zombies might be able to spread this fog or be buffed by it.

## 4. UI Enhancements
*   **Day Cycle Notification:** A prominent "Day X" text appears in the center of the screen at the start of each new in-game day.
*   **Tracking:** Shows the total number of days survived.

## 5. World Building & Navigation
*   **Signage:**
    *   Directional signs pointing to major locations: "Town", "Forest", "Mines", "Biomes".
    *   Warning signs ("Danger", Skull) for hazardous areas.
*   **Infrastructure:**
    *   Cables/Wires: Used for connecting machinery or sensors (fog sensors?).
*   **Obstacles:**
    *   Thorns/Brambles: Block paths, requiring specific tools (upgraded machete/scythe) to clear.
*   **Mines:**
    *   "Death Valley" (Dolina smrti) mine entrance.
    *   Progression: Needs better equipment to enter deeper levels.

## 6. Waste Management & Recycling
*   **Dumpster/Container:**
    *   **Placement:** Must be placed away from the main farm (smell/hygiene).
    *   **Scavenging:** Raccoons raid it for food. Friendly zombies can search it for "smart items" (blueprints, rare parts).
*   **Composting:**
    *   **Structure:** Wooden Compost Bin.
    *   **Input:** Spoiled food, dead plants, organic waste.
    *   **Output:** Fertilizer (Manure) to boost crop growth.

## 7. Zombie Housing (Resting Spots)
*   **Structure:** Simple open grave (hole in the ground) with a memorial plaque or wooden cross.
*   **Mechanic:** Serves as a "spawn point" or resting bed. When a friendly zombie is tired, it retreats into this hole to sleep and recover energy.
*   **Construction:** Easy to build – just dig a hole and place a marker.