Original Concept
"Detention Without Parole - crime game involving elementary school-aged children.  Kids could duke it out at recess over lunch money, sell test answers, and play games like basketball or four-square over some other kid's candy.  The game would take place in and around a school.  Kids could travel using bikes, scooters, or have a parental escort.  Different cliques could "hire" you to do different things to kids in other cliques.  The goal is to be the king of the junglegym and the baddest motherfucker in a Spongebob Squarepants t-shirt."

Gameplay 
DWP is played on console or PC and viewed from a third-person perspective.  You control the movements of Danny Madsen, the story’s hero.  Your well-being in the game is monitored by several meters.

• Mission GPA:  You receive a letter grade for your proficiency at the completion of each mission.
• The “don” meter:  How close you are to establishing legendary status and complete control of the school.
• Alignment meter:  Your rep with each clique and group increases or decreases based on your attention to each group and how you form alliances.  Your game strategy will be reflected here.

To advance the game you must complete tasks that are revealed as the main story unfolds.  Meter levels also dictate when and how the game advances.  DWP follows a mostly linear story line, however, there are opportunities for side quests.  These quests allow you to further develop your character attributes, alignment and mission GPA.

Other gamplay features

• Control a hyperactive kid (aka “Frenzied Crusader”) on a sugar-hyped rampage.
• Ride a skooter.
• Play “kick the shoe.”

Goals
Establish your reputation.  Avoid detention.  Complete missions to advance the game.  Become the don of the school’s underworld to win the game.

Rules
If you get caught doing something wrong, you are sent to detention.  Coming out of detention either sends you back to an earlier part of the game, or makes failed side quests unobtainable.

If you make a clique angry your alignment meter is reduced.  Falling completely out of graces could mean disassociation.  You can also become “made” if you do everything right.

Doing a lousy job on a mission results in a low mission grade.  If your mission GPA drops too low, you are sent to detention without parole.  You must then restart a previously saved game.

If you eat library glue, you will become a junkie and will be sent to detention without parole.

Map of Northside Elementary

First Mission
Your first mission is to get in contact with the Boss. This character is one of those kids who has been held back for a multitude of reasons, mostly behavioral, but has an indispensable amount of street smarts.  He runs all the activities within the school, without anyone but those in direct contact knowing about his crime ring.  The Boss heard this David and Goliath story, and wanted to meet the man behind the Kangas.  From here, the Boss assigns you tasks to complete for himself, and others in order to gain trust and work you way up the ladder, and eventually taking his spot right from out under him.

In the end, you and the Boss come face to face.  You find him in his office, his face buried in pixie dust, and then a battle ensues.  During the finale, you must pit your alliances against any of those that are in your way, take out the head honcho, and become the true leader of all the kids.

Other Possible Missions
Scooter racing, bartering for finances, destroying cliques by attacking a person by themselves or taking an entire group out, getting out of detention, upgrading your scooter for more viable transportation, humiliating your foes, embarrassing teachers and the principal, running with scissors at all times, persuading others to join you.

Cast of Characters
Danny Madsen – This is the character controlled by the player.  He’s the new kid.  Quiet.  Becomes a hero to the geeks, nerds, and physically downtrodden after kicking his shoe at the head of the biggest bully in school.  Sports some Kanga-shoes along with baggy jeans and a punk rock t-shirt.

Walter “Wally” Wright – A goofy cut-up kid who used to be quite popular before he barfed on Jenny Westmeyer’s lap at lunch.  He wears a red and white striped polo shirt with khaki shorts.  He sits at the social reject table at lunch with Danny.

Gary Schneider – Nerdy kid who befriends Danny shortly after he arrives at Northside Elementary.  He’s a scrawny kid who always wears tapered blue jeans, penny loafers, and the sweater his mom bought him last Christmas.  Becomes Danny’s right-hand businessman after the shoe incident.

Marlon Foster – The Troublemaker.  This kid has been in and out of detention more than the rest of the entire school combined.  He’s the tough-talking, no-nonsense, badass motherfucker who’s always wearing black jeans and a huge black hoodie.  He’s known to carry quite a stash of candy in the front pocket of his hoodie – he’s the school’s primary dealer.  He’s also undoubtedly behind any and all questionable activity in school.

Julie Farnsworth – A calm, poetic girl – much more mature than her age.  Also sits at the social reject table.  She wears a lot of purple.  She hires Danny for some work later on in the game.  She’s got a grudge with the popular girl clique.

Lane Daley – Washed-up poor kid who never says much, but when he does, it’s to the point – like the time when Mrs. Alexander told him to clap erasers together and he told her to “shut up.”  Yeah.  He’s a junkie.  A library paste junkie – eats the stuff like candy.  The problem is the librarian, Ms. Strick, keeps the stuff locked up in her dusty office.  Lane might need Danny’s help to score his next fix.

Groups, Cliques, Organizations
Library Paste Junkies – Some of the world’s brightest young minds have wasted away at the hands of this silent killer.  As a group these seemly passive, yet neurotic addicts can unite with force.  What’s more, they’d do just about anything to get their hands on a fix.

Academic Bowl Freaks – Beneath countless layers of Oxy 10 lies a forehead, festering with acne…but beneath that you’ll find a brain that’s nothing short of shear genius.  The kids of the Academic Bowl are capable of masterminding the most maniacal schemes, but are limited by lack of physical prowess. ABF’s are also faculty suck-ups--a great resource when dealing with the administration.

Thugs – These guys will no doubt be joining daddy in the state pen some day.  All they know is trouble and crime.  Violence is their rational for any situation.  They are all brawn and no brain.

Latchkey Brigade – These kids are the afterthoughts of parents who have put their careers as priority one.  Attention deprived and emotionally unstable, they seriously lack people skills.  Latchkey kids benefit from countless gifts received from parents trying to make up for lost qt.  So they always have the coolest supplies and gadgets…but are not always willing to part with their stuff.

Foreign Legion – Exchange students, children of migrant workers and second-generation immigrants.  These guys actually know more English than they let on.  Operating under the guise that they are clueless, they are actually a great source of information...and a good way to pass information without being detected. Of course, there’s always a price for services rendered.

Studtown, Population: Me – Arrogant, conceited, rich and beautiful.  These kids seem to have it all.  But keeping up appearances is hard work. They are always looking for ways to get a leg-up on the competition.

Frenzied Crusaders  (aka “ADHD”) – They seem a little down and subdued…but just wait till their medication wears off.  Top that off with a tall, sugary glass of cherry cool-aid and you’ve got Mr. Hyde in the making.  Frenzied Crusaders are feared and pitied by everyone.  Their crimes of rage are usually swept under the rug and chalked up to a medical condition.  Used wisely these kids can create good diversions at crucial times.

Intro Story (In-game CG)

            WALTER: How did you sneak out?

            DANNY: Well, I asked Jim to try and make a distraction and then...

            WALTER: What kind of distraction? I mean, was it as crazy as Jim is?

            DANNY: Walter, all I have to say is that the garbage can holds more crap than you think.

(both kids start laughing)

            WALTER: Hey isn’t that Gary… and that’s, that’s that ass Brian, he needs a lesson.

            DANNY: I would try again, but that’s why I was thrown into detention, plus that teacher saved me from a beating of my life.

            WALTER: Well, we will wait here until a fight starts, maybe he just wants lunch money and wont hurt him.

            DANNY: Okay, Okay, lets shoe kick in the mean time, last time I regulated on you.

(Walter kicks his shoe)

            WALTER: Try to beat that! Damn, three point shot from full court!

(Walter's shoe ricochets off the basketball hoop’s backboard)

            Danny automatically kicks his shoe across the basketball courts beating his friend in the shoe kicking competition.  The downwards flight of his shoe just happened to crack the school’s bully square in the face….that happened to be picking on Gary, Danny’s nerdy friend.  Little did Danny know, that his shoe kicking abilities would someday send him to the top.  The bully was hospitalized with a fractured skull and a permanent indentation on his forehead of a kangaroo from Danny’s favorite pair of kicks.  While the Bully was stuck at home, recovering, the school’s top dawg had to be replaced.  All the kids in the school yard there that day unmistakably saw you exact your school yard justice upon that bully, by using your shoe as some sort of wily ninja star.  They have assumed that you will be their fearless leader, especially after you took the biggest and baddest kid in school out with one hit!