Steve Hinan presents
Bluff the Ghost
Game Design Document
Pitch
Gus is a tired doorman ghost guarding a door. Type an excuse. He answers in one short line: ADMIT or DENY. Talk your way past three doors.
How it plays
- Three levels, three tries per level.
- Gus replies with one line, 15 words or fewer.
- Daily challenge: one ghost and one hated word per day, the same for everyone.
- Share a Gus reaction card after a level.
| Level | Gus | What he wants |
|---|
| 1 | Bored Gus | Entertain him. Funny or clever beats boring. |
| 2 | Suspicious Gus | Real details: names, places, times. |
| 3 | Word-Hater Gus | Do not say his hated word. The game tells you the word. |
Controls
- Type your excuse in the box, then press Bluff.
- Works in a phone or desktop browser.
- Share, save, or copy your result.
Characters
Gus, the doorman ghost: bow tie, glowing key, one heavy door. Three moods across the levels: bored, suspicious, irritable.
Art and Audio
- Art: Gus illustrations by Ralph.
- Audio: none yet.
Status
Playable now at /bluff-the-ghost/.
- Judge: scripted only. Fixed word rules and keyword checks decide ADMIT or DENY.
- Data: no accounts, no data collection. Best score and streak stay on your device.
- No model download. The game loads fast.
Later
- An AI judge: Gus’s brain running in your browser. Only if it proves reliable on real phones.
- More Gus lines.
- Sound with a mute button.