Hey /x/
I am a Game Development Student. I am making a game based on an absolutely terrifying nightmare I had a while back ( it was atleast terrifying to me)
I am here to see what you guys think
The player is in a game world where darkness is its friend and its enemy at the same time. In the level there is an entity that has some unknown shape right now.
The premise of that monster is that it can only be seen when there is no light in the scene.
Its shape can then be very vaguely be distinguished from the surrounding darkness becasue it itself is "Darker" than the rest.
The player has a flashlight that he will be forced to use to look for certain things but the moment he turns on the flashlight the "Monster" cannot be seen and it can very clearly see the player.
Other lights in the scene have purpose too. The monster can turn them on if they are off, thus hiding itself from the player.
The player has some sort of meter that forces him to get into a lit up area of use his flashlight otherwise certain objects in the scene start doing weird shit. ( Hallucination style)
I guess the main idea is that the player has to go to the light where he feels safe but isnt and so has to go against his instincts to be safe where he does not want to be: "In the darkness"
What are your thoughts? Since you guys are somewhat of an authority on the subject of scary stuff
pic related: the Unreal Engine 4 project
>>17653341
Very Interesting. I say go for it!
>>17653346
The development is already underway. I have a team of 3 other students so far. I just wanted to hear your guys' thoughts.
I also neglected to mention that I am going to leave it to the player to figure out that he is safe in the darkness. I am not telling him that the monster cant be seen in the light
>>17653348
Is the monster constantly coming after the player? What is driving the player?
>>17653354
Its The players mind mainly doing the work. The monster might be in the scene or not, there is no way of telling. As mentioned the monster is very difficult to distinguish from the rest of the darkness so the player has to look very carefully, that will build suspense. That will also make the player very jumpy of every other shape in the scene.
The idea is that the game will be scary even if there is nothing really going on.
But in essence: The monster will just wander around the scene looking for the player. If it finds him it will give chase.
As soon as the player turns on the flashlight or enters a lit area ten the monster will know his position so the player has to be fast doing whatever he needs to do with the lights on.
>>17653365
Interesting. So I'm assuming you'll give some tasks to the player? Otherwise just wandering aimlessly will get boring quick
>>17653373
Yes, very much so. Im not exactly sure what. But I am also hoping that the monster itself will be motivation to try to do whatever it is they need to, and quick.
Im drawing up a quick sketch of the monster now, standby for that
You'll have to look really hard but there is a shape in that picture that is very difficult to make out from the rest of the darkness.
But its definitely there
>>17653341
good boy using ue4, none of that unity shite.
>>17653394
Im oficially trained in Unity3D but Unreal is WAY nicer to use, and its also WAY more powerful
>>17653393
Got lazy.
>>17653405
The idea is the same in that picture but yes. Thast right around how difficult the monster will be to see. And if there is light anywhere in the scene then the player cant see it at all.
>>17653398
Exactly the same here, in unity you have to remake literally everything, most of which you shouldnt need to be doing yourself anyways, ue4 does all the boring work and actually lets you make a game
I have a question for you guys: What scares you? What unsettles you? What makes you feel: Dont open that door whatever you do.
>>17653425
Exactly! My teachers say the following: Yeah Unity runs a bit faster in the beginning but once you put two things in a Unity scene and 20 things in a EU4 scene they run at identical speeds.
I am just trained in Unity becasue it uses C# instead of C++ which ties beter in with the rest of the study they feel.
>>17653438
Definitely, UE4 is a real poly-pusher and can look absolutely beautiful with a lot less effort than unity needs
>>17653445
As stated I am a Developer and not an artist . One of the guys of another 6 man team I am in can do STUNNING lighting in EU4 that Unity could only dream off
>>17653427
demons
>>17653452
What aspects of Demons scary you?
Their physical apearance? or the things they can do?
Like sudden banging noises or things levitating and such?
Maybe this can help you guys come up with something. Do you know that feeling of: Dont go there. Just dont, I dont know why but Dont go there.
I was cooking a a while back ant the kitchen has a very large window that overlooks the terrace on the roof. That also has a door that leads there.
It was a rainy night so the window was fogging up wuite a bit and it was getting really warm in that relatively small kitchn and so normally I open that door to cool it off.
So I go to do just that and I lay my hand on the doorknob and something stops me turning it. Soemthing in my head screams at me. Do. Not. Open. That. Fucking. Door.
Know that feeling? I want to know what gives you guys that feeling if youve ever had it.
>>17653341
Please scrap that flashlight idea and make it in an Victorian Era setting. It would be way more unique that way because there are tons of those ''flashlight'' games.
You can change that with a torch etc. Just my opinion though because the main idea is very good.
>>17653427
>rustling from behind the door
> player starts opening it slowly, letting it open only a little
>hear aggressive running towards the door from the other side (imagine the sound of a wolf with claws scratching the wooden floor as it charges forward)
>very deep growling
>door slams shut in players face as creature rams it
>force of impact causes door to crack violently, but is still intact
>hear heavy breathing from inside for a few moments - then silence.
>>17653427
Amnesia when you're in the prison and that thing is after you. Because he was just as fast as the player that you could not look back because it's slow you down, but not knowing where he was and just HEARING him was terrifying.
I think the scariest thing about 'survival' games is that you can't actually protect yourself, like rl if it were really you. But more specifically that window of chance between surviving and being fucking murdered by a horrifying beast.
Play on aspects of fear and unknowing.
So what would the goal/story of the game be?
>>17653341
Sounds pretty neat, anon! So what will be the setting for it?
>>17653341
Sounds awesome.
>>17653427
'Don't. Look. Behind you.'
>>17653427
Nothing is safe, you may not be alone, but you are engulfed in fear. You have no control. Whatever happens, you cannot stop it.
>>17653804
The flashlight is only there as a tool to actually help playrs find objects and not a main Mechnic as in say slender man. But in essence a torch would function in exactly the same way.
I like the idea of the Victorian setting a lot.
>>17654454
Unknown so far
>>17654533
I like the idea of the victorian setting that another anon came up with a few posts above this.
A victorian setting where the flashlight would be a torch.
I guess the Monster could abe a demon that cannot be seen in lights of Fire, Sun and Moon.
Im pretty sure me or someone in the team can come up with an awesome back story as to how and why.
>>17654540
Hey thanks! I wasnt expecting so many positive comments on the idea!
Maybe Ill get a prototype build out eventually.
>>17654612
Exactly its that type of fear taht I want in the game. The unknown.
I have a quote that describes the game a bit
"Only Darkness can illuminate the Darker still"
OP here.
I have to go now. if this thread somehow survives untill I wake up I will continue with it.
In any case thank you guys for feedback and help. I have saved the thread in image files for my later use and I will definitely do stuff with the data I gathered.
Have a nice "Whatever state of day where you are"
>>17654707
Bumping this thread.
>>17654560
This would be chilly, but I think someone explicitly saying that line had a lot less impact than it would be if it's simply a slight audio or visual cues (footsteps, shadows, lighting, etc) to indicate that something is there behind you/offscreen.
Very good idea and I am interested to see how this turns out. Make an email or come up with a name or something so I can be sure to play it one day.
>>17655662
Subtlety? In MY /x/?
Ohh wow! The thread is still here! Thats awesome!
The game only has a working title so far since there is not been a lot of actual design of the "game" only of the mechanics. But I think Ill come back to this board ever so often to give some updates. They will be smow since this is a side project but they will happen.
Any other ideas of what scares you guys? Cool ideas of what could happen in the game?
I feel like this game is going to live or die on the quality of your lighting
The "not telling the player how the light mechanic works" aspect sounds great, but if your audience is looking for a casual game I could see receiving random "game over" messages while in a well lit room as getting old. It might take some players awhile to figure the mechanic out, and that could be off putting.
Also to answer the above post as to "what makes you not want to open x or go near x," I sometime get the forboding feeling from lone objects. Out on a walk at night and you see a solitary streetlamp off in the distance in an otherwise dark environment. Or on a nighttime hike through the forest and I come into a clearing to see a single tree silhouetted against the night sky. Something about the ambiguity of an object that in and of itself is benign but it's location is strange gets me. maybe a room with multiple windows with all the blinds open, but one window in the room off near the far-side corner has it's blinds drawn. Or a long hallway with the doors along the side open, but the one at the end is closed.
you could have a scene lit with a single candle, maybe like a seance or ritual; a creepy sound and a gust of wind could extinguish the flame and this could be a nice way to introduce the monster
>>17653427
The monster should definitely pull tricks on the player, like moving furniture where it wouldn't be, arranging objects so they look like a shadow of the monster, maybe mess with electronics like the tv or radio or even kitchen appliances
>>17656291
It is indeed. Fortunately I am using Unreal Engine 4 which has amazing lighting quality and allows me to really tweak it.
>>17656300
I really like that. Im going to draw a quick moodboard for that.
Itll be a really cool intro scene that can also teach the payer that light is a bad thing.
>>17656303
I like the part of it moving furniture. But seeing as the setting is now in Victorian the monster could open windows allowing fro breezes to come in to the room. But I mainly want it to be quiet so the player really has to listen and look hard to see if its there or not. That would build suspense I feel.
But out of place objects are a great idea. As are Torches in a hallway that are lit but werent the last time you saw them.
>>17656300
>>17656300
So here it is. Please excuse the TERRIBLE quality. But yeah Ilike that Idea for an opening scinematic.
bump thread
>>17656362
>>17656395
Cool. I was also thinking about using fire in some levels. The player could become trapped and need to escape a burning building or the monster could knock over oil lamps to start fires
Need any sound design or music for it?
>>17653341
What school do you go to for game dev and what are the requirements for said school?
At first I thought victorian era setting was a bit lame but now I see it's actually pretty creepy. Google image search anything prefaced with victorian for some good examples. mine, factory, playground, doctor etc
>>17653341
This would scare the shit out of me.
honestly, I think the meter drain to force you into the light is unnecessary. if there are things that need doing in the level to progress, I think that is enough impetus. no need to hurry them artificially. especially if the monster is turning lights on and actively searching.
also as for inspiration. i recommend you look at the stalker series for how bloodsuckers fight. especially in the third game. they tended to circle like sharks before coming in behind. your primary cue as to location being sound.
as for setting. might I recommend looking at the game nassiance for inspiration. the game had this super minimalist surrealness that despite being a platformer, was fairly unnerving.
which goes to what I find scary. wide dark spaces that I cannot see the walls and architecture and environments that are wrong, and enimicable to human life in a surreal way. like beksinski paintings type stuff. "oh look here is a building made of bone sticking out of a smoggy infinite wasteland with a single dark hole for a entrance and no other apertures, enjoy" or "here is a endless parking lot with a single gas station in it, it's proportions are off, no one is there" like stuff that inspires curiosity but also the environmental equivalent to uncanny valley
