First Person Horror Level
When I was a child, my brother played the game Myst (1993). I always felt a sense of unease from the game: deserted settings that should be bustling with life freaked me out. That sense of unease was always itching at the back of my mind while I was designing this level.
Myst, isn’t a horror game, but I still find it uneasy. I wanted to combine that childhood unease with horror games I’ve played since.
The player awakens on the floor: alone. The room is cramped but a single door leads outside.
As the player exits the only light in the room is a single flashlight to their left. They can’t navigate in the dark without it which reinforces a central lesson:
Light = Saftey
Darkness = Uncertainty
The player is drawn to the light so that’s where their quest item is
In Jurassic Park there is a scene where Laura Dern’s character navigates a tight space by following the pipes on the ceiling.
Inspired by Jurassic Park, the player follows bright red pipes that stand out in the dark toward the flickering light illuminating four doors at the end of a long hallway.
Blockout
I like to play with space in levels.
Shifting between exteriors and interiors is something I particularly enjoy.
I also considered negative space and its effect in horror.
Tight spaces build tension
While wider open spaces can help create a sense of unease
IT Room
The only room open at the moment is the IT room
The main key to the power room is located on the first desk, next to a note detailing how to open the warehouse door.
There are other items hidden around the room for the player to find if they explore, rewarding them for exploring
Power Room
The power room has several computer towers that limit the players sight.
At this point the player has not seen a ghost.
As they turn the corner, this changes
The camera shifts, turning the corner for the first major scare.
The release of tension in the tighter-packed server room is followed by the building of unrest with a wider and more open area
After the player finally reaches the computer that will unlock the warehouse door, they are transported to a cemetery suddenly. Shifting the environment suddenly creates unease, which lasts even after the player is shifted back to the building.
Warehouse
The warehouse is a wide space that forces players to smaller more cramped areas
Even forcing the players to crawl (which slows their movement) to navigate the area.
I like players having to use the environment to accomplish their tasks.
The player’s path to the second floor is blocked by some crates
To proceed, they must use a forklift in the area to crash through the crates to proceed.
Second Floor
The first thing the player walks by when they climb to the second floor is a window looking into an office. Inside the office, the flickering television screen illuminates an ID Keycard.
As the player enters the next room, the only open door (and other source of light) closes and locks before the player can get through it. The player may get a quick look and see the vent leading into the room, hinting at a secret way inside.
The second floor has two other locked doors: the office the player saw earlier, and a security office. At the end of the room, the hall goes right.
As the player turns the corner there is a locked security door illuminated at the end of the hallway. If the player wants to progress they will have to get into the security office.
On the side of that hallway, there is a small breakroom. On the table, there’s a key to the main office, where the security keycard was.
When the player turns around they are immediately greeted by another ghost. Who then disappears. Scaring the player just as they feel comfortable.
The player will then go to the office to get the keycard, which will help them escape the building.
From there the player must make their way to the security office to open the final door to their escape. But as they cross through that final door they are once again transported to that haunted cemetery. Where the slowly opening cathedral door leads them to their “fate” and the end of the level.
Bonus: Airducts + Storage Closet
Earlier in the level the player had a chance to see that one way into the storage closet is through the air vents. Making their way through the open-air vent toward the storage closet offers a jump scare and a moment where the cemetery’s world has blended into the building’s world.
