Week 1: Concept and Research
The idea for this project originally came from a short story a friend of mine and I were planning to write at some point. But after a bit of consideration, we realized the potential of the idea. Instead, I’m taking the summer to ideate and conceptualize a survival horror game using the base ideas.
So what’s the idea?
“The overall plot of the game centers around Dakota, a college junior, studying for finals in the campus library in the middle of the night. Originally there to meet a friend, they find the communal study tables to be oddly empty.
The game then follows as Dakota discovers an odd book in the basement archives, and subsequently how it then seems to follow them through the library. Each detail of the experience in the uncharacteristically empty library seems to change, feeling more liminal as the clock ticks on.
In the end, Dakota finds they are not alone, and must escape the bewildering isles and corridors of the library, to make it to safety and sanity.”
The first step of conceptualizing for me was creating a mood board:
I first wanted to solidify the aesthetic and genre of horror this game would sit into. Focusing on dark muted colors, a slightly dated technological feel, and a liminal public setting felt most important.
To feel accurate to a public university library, technology and furnishings will be simple and seem well-used. Pixelation, old carpet, dingy florescent lights express this goal perfectly. As well, typefaces should lean into skeuomorphism. Letters that look printed or smudged by old copiers can play an important role in juxtaposing the more traditional horror “painted” copy.
Next, I began to research the market and its existing games that offered a similar experience to this idea.
Overall many sources have seen the horror scene of the video game industry thrive in the past couple of years: “From massive blockbusters like Resident Evil and Dead Island, to smaller, more experimental titles like Inscryption and Signalis, the horror space is chock-full of developers looking to scare the living daylights out of us with unprecedentedly creepy creations” (Source).
This obviously gives an excitable market, as well as a saturated one. Thus, narrowing the concept scope into the indie, experimental space offers more room for niche visibility and success.
Similar games that have been player hits (both mainstream and indie) are:
Outlast (2013)
Iron Lung (2022)
Faith: The Unholy Trinity (2017, 2019, 2022)
Amnesia: The Bunker (2023)
Each game has a unique environmental aesthetic or graphics approach but focus intimately on the player experience. A cohesive visual experience is paired with a simplified, yet fleshed out plot to balance the terror with effective gameplay.
Lastly, this week I will be formatting a GDD (game design document) to fill in as I progress through this process, and begin sourcing premade assets for visual mockups.