A First person puzzle game based on Resident Evil 7
The Door
Introduction
Summary
This game focuses on puzzle solving and is inspired by Resident Evil 7.
This level was designed to make players use their creativity to solve puzzles while feeling tense. Additionally, I wanted to focus on environmental storytelling.
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Developed over a 5 week period
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Focuses on: Leveldesign, puzzle making, Environmental storytelling.
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Engine: Unreal Engine 5
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Assets used: AssetvilleTown, HorrorDiningRoom, HorrorEngine (All in Epic marketplace)
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Working Puzzles
Note:
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Player character script was not made by me.
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Most of the meshes are from Marketplace Asset Packs
Pre-production
Overview
This is a rough overview to help me to blockout.
During the course of blocking out, I changed the flow of the level as well as the overview several times.
References
As this takes place in a secret mansion, I wanted to incorporate some mansion elements without going into too much detail.
Resident Evil 7 heavily influences the game. As I designed each room in the level, I used reference pictures as a mood-board.
Blockout to Whitebox
After
Before
These are before and after shots of some areas of the level. Showing changes and cuts that was done during the development and the steps from going to a rough blockout to a more refined whitebox.
Level Overview
The keys and puzzle locations were finalized in this overview. There are multiple endings and ways to solve some puzzles in the game.
The Lighting
It was very important to me that the lighting played the right mood for the scene. Rooms should feel dark, but not be too dark. In addition, I wanted each place to have a different mood. In many places, I use blueish tones because blue is closer to black than red. In some areas, however, I wanted to use a more reddish tone because I believed red was a symbol of evil. A good example is the scene with the fox.
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Gameplay & Important choices
Because the game is a horror game I worked a lot with building the tension. Making the player more careful and vulnerable making the jump-scares more effective.
Something as simple as putting shadows and decorations at right places making the tension even more intense telling the player that something is going to happen soon.
Building Tension
I have made some sequencer events that will not only make the level more alive but also giving the player clues and sometimes even key items.
These sequencer events also helped to make the puzzles seem more alive.
Even storytelling with different scripted objects as the camera that follows the player making the player wonder if they are being watched.
Special Events
The Door
The biggest puzzle is the door that has three locks to open up. The door will show progress if the player unlocks one of the locks.
The door also reminds the player of the mid-term goal which is to open up the door. While the long term is to get out of the house.
The Fox
The fox is another intriguing story with a puzzle, a riddle to be able to solve to get a code that can be used to unlock the office.
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Full Playthrough
Gallery:
Why Was this a passion?
My vision was of a horror game that would be similar to an escape room. As a puzzle lover, I wanted to demonstrate that I could create a level that both had a horror theme and had the puzzle we all want to solve. Thanks to many people playing the level, I saw things I didn't see before. I made many changes to the level. For instance, if a player who playtested couldn't find a key, I would provide multiple options for finding it. I even hung a key in front of the player. Another big change I made was going from textured objects to simple colors so that the level would be easier to read.
With more time, I would add more horror events to the level, such as doors closing and lights flickering. As a result of this project, I learned a lot about myself and I am happy with how it turned out.
