Competitor Research
In Sprint 4, the focus shifted towards finalising the proposal, leading to a temporary pause in the development of Seven Nights in Horshaw House. During this period, I took the opportunity to consider the game's eventual release strategy. After careful consideration, I opted to publish the game on Itch.io rather than Steam. While the idea of having the project on Steam was enticing, I recognised the experimental nature of the game and the need for extra attention in its delivery. My preference was to ensure a polished and complete game for a potential Steam release. As outlined in my Gantt chart, the project was expected to have a solid foundation, but it might not be fully ready for a broader audience release at that point.
In this phase, conducting competitor research was imperative to anticipate how the game might resonate with my intended target audience. It became evident that Seven Nights stood out as a distinctive horror game, sharing similarities with titles in the Souls genre such as Elden Ring (2023) and Dark Souls (2011), particularly in its lack of respite. Analysing the reception of these games and utilising the Steam Revenue Calculator to assess their generated revenue offered valuable insights. Recognising the need to position Seven Nights as an experimental horror game, I understood the importance of crafting a compelling press kit with captivating images and a trailer to engage my audience. With the plans firmly in place and the proposal officially submitted, it was time for a brief respite before the commencement of the next module and the official start of development.
Dynamic Respite Mechanics
As previously mentioned, I expressed my intention to provide different demos for the purpose of conducting A/B testing. Some demos would feature the respite mechanic turned on, while others would have the mechanics turned off. However, during the break between modules, I designed a more efficient approach to conduct A/B tests by incorporating toggles (see figure 1). These toggles would allow users to turn on and off respite mechanics during runtime, eliminating the need for distributing multiple demos and enabling iterative testing on a single version.
Figure 1: Seven Nights in Horshaw House [V0.3] Respite Mechanic Toggles [Video Game]
Initially hidden in the settings, I moved the toggles to a dedicated tab within the game, each accompanied by a description. In its default setting, Seven Nights became an experimental indie horror with all respite mechanics turned off. Later, I introduced a "classic mode" toggle, enabling users to experience traditional horror with all respite mechanics (see figure 2). While unable to include all 15 proposed mechanics in the demo, I tested key ones like Static Pausing, Static Inventory, Checkpoints, Player Health, Loading Screens, and HUD. With foundations in place, the goal is to incorporate all 15 mechanics for a comprehensive release, positioning Seven Nights as an experimental indie horror for players to personally explore without respite mechanics.
Figure 2: Seven Nights in Horshaw House [V1.1] Classic Mode Toggle [Video Game]
Having successfully implemented a dynamic respite mechanic that allowed players to toggle it on and off during runtime, the next milestone was progressing towards the beta phase as outlined in the development timeline. Subsequently, my focus shifted to swiftly integrating assets to fully immerse players in my world, marking the commencement of work on the beta.
TL;DR
Competitor Research and Release Strategy: Sprint 4 involved a pause in development to finalise the proposal and plan the game's release strategy. Choosing Itch.io over Steam, I conducted competitor research, positioning Seven Nights as an experimental horror game akin to Souls genre titles. A compelling press kit and trailer were emphasised for engagement.
Dynamic Respite Mechanics: A/B testing plans evolved to include toggles for dynamic testing of respite mechanics during runtime. Toggles were moved to a dedicated tab, offering players the option to experience the game with or without respite mechanics. Classic mode was introduced for traditional horror. The goal is to incorporate all 15 proposed mechanics for a comprehensive release.
Beta Phase Preparation: With the successful implementation of dynamic respite mechanics, focus shifted towards swiftly integrating assets to fully immerse players, marking the start of work on the beta phase.
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