Hello, all! Welcome to what I hope is the first of many blogs. The upcoming module I am about to start will mark the conclusion of my journey in Indie Game Development at Falmouth University. This module spans over 28 weeks, which includes a break between study blocks and consists of 8 sprints, each lasting 3 weeks. Rather than creating 28 separate blog entries, each with its own reflection, I've opted to consolidate them within their corresponding sprints. This approach will result in longer blog posts that are more manageable.
In these blogs, I will document the development process of my project, starting with its inception as a written proposal and finishing as an artefact within the Unity game engine. Throughout this journey, I will engage in reflective analysis, offering insights and updates to ensure the successful exploration of my research question.
Introduction
How does the Removal of Respite Mechanics Affect Emotional and Spatio-temporal Immersion in Survival Horror Games?
My fascination with horror in video games began with a mission in Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) called "The Library". It was in this desolate swamp landscape that the iconic Master Chief faced a zombie-like enemy known as the Flood (see Fig. 1). This initial experience led me to explore the world of survival horror, from classics such as Metro: 2033 (2010), Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010), Alien: Isolation (2014), and more recently, Resident Evil 2 (2019). However, while enjoying games from various other genres, I couldn't help but wonder if the traditional survival horror could benefit from a fresh perspective.
Figure 1: The Library - Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
This thought occurred during my playthrough of Elden Ring (2022), my first "souls" game. The absence of a pause button in the game led to heightened anxiety as I navigated its user interface, fearing my character's vulnerability. This realisation prompted me to dig deeper, leading me to an intriguing article about a Dead Space (2023) developer's desire to eliminate the pause button for a more immersive horror experience. With this inspiration, my research journey began. I started to ponder what a horror game would look like if the mechanics providing respite were completely removed. How would this absence impact different forms of immersion? And would such a game appeal to casual fans of the survival horror genre?
Scholar Bernard Perron, as discussed in his book "Horror Video Games", suggests that "the evolution of the horror genre runs parallel to the evolution of the medium as a whole, whose “mode of address” seems progressively geared towards player gratification" (Perron, 2014). This concept prompted me to delve into another thought-provoking question: To what extent can a player obtain gratification from a game that eliminates respite from its mechanics? I aspired to create an experience that would enhance immersion, although I couldn't help but question whether it might lead to player frustration rather than a genuine sense of accomplishment. It was from these ponderings that I embarked on the development of my own survival horror game, "Seven Nights in Horshaw House." A straightforward concept in which the player would assume the role of a paranormal investigator tasked with solving a murder mystery within the confines of seven in-game days, drawing inspiration from a rich collection of horror fiction, ranging from "The Spooks" to "The Haunting of Hill House."
Sprint 1 - 16/06/23
Research & Design
My initial steps involved compiling a list of potential research sources for future citation within my proposal. During this phase, I began contemplating the wording of my research question. It's worth noting that, at this point, I hadn't yet determined the specific types of immersion to focus on when evaluating the impact of removing respite mechanics within the context of a survival horror game. This thought only occurred to me after my first meeting with my supervisor. Consequently, my original research question read as follows: "How does the removal of respite mechanics in horror games redefine player immersion and enhance the gameplay experience?" With this in mind, I focused my attention on creating a moodboard for "Seven Nights in Horshaw House," an endeavour aimed at visualising the game's concept (see Fig. 2).
Figure 2: Moodboard - Seven Nights in Horshaw House
The purpose of creating the moodboard was to establish a colour palette and explore various design concepts for Horshaw House. I wanted the designs to exhibit a high level of realism to effectively immerse the player, choosing realistic assets over low-poly ones. Moreover, I intended for Horshaw House to exude an eerie and ominous atmosphere, evoking a sense of foreboding. I aimed to exaggerate its characteristics to distinctly convey to players that this was far from a welcoming place to be. After I was satisfied with the moodboard, my next steps included initiating the Unity project and setting up version control software.
Project Planning & Version Control Software
I selected Unity as my preferred game engine because of my prior experience. Although I briefly explored alternatives such as Unreal Engine, Godot, and GameMaker, my decision to work with a familiar engine and coding language stemmed from the need to manage multiple tasks, including writing the proposal and conducting research. This choice was initially comfortable, but in hindsight, I should have invested more time in evaluating the most suitable engine. For instance, Game Designer Rachel Cordone, in her book "Unreal Engine 4 Game Development Quick Start Guide," suggests that Unreal is particularly well-suited for 3D projects (Cordone, 2019). My preference for familiarity also extended to the choice of version control software, where I opted for GitHub due to my years of experience and its seamless integration with Unity. I did not consider alternative version control options like GitKraken or Perforce, as I intended to allocate the time spent learning the software to other aspects of game development.
Finally, I organised my upcoming weeks using an online Kanban board called HackNPlan (see Fig. 3). The next phase involves developing the proof of concept while examining other survival horror games, including the recent Amnesia: The Bunker (2023), to assess the features that provide players with respite.
Figure 3: HackNPlan - Seven Nights in Horshaw House
TL;DR
My journey into horror game development began with a memorable experience in Halo, inspiring me to explore the survival horror genre. This exploration led me to question the role of respite mechanics and their impact on player immersion. I delved into research, developing the concept for my game, "Seven Nights in Horshaw House," where the player is a paranormal investigator solving a murder mystery. This Sprint outlines my journey from choosing Unity as my game engine and my reasoning behind that choice, along with creating a moodboard for the game's concept. Finally, I set up version control with GitHub and organised my project using HackNPlan.
References
Cordone, R., 2019. Unreal Engine 4 Game Development Quick Start Guide. 1st ed. s.l.:Packt Publishing.
Perron, B., 2014. Essays on the Fusion of Fear and Play. In: Horror Video Games. s.l.:McFarland, p. 41.
Self, J., 2023. How Does the Removal of Respite Mechanics Affect Emotional and Spatio-temporal Immersion in Survival Horror Games?. The Tension of Terror, p. 2.
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