ONE PAGE GDD
This post introduces the main sections of Kowloon, including the game overview, essential experience, core design pillars, game loops, screen mock-ups and HUD annotation, moodboard, and story premise.
KOWLOON
Kowloon is a Cantonese folk horror game. The story takes place in the abandoned Kowloon Walled City.
After receiving a note and a jade pendant from your late grandmother, you return to this deserted City. The silence here doesn’t mean safety.
As you explore, uncover the dusty records and weave through the narrow corridors, some kind of creature begins to respond to your disturbing behavior.
CORE GAMEPLAY
This section introduces five key gameplay components: the core loop, mechanics, enemy and threat design, constraints, and success and failure conditions.
GAME INTERFACE & HUD DESIGN
This section introduces the game menu interface and HUD annotations of Kowloon
NARRATIVE & WORLD & CHARACTER
This section introduces the narrative foundations of Kowloon, including the game world context, story setup, narrative level design, and key characters such as the protagonist, the grandmother, and the ghost.
ART STYLE
This section introduces the art direction, visual pillars, character design, environmental design and level blockout of Kowloon
SOUND & MUSIC
This page outlines the sound and music design of Kowloon, showing how audio cues respond to gameplay states such as exploration, interaction, and chase to shape tension and pacing.
GAMEPLAY SYSTEM BREAKDOWN
This section provides a detailed explanation of the control system in Kowloon
TECHNICAL & PRODUCTION NOTES
This section introduces the development engine guidance, content warnings, hardware recommendations and control mapping of Kowloon.
MARKET & PLAYER COMMUNITY
This section introduces the market positioning, competitors, target users of Kowloon, and analyzes the market gaps
ENVIRONMENT & ASSETS PRODUCTION
These blockouts were created as part of the design research process rather than as final assets.
They were used to test space, scale, and player movement, helping to clarify how the environment should feel during gameplay.
PLAYER EXPERIENCE
This section describes the intended emotional journey of the player, using environmental design and controlled pacing to move from curiosity and tension to panic and eventual resolution.
GAMEPLAY SYSTEMS PROTOTYPING
This post breaks down the early gameplay systems I prototyped in UE5, including player movement, door interaction logic, and enemy perception.
@ KEVIN LIU WSA GAMES DESIGN AND ART