Kowloon - A world abandoned, but not forgotten.
Game World Context
The story takes place in Kowloon Walled City in 1991, a place that the protagonist once called home.
For decades, Kowloon Walled City has been notorious. This lawless territory lies between British Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, and neither side has fully recognized jurisdiction over it.
Unlicensed clinics and factories that operate non-stop day and night, the entire neighborhood is maintained by unwritten rules rather than a legal system.
Ultimately, the government decided to “solve” this problem.
A demolition plan forced all the residents to move. The protagonist and his grandmother also left along with the others. From then on, the building was empty, waiting to be demolished.
But the demolition never began.
Inside its narrow and maze-like interior, the traces of daily life remain in their original places:
The medical records were spread out on the table in the consultation room.
The tools are placed beside the semi-repaired machine.
Clothes are still hanging on the rusty balcony.
The incense ash lay quietly on the altar at home.
Everything here doesn’t seem to have been abandoned; instead, it has come to a temporary halt, as if every resident is planning to return.
Under that silence, the city seemed to be waiting
Not for the construction workers
It’s not for officials either.
But for someone who once belonged here, someone destined to determine the ending of the story here.
Story Setup
After his grandmother’s death, when the protagonist was sorting through her belongings, he discovered two things that her grandmother had never mentioned: a jade pendant and a handwritten note.
The back of the jade pendant was engraved with the number: HK-74. He couldn’t remember having seen this jade pendant before.
Beside the jade pendant, there was also a handwritten note which read:
“I knew you’ find this one day.”
“When you do, come back.”
He had no idea why his grandmother had never mentioned these but left such a mystery after her death.
But he firmly believed that the things left behind must have an inevitable connection with Kowloon Walled City, because they were specially prepared for him by his grandmother.
So he went back, not because he believed in ghosts or rumors, but to reveal the family secrets that his grandmother had never spoken of.
When he stepped back into these buildings, it felt more like a response to an unceasing call than to a heap of ruins.
Narrative Progression
Level Structure
Throughout the experience, jump scares and chase sequences are used as deliberate pacing tools, guiding emotional shifts rather than occurring as random events.
The Funeral
Design Purpose
This level introduces the emotional foundation of the story.
Players will experience their grandmother’s funeral, establish a connection between the protagonist and their grandmother, and obtain two key relics that trigger their journey back to Kowloon Walled City.
Player Experience
The overall pace of this level is rather slow. The scenes are quite realistic and there are no supernatural elements present.
Players should have a high psychological expectation of what is about to happen and feel a sense of mission on their shoulders
Gameplay Flowchart - Level 1
Storyboard
Funeral Room - Environment Prototype
Return to the Walled City
Design Purpose
This level takes players from a safe space into an environment full of uncertainty and a sense of oppression.
The story will guide players to understand the unusual relationship and identity between the grandmother and Kowloon Walled City
Player Experience
In this level, players will experience free exploration, the appearance of supernatural elements, as well as jump scares and chase, which can help players maintain their tension in a real environment.
At the same time, the “safe house” setting in horror games is retained to prevent players from getting tired of fear
Gameplay Flowchart - Level 2
Archive Room
Design Purpose
This level will transform the horror into a folk horror, allowing players to understand the true origin of the enemy and the resentment of the deceased who were killed due to injustice, laying the groundwork for the revelation of the story
Player Experience
In this level, the player’s intense sense of unease created by the paper doll element transforms into an anticipation of the truth when obtaining the tape, and then is pushed into a state of fear, making the player even more eager for the truth on the tape
Gameplay Flowchart - Level 3
Escape Walled City
Design Purpose
In this level’s design, players piece together the origin of everything and their grandmother’s motives, thereby understanding why the grandmother concealed the truth from the protagonist
Player Experience
In this level, there are no chasing elements. Instead, it reveals the truth of everything. The final story ending is not a happy one either, allowing players to feel a heavy mood even after clearing the game.
Gameplay Flowchart - Level 4
Character - The Protagonist
Name: Unnamed
Age: Mid-18th
Background: He was born in Kowloon Walled City. When he was a child, he moved away from Kowloon Walled City with the relocation.
The role played in the game:
Player-controlled characters and narrative perspectives
Motivation:
At first, he came back for the belongings left by his grandmother, the jade pendant and the note. He firmly believed that there must be a reason for his grandmother to send him back, and he also had a sense of mission.
Narrative function:
Representing the audience: As the emotional anchor for the audience, it drives the story forward.
Personality traits:
There are no clear personality traits set, which is convenient for players to immerse themselves in
Character - The Grandmother
Name: Unspecified
Age: Late 70s at death
Background: A long-term resident of Kowloon Walled City.
Occupation: Served as an unofficial archivist for undocumented residents.
The role played in the game:
She never made an appearance in the game but instead advanced the story through elements such as left notes and related documents.
Background story:
In Kowloon Walled City, many people were born without legal status, so she began to record the birth, aging, illness and death of these people.
During this period, she discovered a conspiracy of an organ trafficking syndicate. However, as the protagonist was still young and she was afraid of being retaliated against by the interest group, she chose not to disclose this to protect herself and her family.
But throughout her life, she had been caught in the dilemma of whether to expose or hide these stories, and after her death, she left this issue to the protagonist to decide.
Character - Paper-Faced Opera Spirit
This Paper-Faced Opera Spirit represents the numerous vengeful spirits in Kowloon Walled City who have no legal status and have suffered organ trafficking
The role played in the game:
Bring fear to players and advance the story.
Background setting:
She once suffered from organ trafficking persecution by gangs in Kowloon Walled City. After her death, she took possession of a theatrical paper doll for revenge.
Motivation:
Because they were killed, the vengeful spirits attacked the living indiscriminately