Each room within the game is designed with a small challenge game that can be completed in a short period of time. These challenges will not have complex rules, but will simply require the player to gain information through observation in a limited amount of time, and then use more intuition to make judgements. This is a few of the room types that have been designed so far.
In-room concept art
Light Memory Room
How to play
There are three floor buttons in the centre of the room, corresponding to the colours red, yellow and blue. There is a light at the top of the room that flashes different colours in a random order. After the light has finished flashing, players need to step on the floor buttons in the same order for the exit to open.
Mechanism
- Lights flash 6 times
- After the blinking ends the player starts to step on the button, stepping on the wrong button will restart the challenge, each time the light blinks in a random order
- Failure will not kill the player and will not accelerate the speed of the poisonous fog
Shadow Path Room
How to play
The floor of the room consists of several square floors, of which only one path is safe. Upon entering the room, the overhead light will briefly illuminate and the safe path will be cast as a shadow on the floor. When the light goes out, the floor returns to its original state and the player needs to walk to the exit from memory.
Mechanism
- Lights will only flash for 1-2 seconds
- Safe path will not be shown again
- If you make a wrong step, you will fail and be forced to go back to the starting point and start again from the beginning
- Lights will be re-lighted once every time you restart
Moving Timing Room
How to play
There are several periodically moving laser barriers on the walls in the room. The player needs to catch the right moment to dodge the lasers to reach the exit.
Mechanism
- The lasers move at a fixed rhythm
- The safe time to pass is short
- Touching a laser is considered a failure and the player starts from the beginning
- If you hesitate, you will miss the overall rhythm
False Choice Room
How to play
There are many exits in the room that look exactly the same. Only one of the doors going out is actually the correct one, and the rest of the exits will teleport the player back to where they entered the room until the right exit is found. The player needs to judge and choose quickly.
Mechanism
- No significant difference in exit appearance
- Failure doesn’t end immediately, there’s plenty of opportunity to try
Limited Vision Room
How to play
Upon entering the room, the player’s field of vision is reduced (only a circle around the player remains). And there are wall barriers in the room to block the player. Exits exist on one side of the room, and the player needs to move around the limited field of view to find their way.
Mechanism
- The field of view is fixed
- No additional hints are provided
- Walls will always be present
Reverse Control Room
How to play
Upon entering the room, the player’s up/down/left/right movement is reversed (walking left becomes walking right). There are also multiple walls in the room blocking the player, and the player will need to quickly adapt to the new controls to get through.
Mechanism
- Control reversal only works in this room
- Players can quickly understand the rules through trial and error
I think all of these test the player’s intuitive skills in different ways
- Sequence and rhythm
- Space and path
- Timing and movement
- Choice and hesitation
- Light and shadow and vision
- Variation and Rhythm
Gameplay Demonstration
This section shows a basic prototype demo video of the game, with a focus on testing the core gameplay structure. As such, this demo only uses basic cube building to test if the backend code is correct.
In the current prototype, only the corridor area and the challenges within the first room have been implemented. In the video the player can be seen moving through the corridor and into the first room. This room uses a red/yellow/blue light sequence challenge. As also described in the previous in-room challenge chapter, the top of the room lights up and the player needs to remember the order of the colours and step on the corresponding colour buttons in order. It was also one of the first in-room challenges I identified, as this can be less difficult and can be used as a first room for players to get used to the game.
The poisonous fog mechanic has yet to be added. Perhaps by removing the time pressure first, it will be clearer to see if the player understands the overall logic. And now I have some doubts about my production order, I intend to start with scenarios and basic programming first, but I’m afraid I’ll leave some art work behind.
I also gave this prototype to my friend to experience and give me some feedback. It was more of a playtest for myself as well, which helped me identify a few points:
- The switch between corridor and room is visually clear
- Challenges in the room are comprehensible without text
- The player’s attention is focused on the focus device when entering the room
Of course a lot of this is still only theoretical at this point, with many more changes to follow, this game is undoubtedly difficult to make. There is also the overall pace of the game that needs to be planned, which is still very limited at the moment. In the next development, gradually will add the poisonous fog mechanism and more room types.