The Factory
A Horror Puzzle Experience
Introduction
A first person horror puzzle focusing on immersion through physics-based gameplay. Escape the abandoned factory and avoid getting caught by the creature hunting you.
Specifications
Time Spent: 4 weeks half-time
Engine: Unreal Engine 5.1
References: Amnesia franchise and SOMA
Assets used: NPC Model and Animations from mixamo.com
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Process
The Idea
The process started out by drawing a basic layout of the level. Here I focused on mapping out the progression of the experience. I wanted to have a clear idea of the level flow when going into the blockout stage.
Blockout
In the blockout stage I built and iterated very quickly to get the sense of scale just right. I tested my ideas from the sketch and made changes based on flow and feedback. In this phase I focused a lot on sightlines and how the player is presented with the different areas and gameplay elements.
Whitebox
Once I was happy with the layout and flow of the level, I moved on to creating custom meshes for key gameplay elements like the control panels, levers, doors and so on. The idea was to emphasize important areas and gameplay elements with these custom meshes.
Gameplay
Physics
I wanted physics to be a big part of the experience since I think it greatly heightens the immersion. In the level are regular physic props that the player can move around, as well as interactable objects like levers and lockers using Unreal Engine's Physics Constraint component.
Puzzles
The puzzles involve turning on control panels, flipping levers and finding missing components related to these puzzles. All puzzles are based on the physics props and interactable objects mentioned in the previous paragraph.
AI
The enemy NPC patrols the main room in a loop. I wanted the NPC to be relatively predictable as opposed to having it roam randomly which might result in it turning around unexpectedly and making the player feel tricked if they tried to sneak past it.
Three Act Structure
1. Onboarding
This is the introduction of the level and the most important part of the experience. Here I teach the player the mechanics of the game in a safe environment so that they are prepared for more challenging situations later on.
2. Challenge
Once the player has been accustomed to the gameplay it is time to add a challenging element to the experience. This is done by introducing a patroling enemy character that the player has to sneak past.
3. Resolution
After the player has made it past the enemy character they are ready for the last puzzle. Here are all elements of the previous puzzles combined in a slightly more advanced and pressured setting. After completing this puzzle, the player is able to finish the level by leaving through the exit doors that are now open.
Reflections
My goal with this project was to create a creepy and immersive puzzle experience and I am pretty happy with how it turned out! The feedback I received from playtesters was that it felt very ominous and that the physics mechanic was fun to play around with. I even managed to scare some of my classmates with the enemy encounter (myself included), and that was even without any sound effects!
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Sound effects were actually something I had originally planned to have in the experience since sound is such an important factor in horror games and it is something I enjoy working with a lot. However, since the main focus of this piece was level design and functionality I ended up scrapping that idea. But if I had more time, that would be the first thing to add!
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As for the gameplay, I would have liked for the player to interact more with the enemy in the big room. Maybe add an objective the player has to solve while the enemy patrols the area. I think it would have been exciting for the player to have a more stressful event happen before moving on to the last puzzle.
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In terms of level design, I think it would have been a good idea to add a slight variation in color to the different rooms so that the player has a clearer mental map. Adding some unique props in each room would probably also make them stand out more and enhance the feeling of exploring a new area.