Assignment 6 - Haunted House

*This project is a one-week-long school project. Each week we will come up with a design problem based on the topic we get from the professor. Then we will create a Pattern that solves the problem. Based on the Pattern we create we will design and create a game.

* The recommended resolution is 750x1344.

A Theme Pattern:

This week we are asked to create a theme pattern. The pattern we chose is Haunted House(again). Following the steps provided by the professor, we came up with ten games that have the theme we selected and came up with patterns that we can see from the games. In our game, the level is set in an abandoned house, and the player will play as a streamer trying to have an adventure in the house. Although the player will not encounter any actual ghosts or monsters, we are using lighting, design, and audio trying to create an inner horror for the player. In the game, the player needs to solve some puzzles along the way of exploring the house and then discover the secret behind it. Players will also see hints in the environment to tell a story of the previous owner without actually talking to the player.

Design Problem:

Plots for games help players to understand the settings and background of the game. However, straightforward stories are overused and players may feel the games are too plain. A hidden story that encourages players to explore the spaces and find clues can make players more immersed in the game. Take horror games as an example, monsters, and fighting are widely used, but these will let the players focus on the fight and cannot feel the horror atmosphere. Instead of using actual monsters/ ghosts, a hidden story leaves certain spaces for the players to fill the story with their imagination.

How your pattern applied to the design problem:

Pattern: https://patternlanguageforgamedesign.com/PatternLibraryApp/PatternLibrary/1312 

We chose the old abandoned house as our scene, we got inspired by the movie Conjuring. We tried to create an old house and the space is narrow and open at the same time. The house itself is narrow but the room is somewhat empty so players won't feel safe. The toys and blood in the second floor implies that some bad things happened in the house. This implies embedded the hidden story and lets players be vigilant to the dangers.