Horror project (UEFN)
This level is a showcase of a multiplayer horror experience, demonstrating spatial pacing, atmosphere control and player flow management. The layout is built around a central hub (Sector 1), with 4 other areas branching from it. Each area has its own visual identity, style of navigation and focus on various mechanics, allowing the level to properly guide player behaviour through lighting, routing and environmental storytelling. The longer corridors and wide chambers are used to balance tension with breathing space, ensuring that scares land effectively while ensuring a steady gameplay pace.
The gameplay itself revolves around a team of players (4-8) completing interlinked tasks to progress deeper into areas and eventually escape. Different objectives unlock different areas, while many others are dependent on previous tasks being completed; further highlighting a sense of progression and further encouraging team coordination. On the contrary, a single opposing player, called the hunter, roams the environment, attempting to capture them. Captured players can be revived every 3 minutes, (2 if there are 6+ people). If more than 50% of the lobby is dead, 30 seconds is removed from the revival cooldown. This creates a strategic flow of advantage.
Each zone is intentionally designed to influence how players move, and how difficult they are to catch and capture. Variations in layouts, cover points and overall pathing make it easier for players to be slippery in certain areas. The level also features "lockdown" consoles to allow the players to seal routes temporarily, and redirect the chase. In contrast, the hunter can also manipulate environmental systems and teleport between important locations, introducing a-symmetry and further forcing players to adapt.
Overview of the central sector of the bridge map
Monitoring room: Features an open area and toggleable entrance covered in blue lighting to help cool down the player
Communications: Features an open area with multiple entrances/exits down turns to keep the player on edge but not terrified.
Communications (Alt view): Showcases a second entrance to the monitoring room, along with a vent which players can fit through to evade the hunter
Communications 2: Features a cluttered room with a small light source. Provokes feelings of entrapment and funnels the player out of the area.
Communications 2 (Alt view): Showcases the entrance to the room. The window helps to fill out space without clutter and provides an early warning to players of oncoming enemies.
Storage unit: Features a dark cluttered room. Its central, forcing players to pass through it. Its confinement makes it difficult to see, causing the player to be anxious, while the lack of light source helps force them through
Mission control: Central area for the players. Its well lit and very visible to keep the player calm. It features a central table to provide players with information, and toggleable doors to further help players defend themselves.
Mission control (Alt view): Showcases a storage section of mission control. Its aim is to break up the continuous patterns and reduce visual intensity.
Recreation: Showcases a warm, cluttered room. Utilises orange flooring to contrast the maps colder blues. It also has a streamlined design to help guide and funnel players into corridors.
Recreation (Alt view): Further showcases the streamlined designs. The orange flooring contrasts the buildings blue lighting to create a sense of unfamiliarity and further mess with the players head. The warmer colors also presents emergency in its design.
This video showcases an elevator mechanic I created. It uses trigger volumes and level sequences to work. You can read the video description for more information.
This video showcases a lockdown mechanic I created. It uses random number generators, level sequences and dynamic material parameters to function. You can read the video description for more information on why it works.
Showcase of the screen master material seen through the level