S O O T F O O T
SOLO DEV - RESEARCH PROJECT
Primary Take-a-ways:
-
Designing and Programming for Complex AI Behaviour
-
Researching the psychology of horror games and how emotions are evoked through mechanics design
-
Analysis of similar systems and implementation of said research
-
Strengthened skill in Environmental Storytelling through the Labyrinth level
-
Developed with a schedule in JIRA and worked hard to consistently meet weekly targets
-
Iterative development based on User Experience and User Feedback
-
Experimentation of different design processes such as 'Boiler Plate', 'Brain Dump', 'Progressive', etc.
SOOTFOOT is a Mascot Horror game prototype I made for my Honours Year Research Project at Massey University - Bachelor of Screen Arts with Honours. SOOTFOOT was my way of An exploring horror game mechanics design and their effect on the player in the context of the Aesthetics in the MDA framework.
After awakening in a dark and twisted funhouse labyrinth with nothing but a dying flashlight you must use everything you can to find the 3 keys scattered around to unlock the door to escape this nightmare. All the while Sootfoot, a demonic jester, thirsts for your blood and he's on the hunt for his prey.​
​​​​​​​​​​​​​
During the development of SOOTFOOT I delved deep into researching the psychology behind fear and how 'horror' is created. I used this research in the iteration of the design of the mechanics and level. Originally I wasn't planning on incorporating a narrative into this project, but from my research I discovered just how vital a narrative is to create horror. Because of this, I decided to tell a narrative diegetically through the level, mechanics, and even Sootfoot himself. ​​​​​​​​​​​​
SOOTFOOT is my exploration into the creation of a horror game. Through this project, I got to truly experiment with AI Behaviour, Level Design, Horror Game Design and Foley Audio Work for the first time. I learnt so much from this project and while there were some struggles, I managed to push through and I am proud of what I made!
​​​​​​​​​​​​
