Description
Realm of Unrest is a first-person single-player horror game set at night in an alchemy university. While working on a group project, an unfortunate death occurs involving one of the participating students, Davian. As a result of this incident, a creature was unleashed within the university, with the goal of taking possession of the remaining students and using them as hosts. The four students - Aiden, Noa, Cynthia, and Pino - now try to stop the ensuing chaos, risking their own lives to cleanse the body of the recently deceased Davian and take care of the creature.
The game offers multimedia storytelling in the form of an alternate reality game. In addition to the game, an animated film and a website are being developed, both platforms containing information both within and outside the game. This information can be accessed not only from the game interface, but also from one's own smartphone or other devices that are able to connect to the internet. Background information is hidden on the website and in the accompanying animated film, and helpful messages related to the gaming experience can also be found there. These platforms provide interested individuals with the opportunity to engage and become part of the gaming experience, even outside the game.
A devious creature lurks within the game, and the player must be prepared for various challenges. The creature has its own way of challenging the player, and its behavior varies depending on the strengths of the playable character. The monster attempts to possess the player, which is visualized by the state of the player's character. The more the character is influenced by the enemy, the darker their character becomes, and when no shed of humanity is left, the game will end.
As the group of students consists of four individuals, at a certain point in the game, it becomes possible to switch between the different characters in order to cooperatively solve puzzles. This is particularly advantageous due to the unique abilities possessed by the different students. For example, Noa, who can read runes, can communicate the meaning of certain runes in puzzles and books to others via their smartphones. Similarly, Cynthia, from her floor, can open doors on other floors if needed. Character switching is only possible in specially designated rooms called Safe Zones, which also serve as a source of healing against the influence of the creatures.
In the end, the question remains whether the students will succeed in overcoming the challenge and restore peace to the realm of the living.
Controls
WASD - Moving around
CTRL - Crouching
Left Shift - Sprinting / Running
Q / E - Lean left / right respectively
Tab - Toggle inventory
Escape / Backspace - Escape examination of notes
E - Interact with objects in range
LMB - Click and hold to interact with physics based door
The following element is only visible internally
Pre-Production Progress Update - 05.11.2023
The summary of what has been done for the pre-production as of the 5th of november
Art
Asset list
Smart materials as base for assets
Concept art for characters and creature
Concept art and references for environment / assets
Animation timeline planning
Miro board for assembly of concept art and references
Unreal research for general art purposes
Audio
Unreal research for audio implementations
Information gathering for casting and recording of voice actors
Research for audio puzzles
Programming (Mechanics)
A stamina, possession (health) and battery bar
A flashlight that can be toggled
Running, which also reduces the stamina bar
Crouching
Simple object interactions
Physics interactions with objects (door)
A basic inventory, where collected items can be used, examined or dropped, and also have a short description - this system will be used as a base for the phone interface and mechanics
Hide option for lockers, which can easily be transfered to other objects
A small box with an interactable number padlock that also plays an animation when the "puzzle" is solved
A "jumpscare", where upon entering a certain area a sound gets played and another character walks by, this is also the basis for any future trigger events
Leaning mechanic to peak around corners
Game Design
First level design map draft
Blockout of the created map in unreal (ground floor)
Game Mechanic discussions
More detailed world building
Fleshed out backstory of characters
Narration and plot advancements
Adjusted Aiden's main gameplay mechanic
Puzzle ideas
Created own font for our world
Game bible document (wip)
Storyboard for cutscenes (wip)
Script for dialogues in english (wip)
Producing
Organisation and setup of team environment
Discord server with channels, roles
Clickup with task setup for pre-production
Weekly team meetings as a form of stand-up
General documents for organisation
Team discussions
The following element is only visible internally
Pre-Production Showcase - Basic Game Mechanics