Hi everyone! 

This will be my first blog discussing the development of my game. It's a first-person survival horror game which will be split into three separate days (and more importantly nights, where the protagonist dreams of their journey through the prison. Each day begins walking home from work. The protagonist owns a small apartment. These are desecrated - very dirty and run-down. Despite that, his room is the only moment of respite for the protagonist through the course of the game. Although it is safe, I aim for the player to remain somewhat uneasy throughout. In the back of the room, a door remains shut. 

I have chosen not to depict any outdoor or natural scenes throughout the game. The protagonist remains inside throughout - whether in their apartment, or the prison. While this also solves my lack of tree and nature assets, it creates a sense of claustrophobia and unease. The only glimpse of green or trees is through the bars of a prison window - a little cruel if you ask me.

I am currently wrapping up development on the first night, and have been placing strong emphasis on the sound and music of the level. I have always been a strong believer in sound design being at the forefront of making a game 'scary', so placing extra care into the clinking of chains, or a light gust of wind, the sounds of static, the sprint of an unseen horror has been my primary focus. I've also found solace in percussive instruments used in the soundtrack. A heavily compressed drumkit sounds enveloping, driving and yet unnatural. Combined with synth effects and some panned whispers = a beautifully unnerving track.

That's pretty much everything for now! I'm going to be trying to continue updating my blog on the leadup to release, so let me know if you have any questions or anything you want me to cover specifically!

In the meantime, this is the Spotify link for my music with Bloody Convict: https://open.spotify.com/artist/799BxVE58XQ4fpqcXtCGcP?si=YAMth26USFayO5bvn0YoRw

When we write music, we strive to create a multimodal story, and have the tone and ambience of the game seep into our tracks. Two unreleased songs in particular directly link to the story of the game. I can't wait to see how players react to these story points!

This is my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BloodyConvictBand

Although it's primarily focused on my music currently, I plan to release videogame updates (and eventually a trailer) in the close future, so feel free to subscribe if that interests you!

Next time I want to talk about creating cutscenes for my game. Hopefully I see you there!

Rohan