6 DEVS make a HORROR GAME without COMMUNICATING!!

Blackthornprod

29 Oct 202320:50

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRSix developers are tasked with iteratively improving a horror game without communicating. Each one adds compelling elements like cutscenes, enemy AI, puzzles, multiple endings and boss fights. The end result is an atmospheric, story-driven game with engaging mechanics, praised for its horror elements and potential as a speedrunning challenge. There are discussions around continuing development with randomized levels and new enemies to expand replayability.

Takeaways

😱 The video features 6 developers creating a horror game by passing the project between them without communication
👾 M created a zero-gravity top down shooter game with spaceship environment, movement mechanics, enemies, shooting and basic effects
🌃 Idas worked on the atmosphere, shadows, enemy AI to chase player in light, gunshot alerts and slowdown effects
👻 Aria and Dual Wielder added an intro cutscene and story about something corrupting the player's mind in the spaceship
🔦 Thomas added flares to light the dark rooms and a HUD to track ammo and flares
😈 Devin experimented with some visual tweaks but mainly focused on multiple endings and a 12-heart boss battle
🎮 The devs discussed improving movement, adding more enemies and randomness, and expanding the boss fight
⏱ T had the current world record speedrun time and wanted to compete with Liam on speedrun leaderboards
🔊 Great sound design and voice acting brought immersion and tension
😱 The final game with story, cutscenes, effects and bosses was far beyond expectations

Q & A

What was the initial idea for the horror game by the first developer M?
-M's initial idea was to make a zero gravity top down shooter survival horror game set in a broken spaceship, where you push off walls to navigate around.
What gameplay mechanic did M implement for grabbing onto walls?
-M used a basic inverse kinematics (IK) script to make the player's arm grab onto the nearest wall when not moving.
What did the second developer Idas add to improve the atmosphere?
-Idas made everything darker, more unpredictable, implemented 2D shadows, and made enemies react and move towards the player when they enter light sources.
How did the third developers a and dual-wielded improve the story?
-They added an intro cutscene to provide backstory and context, introduced a second character when corruption starts, and had the captain give level updates over the radio.
What did Thomas Stewart change about the gameplay?
-Thomas added flares that can be thrown to light up areas, along with ammo pickups to find more flares. He also updated the HUD to track ammo and flares.
What ending did the final boss lead to?
-One of the narrative choices leads to a boss fight and ending where the player is corrupted by the red lights and then disposed of.
How was the minigame between levels changed?
-The minigame was redone to be more puzzle-like, parametric so it's different each time, and ties into the story better as the player progresses.
What criticisms did the developers have after playing the final game?
-They felt the movement could be improved more as it was hard to move everywhere. Also enemy placement became predictable once learned.
What ideas did they have for expanding the game further?
-Ideas included additional enemy types, more environments and bosses, randomly generated levels for replayability, and expanding the other narrative choice.
What existing games influenced or inspired parts of this project?
-M's game Endoparasitic, a previous no communication game some worked on, Luke Muscat's scuba diving game, and Fallout.

Outlines

00:00

😱 Developing a spooky zero-gravity horror game

The first developer, M, created a top-down zero-gravity survival horror game set in a broken spaceship. He implemented movement mechanics, basic enemies, shooting, levels, a tutorial, and story elements before passing it on.

05:01

👻 Adding creepy backstory and context

Developers A and Dual Wield focused on enhancing the story and context. They added an intro cutscene framing it as a submarine under the influence of mysterious red lights, tied broken minigames into the plot, and had a ship captain character guide the player via radio.

10:03

💀 Polish, lighting fixes and cosmetic horror

Thomas smoothed out issues with frustrating enemy abilities and lighting. He added flares to illuminate the dark environments, tweaked the UI for ammo/flare tracking, ensured progression without getting stuck, and paid homage to cosmetic horror influences.

15:05

😱😱 Multiple endings, a boss fight and more spooks

Quinn added multiple endings based on a climactic choice. One ending leads to a boss fight against a monster with 12 hearts. He also incorporated small touches like screen shakes and hidden cutscenes for extra scares.

20:07

👍 Celebrating a great horror collaboration

The developers reflected on the final product, praised the collaborative effort, and brainstormed ideas for future improvements like randomized levels for replayability. They encouraged trying the multiple endings and offered a special sale on their GameDev courses.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Horror game

A horror game is a video game genre centered around scaring or disturbing the player. The script describes a collaboration between several developers to create a horror game with zero gravity mechanics and scary atmosphere. Examples of horror elements added include dark lighting, creepy enemies, jump scares, and an unsettling storyline.

💡Developer

A developer is someone who creates video games. The video features six different developers who each get a turn to work on improving the horror game, adding their own elements and mechanics without being able to directly communicate.

💡Mechanics

Game mechanics refer to the rules, systems, and code that govern gameplay and player interactions in a video game. The developers in the video focus on mechanics like movement, shooting, AI, puzzles, lighting, etc. to enhance the core horror experience.

💡Atmosphere

Atmosphere describes the overall tone, mood, or ambiance of a game. Several developers in the video aimed to create an unsettling, creepy atmosphere through audio, visuals, environments, and narrative elements.

💡Storyline

The storyline or narrative of a game drives the player's actions and experience. Multiple developers expanded on the original game's story with cutscenes, character dialogue, lore, and different endings to increase immersion and stakes.

💡Speedrun

A speedrun involves completing a video game as fast as possible. One of the developers introduces the idea of leaderboards and speedrunning competitions for the game based on its replayability.

💡Replayability

Replayability refers to a game's capacity for players to enjoyably play through it multiple times. The developers discuss improving replayability by adding more varied levels, enemies, randomization, and multiple endings.

💡Immersion

Immersion is the feeling of being deeply engaged and involved in a game's world. The developers aimed to improve immersion through lighting, audio, lore, shadows, puzzles, and richer storytelling.

💡Puzzle

Puzzles make players think logically to overcome challenges. One developer added hacking puzzle minigames that increase in difficulty and tie into the narrative.

💡Leaderboard

A leaderboard tracks players' scores and times to drive competition. Adding a speedrun leaderboard was suggested to encourage replayability and fun speedrunning challenges.

Highlights

The game is a zero gravity top down shooter where you navigate broken spaceship environments

M made zombie enemies that float around and attack you if you get too close

Idas worked on implementing 2D shadows and light sources to make the game scarier

Idas made enemies move towards the player when they enter light sources

A and dual wielded added an intro cutscene and tying mini games into the story

The story implies looking at red lights outside the spaceship corrupts the player

Thomas Stewart added flares to help navigate dark levels

Flare mechanics let players light up areas ahead without going in themselves

Liam made the game have multiple endings based on which character you listen to

One ending leads to a 12 heart boss fight

Liam added parallaxing effects and cleaned up the death/restart screens

T has the current world record for speed running the game

The group suggests expanding with more enemy types, environments, and random level generation

They could improve the unchanged mechanics like movement

The tension from lack of control in movement makes horror games fun

Transcripts

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