Midnight Sun

Midnight Sun is claustrophobic, survival horror game set in an abandoned apartment building, in which the player is hunted by a nightmarish creature; all the while uncovering the secrets of the building.

Engine: Unity 3d

Team Size: Solo Project

Project Length: 4 Months

Midnight sun is a claustrophobic horror game, set in an abandoned apartment building

My intent with Midnight sun was to recreate the feeling of vulnerability and fear found when you're alone in a frightening place. 

I used long hallways and a narrow field of view to help achieve the feeling that the world is closing in on the player. The slow movement speed and inability to sprint also help to create the feeling of unease and dis-empowerment within the game. The visuals of the game were very important to me, and creating the right aesthetic wasn't easy. While developing the game the gloomy, run-down areas found in the Silent Hill series inspired me. To increase the tension and unease in the game, I created low resolution textures to imitate the limited graphics of early Playstation games. Additionally, I used a grain filter to make much of the world difficult to discern.

One of the most important elements to creating a successful horror game, I've found is to limit player agency. By making the player feel powerless, they begin to feel as if they are at the mercy of the game itself.

The game features a singular threat, the "Cube Monster". The monster approaches the player when their back is turned and stays still while the player is looking at it. I used different speeds of movement on different levels to imply that the monster is smarter than it looks. The monster also emits a low humming sound tat helps to inform when it is near the player.

I learned a great deal building Midnight Sun. Creating a mood within a game can be very challenging and the balance between tension and boredom is quite difficult to maintain. I feel that Midnight Sun not only hits its mark atmospherically, but manages to capture a sense fear and dread.