Grégoire Laroumanie -Game designer
5 to 9 Horror
Walking simulator
March 2023- May 2023
For a Level Design exercice, our task was to create a small game prototype with a specifique focus on difficulty progression, signals and navigation
5 to 9 Horror is a tense puzzle-walking simulation designed for a single player
This project lasted 2 months with a team of 4, and it marked our initial experience using Unreal Engine
What I did
What I learned
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Designing the mecanics and theconcept of the prototype
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Designing the first 2 zones of the game
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Blockout of the tutorial
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Integrating gameplay and visuals for the tutorial
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Managing the macro progression
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BSP blockout in Unreal
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Unreal blueprint
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Managing the player's level of fear for a horror-themed game
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Ramping up the difficulty of levels with minimal game mechanics
A "virtual escape game"
Despite having limited technical knowledge but a strong intention for horror and stress, we chose to create the simplest possible game with minimal coding mechanics. We developed a walking simulation with elements of an escape game, utilizing the default FPS bluprint by Unreal to aid us.
Nevertheless, we were able to refine our mechanics, adding complexity to immerse the player in environment reminiscent of an empty office or backroom, using an asset pack we found.
The gameplay is straightforward - navigate the office, locate keys, open doors... The primary objective is to find clues while exploring leading to the discovery of a 4-digit code that grants acces to the next zone.
Walking-Running-Croutching
The main mecanics involve moving and exploring the environement to find clues. Additionally, the player has the ability to also run and croutch
Object interaction
The player can interact with various objects in the game, including opening/ closing doors, moving furnitures and opening vents
The final code
Once the player discovers the code, they can type it in the PC to unlock and open the exit room
5 to 9 Horror longplay