THE DREAM
The Dream is an explorative, non-combat prototype designed to immerse players in an irrational world structured around two distinct levels: a beach and a house. The primary goal is to create an atmospheric experience where players roam and engage with the environment, uncovering a narrative through visual storytelling and interactive elements.
Initially conceived as an endless corridor inspired by PT, the project evolved significantly. Repurposing a prototype from an earlier game jam using Unreal Engine 5.01, I reintroduced a mechanic I previously developed: the "vision." Functioning similarly to a flashlight, this mechanic now allows players to make objects appear or disappear by illuminating the environment.
Inspired by the use of light in Alan Wake, the core interaction revolves around inspection; the world reacts dynamically to the player's focus, enhancing immersion and interactivity.
Narrative Structure
The Beach: Serving as the introductory level, the beach represents the player's psyche—a liminal space where they wander and reflect. The environment is melancholic and isolated, evoking feelings of loneliness and confusion. Players can interact with various elements, triggering character thoughts and subtle camera movements that deepen the narrative experience.
The Mansion: Contrasting the openness of the beach, the mansion offers a horror-inspired experience where the flashlight mechanic becomes central. As players delve deeper into the mansion, they explore their consciousness, uncovering memories and confronting personal traumas through exploration and interaction.
The narrative draws inspiration from surrealism, the supernatural, and horror, aiming to explore themes relevant to modern society, such as healing, trauma, coping mechanisms, mental health, and family dynamics. Storytelling is delivered through environmental cues, collectible notes, character introspection, and cinematic sequences.
World Design Iterative Process
DESIGN - Behind the scenes: Explaining the why’s
The Beach
The atmosphere is melancholic and isolated, It acts as a limbo space.
The beach world design offers openness, allowing the player to interact freely without a strict order. However, all main progression interactions must be completed to leave the beach.
Iteration 4 - February 2025 :
Worked on refining terrain, addition of last art assets, framing and composition, added new interactions and a needed cinematic + some small tweaks to audio interactions.
Iteration 1 - September 24:
Initial terrain and blockout with minor art assets and blockout to define areas and scope
First interaction in the level
Iteration 3 - January 2025 :
Addition of design flow (progression logic) and main landmarks assets. Reworked pathing and points of interest location to enhance exploration and the feeling of discovery. Added additional interaction and script. The tower is now gameplay as an example.
Iteration 2 - December 24:
Addition of art assets main landmarks, refined pathing and main interest locations points + iteration on gameplay flow and interactions + Island scale rework: tuned down
A kid welcomes you…
Screends And Videos
The Mansion (wip)
The mansion represents reminiscence - a space where the narrative unfolds as players confront their past. This environment blends surreal elements, light platforming, and classic puzzles to create a hauntingly immersive experience.
The flashlight mechanic becomes central here, illuminating the predominantly dark surroundings and revealing hidden aspects of the environment. Extensive sound design further enhances the atmosphere, contributing to the overall sense of unease and mystery.
Intentional incoherence pervades the mansion; neither the layout nor the decor is meant to make complete sense, reflecting the fragmented nature of memory and dreams. Players encounter a primary flow puzzle that must be solved to complete the adventure, with subtle clues and explanations conveyed through mysterious notes scattered throughout the environment.
Layout Screens and map
Screens and videos
Below, a video of a narrative beat where player interacts with a brain triggering an active state of the house
Meanwhile, here is a video below of one of the main key gameplay moment, facing off an adversary without weapons means you need to find another way. Just a video showcasing gameplay mechanics, notes, discovery items, flashlight environment, Boss behaviour