The Wallpaper: A game concept
Text om detta projekt finns endast på engelska
Horror is often a hard to approach and perhaps misunderstood genre. There are many tricks games and films use to scare their audience, such as jump scares, loud sudden noises, and disgusting visuals, that can feel cheap and exploiting of natural responses. In this project I wanted to explore how I can make something that doesn’t deter those who are interested in horror but avoid it due to common tropes.
Using the framework of video games, I decided to take a classic public domain horror story and use a cuter visual style to make a game concept for those who want to experience the genre but don’t like the common tricks most movies and games use. I wanted to focus on creating feelings of anxiety, claustrophobia, and distrust in one’s own senses rather than monsters that jump out at the player. Because the original story has an unreliable narrator, playing a character that is unreliable helps build the sense of unease and stress that the subject calls for.
Building on this idea I created a concept book with details of how the game would work and storyboards of sample scenes. I also made a short animation to show suggested gameplay to demonstrate how the visual style and sound effects would add to the feel of the game. The game concept centers around Weasel, who is locked in their room by their partner, Badger. After Weasel discovers a shadowy figure trapped with them, they work together to reach their shared goal of escaping the house. The player switches between controlling Weasel and the shadow to collect tools, clues and information to be free from the confines of the house and Badger’s grip.
Kimkarlsson_wallpaperConceptBook
Kajsakim.karlsson@gmail.com
Kajsakimportfolio.tumblr.com
