Spooky Inside and Out

Remember Chris? He and instructor Cameron work together as part of Game-U’s Accelerate program. Cameron’s been teaching Chris how to handle himself within the professional-level Unity gaming engine. Their latest project is a spooky asylum game, that all but wishes us a happy Halloween!

The last time Chris sent us an update, the exterior of his asylum looked just about perfect. Chris has a knack for adding creepy, realistic detail, and he sweat the details for this project. But an asylum has an inside as well as an outside, so today, Chris transferred his attention to interior design. Check out the photo! This project definitely shows off how comfortable Chris is using Unity. From the front entrance, an immense, tiled main hall opens. Two grand curving staircases meet at its far side. Just in front of the landing stands a round pedestal, surmounted by a statue. Pillars rise around the perimeter of the room to support the second floor, where the decorative railings show familiar signs of disrepair. Chris did instructor Cameron proud by once again taking care to include rubble, dust, and debris beneath a broken railing, where such materials would logically fall. Presumably, both floors will soon feature dark yawning doorways that lead to a labyrinth of inner chambers, which the player can explore. With dim lighting and a tumbledown appearance, the interior of the asylum is well on its way to looking as cool and spooky as its exterior! Creating a powerful gaming environment that moves human players with its scenery, realism, and atmosphere not only makes a game fun, but also memorable. The environment helps the player relate to the game, gives the player clues as to the game objective, and provides an interface between the player and the game mechanics. It’s not an aspect of game development that can be neglected. Environment building is an important trade skill that Chris is working hard to perfect. That effort is paying off, because his game is already capturing our imaginations!

Chris, you amaze us. Your attention to detail and your ability to recreate what you envision are both crucial to success as a game developer. Stay in touch, and let us know when we can explore the asylum for ourselves!