Level Design
This project was my entry into the Epic Games competition Creep it Real, in 2022. From beginning to end, it took ~50hrs.
Breakdown
Into the house now. A little darker, but still warm welcoming colours.
On the right of the hallway: a child’s drawing adorns the fridge, homework is strewn across the dining table, a laptop, drinks, stationary. On the left of the hallway: a large canvas print of a photograph, two smiling little boys (actually my brother and I), toy cars on the floor.
A loving family home. This builds tension, the player knows that this is a horror game, but I hold off the reveal.
The living room is visible at the end of the corridor, a tv set flickers, music can be heard. A cartoon? Perhaps the family are in there right now.
As the camera steps into the other world, I subtly alter the white balance to create a more sickly shade of green.
The ceiling is lower, the walls are closer together. At head height, the camera ducks under pipes.
The presence of toilet paper, cleaning liquids and exposed lighting imply that someone is living in this space.
The final vignette was designed to be the most chilling. A bed, a toy, a bucket, and two posters. The most eye-catching of which implies a religious element to the child’s imprisonment. A punishment?
This combined with the tranquillity of the earlier scene creates a real sense of unease. Help is so close, but so far.
The title of the competition was Creep it Real, which I saw as invoking two ideas: creepiness, and realness. Therefore I wanted to ground whatever level I designed in the real world. The idea that something horrifying could be happening in a real, mundane place.
The decision to open my horror level with a peaceful shot, during golden hour, in an idyllic American suburb was intentional.
The placement of a battered old car, a wooden bench, loose brickwork, litter etc. was to sell the idea that this was a place where normal people lived. With more time, I would have made this car a contractor’s van for reasons that will become clear later.
I pan into the house using the movement of a passing car.
A fake out. As the camera dollies closer to the living room, it pans hard right and we enter the basement. More signs of life. A skateboard, some old furniture, various chemicals and cleaning products. On the desk, a large battery is clearly being worked on over a long period of time. Someone’s handy!
As the bench slides to one side, I add some nice secondary motion in the form of the objects on it.
Past the storage area near the entrance, past a seemingly fully-plumbed bathing area, we come to a makeshift kitchen/dining area. A microwave on a chair, a plate - on a chair as though it were a table. Why the unusual furniture?
Then as the camera reveals more of the room, we see toys on the floor. We see the poster of a children’s character.
Here I imply that a secret child is being housed underneath the property. Why? Who knows about this?
Less than 30 seconds ago, we were watching traffic cruise around a pleasant neighbourhood and listening to cartoons play on the television. I only had 60 seconds to tell this story, so I wanted to use its brevity with intentionality.
