This project is an approach on designing detailed interactive experience design. I spent many efforts upholding the horror theme throughout the entire gameplay process, which I did so by creating 2 emotions: Unknown and tension.

When designing, I always ask myself a question, “how will the player feel when they are playing?” This helps me maintain my focus on the player experience I want to create and forces me to reflect on places where more unknown and tension can be created.

For the big monster in the first area, I imagined a learning process that the player will go through: attacking the monster —> found out that the monster in immortal —> try to avoid the monster —> found the trap —> use the trap to kill the monster.

I remembered the tension I experienced when I saw the red light of the killer approaching in Dead by Daylight. I tried to implement similar features in Creaking Heart to make the big monster a constant, noticeable threat. I also gave the big monster a speed 0.9x of the player’s speed, which forces the player to keep moving. These designs are intended to enhance the tension during the “try to avoid the monster” phase, which upholds the horror theme of the game.

Similar approaches of “imagining experiences and trying to replicate them” is my biggest takeaway from this project experience. I enjoy the feeling of expressing myself in the games that I made, and feeling connected to my players. I will continue to try to focus on the interactive experiences of games.