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Background and Context of Study
Background and Context of Study
The gaming industry is a diverse landscape that is constantly evolving with a very broad range of users from all backgrounds and experience levels. Understanding player behaviour is important as it affects how we think, interpret and design for the player experience. There is a growing concern in the gaming industry to understand player behaviour to influence and direct activities in the game (Medium, Eng, 2020). Being able to influence how a player plays a sequence of a level can make it easier to tell and story and create a more impactful and engaging experience for the player.
Player behaviour is defined as "Player responses are largely based on forms of stimuli and the actions that they take within the game environment", (Medium, Eng, 2020). A player will respond based on what they encounter and can understand from a game environment in order to explore and/ or reach an objective.
I will use a horror game as the base of the project as the horror genre is typically single-player in the gaming industry. "Not only is being alone in a scary place inherently unsettling, but the solitude also allows horror games to gradually build atmosphere, suspense and dread too", (PekoeBlaze, 2021). PekoeBlaze states that single player horror games are able to take a player's loneliness in an environment to build dread and suspense combined with a dark atmosphere.
To create an enjoyable playing experience for players of all backgrounds and experiences, it is crucial to understand how a player will behave in a level. The research aims to investigate the elements of level design that can influence how a player behaves as they progress towards the level objective. Understanding what elements of level design affect player behaviour and how their behaviour is influenced by these elements will support answering the research question.
The objectives of the research are highlighted below:
· Investigate how level design influenced player behaviour:
o The primary objective of the research is to determine how a player’s behaviour can be influenced by the elements of level design in a single-player horror game.
o Explore what elements of level design affect player behaviour:
o Another aim of the research is to highlight the elements of level design that affected the behaviour of the player.
· Identify gameplay preferences:
o To better understand which path of each level is preferred by players.
o Provide insights for developers:
The research aims to generate helpful insights and recommendations regarding what subtle clues are the most efficient way of guiding a player through an environment.
Review of Relevant Literature
Review of Relevant Literature
"Guiding a player through a 3D environment can be a difficult task, especially in a game with a choice of multiple paths. Because of this, designers are often forced to implement various navigational tools such as maps, user interface (UI) elements and written explanations to help the player get from one point to another", (Fredriksson, 2018). The difficulty of guiding players through an environment with several paths often leads to developers implementing tools and utilities to help the player traverse their way to the objective. "Visual clues and navigational aids co-exist together in recent games, however, the problem is that the navigational aids overpower the visual clues by providing much more information about the surroundings to the players", (Guldur, 2020). Guldur suggests that navigational aids influence a player's behaviour when navigating a level.
Between the player’s spawn point and their objective, there will be a series of obstacles and enemies that make navigating the level more difficult. "Difficulty will derive from the challenge presented and the player’s skill". These obstacles and enemies can influence the behaviour of players as they navigate towards the objective. Not every player will define the same obstacles as challenging. "Players can vary heavily in skill, depending on their previous experiences, motor skills and cognitive capabilities in the game context", (Medium, Valerio, 2017). Valerio suggests that the influence a player will experience while playing a game derives from their previous experiences, health and the context that the game provides to them.
"There are several factors that influence behavior in games. Those include but are not limited to gender; influence; and games-based roles", (Medium, Eng, 2020). Eng suggests that female players prefer to display a degree of efficacy before playing with others. While this does refer to online games, it is important to keep gender in mind as social influences can alter behaviour in an offline game too. "They must feel that they can trust the game, players, and environment in the ludolgical agreement in play", (Medium, Eng, 2020). A player can play in a cautious manner when they do not trust or understand the game and environment.
3D Environment Design
3D Environment Design
There are many forms of obstacles in a level that the player must overcome to reach an objective. Obstacles play a crucial role in creating challenges and engaging gameplay. Obstacles can vary widely depending on the genre of the game, but they all contribute to the overall challenge and enjoyment of the experience (Quora, 2024). Providing a way for the player to respond to obstacles and scenarios that are happening around them can influence their behaviour as if they have a method to hold off an enemy, they would try that rather than escaping the area. That means that players’ responses are largely based on these forms of stimuli and the actions that they take within the game environment (Medium, Eng, 2020).
As an example of a balanced obstacle and utility, from my own experience, horror games are typically set in the dark with dim lighting with a lot of shadows. Flashlights are typically given as the utility to combat this with a battery mechanic to manage to add a challenge of sparingly using the flashlight (fig 1). Escape the Backrooms (FancyGames, 2022) balances the dark areas (dangerous or not) by giving the player a flashlight so they can navigate and combat obstacles that they encountered.
Space theory is a variety of wide and narrow spaces to influence the navigation of players. Players can feel like they are lost in an environment when trying to find their objective (Guldur, 2020). Narrow pathways can feel less appealing to players when compared to open spaces as the potential to get trapped is increased as mobility is decreased, however, from the results of (Fredriksson, 2018) research it would seem that players believe the narrow pathways are the correct paths to take when paired with wider, open areas (fig 2). When a player is given a wide open space to traverse they will typically use the environment to navigate their way around such as with Slender: The Eight Pages (Parsec Productions, 2012), players used the environmental elements to guide their way around the forest due to limited visibility (fig 3).
This project will look to use levels that are narrow hallways as well as an open forest. Splitting the types of spaces found in an environment into separate levels I feel will lead to players having more freedom in playing and less chance to influence them through the design of the level like the previous papers have. I will discuss the layout of the levels and paths as they are brought up in the later sections.
I took inspiration for the hallways of Level 1 from SCP: Containment Breach (fig 2). The varying shades of grey along with the claustrophobic hallways helped me to find an art style that I thought suited the setting. The ventilation system was inspired by the vents from Escape the Backrooms. I was mostly focused on the concept of the vents not the style but it made for a good reference when drafting the layout of the vents for path 2 (fig 4).
The use of harsh, stark lighting and colours enhance the feelings of desolation and tension (RMCAD, 2024). In the horror setting I am looking to create, these dark colours and harsh lighting will help to increase immersion and player engagement. SCP: Containment Breach (2014) and (Escape the Backrooms, 2022) have achieved this result quite well with the eerie hallways of SCP and the claustrophobic vents in the backrooms.
There are dark areas (known as negative space). Typically, the negative space can hide hidden enemies and make the player feel unsafe, (Fredriksson, 2018). Objectives for horror games hidden in these negative spaces. This is an area of lighting that I haven’t seen be used in a research study on player behaviour.
Audio and Lighting
Audio and Lighting
Colour and lighting are a good way to improve navigation through a scene or to make objects and obstacles stand out from the environment. Lighting, colour and brightness can be balanced and adjusted on the chosen target to create the necessary contrast needed for visual attention from the viewer (Fredriksson, 2018). An example of this is in The Hundredth Hike (2024), in the prologue forest level, the player is guided up the mountain by lit candles on wooden poles that are spaced out along a dark, wet trail (fig 5). The player can’t see the next candle when standing by another candle. The only indications on where to go is the arrow on the wooden poles pointing which direction the candle is in and the wet trail which blends into the ground unless the player looks at the ground with the flashlight. This is a method that developers have used for many years as the colours of the lights contrast with the darker environment making it an easy immersive navigation tool.
Flipping this concept, the player could look for dark spots in a well-lit level. Typically, the negative space can hide hidden enemies and make the player feel unsafe (Fredriksson, 2018). This is an area of lighting that I haven’t seen be used in a research study on player behaviour (fig 6).
Developers can use harsh, stark lighting to enhance feelings of desolation and tension (RMCAD, 2024), which for a horror setting work help to increase immersion and player engagement which The Hundredth Hike has utilised perfectly.
Developers of horror games have a bad habit of creating very dark levels with minimal lighting sources. These light sources have minimal effect on the environment and create frustration from players. This reduces a players ability to traverse the level and drops enjoyment levels for players. Fig 7 shows the dark environment of Demonologist, fig 8 displays the lack of proper lighting in Phasmophobia, where light outlets fail to fill a room and finally, fig 9 shows that flashlights are typically very weak in the horror games. Inside the backrooms is used an example of this.
In an article by chiaroscorner, (2018) the ability to guide players through a level using audio is typically done in a subtle manner, leading to hidden areas of the level. "a more subtle guiding technique is to use audio. The player will typically seek out sound sources. Not only does the use of sound sources hint at areas not yet explored, they also give the player an incentive to explore locations further in order to gain rewards". Chiaro suggests that the use of audio will make the player curious to find the source of the noise, causing them to explore the level further and find new areas in the process.
In The Hundredth Hike, when the player picks up a key in the basement, footsteps can be heard above that lead to a door that gets knocked on and unlocked. This audio clue demonstrates how audio can be used to subtly guide the player to their objective.
Obstacles and Utilities
Obstacles and Utilities
There are many forms of obstacles in a level that the player must overcome to reach an objective. Obstacles play a crucial role in creating challenges and engaging gameplay. Obstacles can vary widely depending on the genre of the game, but they all contribute to the overall challenge and enjoyment of the experience (Quora, 2024). Providing a way for the player to respond to obstacles and scenarios that are happening around them can influence their behaviour as if they have a method to hold off an enemy they would try that rather than escaping the area. That means that players’ responses are largely based on these forms of stimuli and the actions that they take within the game environment (Medium, Eng, 2020).
As mentioned above, horror games are typically set in the dark with dim lighting with a lot of shadows. Flashlights are typically given as the utility to combat this with a battery mechanic to manage to add a challenge of sparingly using the flashlight.
Health is a big factor in horror games and it is typically displayed in the form of a sanity meter with Escape the Backrooms (fig 10) and The Hundredth Hike (fig 11) using sanity as the health meter. Collectable items such as almond water (fig 10) and pills (fig 11) can be collected to heal the player. These meters make players actions in a level hold more weight as they risk harming their player if they make the wrong move.
Fig: 12
Level Design Elements - ChatGPT
Level Design Elements - ChatGPT
Chat GPT prompt will be removed for final submission due to superior DeepSeek prompt. I am only leaving this section on the website for the Beta submission as proof of research.
In order to make sure I was covering a wide range of the elements of level design, I asked ChatGPT to list the different elements of level design for a video game (fig 12).
I then compared what I had in the project to what the generated list suggested. The main area to improve was the narrative.
This was the original draft made using A.I to discuss the different level design elements. The second draft is more robust and uses DeepSeek (provided by my first project supervisor) to give further details.
1: Layout & Structure
1: Layout & Structure
Project has three levels with three pathway each for the player to explore.
Flow of levels with linear or open choices of navigation.
Pathways have several distinct landmarks to help players understand where they are.
2: Gameplay & Mechanics
2: Gameplay & Mechanics
Objective set at start of each path.
Mix of environmental and NPC obstacles. These also act as dangers for the player to overcome.
NPC Characters:
Guard (Level 1)
Alien Creature (Level 2 & 3)
Alien Spore (Level 1 & 2)
Environmental Obstacles:
Dark Areas [Negative Space] (All Levels)
Vent System (Level 1 & 2)
Alien Biomass (Level 1 & 2)
Electrified Water (Level 1 & 3)
Oxygen Management (Level 1 & 2)
Fire (Level 3)
Mud Pools (Level 3)
Collapsed Foliage (Level 3)
3: Spatial Composition
3: Spatial Composition
The hallways of Level 1 and 2 have been designed and scaled to center the ceiling light and draw attention to it. This is done through creating dark areas to the side and bottom of the hallways.
There is a mix of narrow and wider open spaces to navigate.
Levels are mostly flat, lacking verticality with exceptions for:
Path 3 of Level 1, which leads downstairs.
Path 2 of Level 3, which begins on the roof of the building before lowering to ground level.
The terrain of Level 3, which is rough and full of hills and dips.
Player will be able to see lighting throughout the various levels and traversal options.
4: Environmental & Aesthetics
4: Environmental & Aesthetics
Dark, eerie atmospheres. Set the tone of the levels.
Dark environments, lit-up by a mix of static and flickering lights. Series of shadows can hide obstacles and help with mood setting.
Biomass, fires, exit signs and lighting placed around level to enhance immersion.
5: Player Guidance & Feedback
5: Player Guidance & Feedback
The following help guide the player through the levels towards the objective.
Lighting (All Levels)
Ceiling Lights (Level 1 & 2)
Outdoor Trial Lights (Level 3)
Machinery Lights (Level 2)
Warning Lights (Level 1)
Blood Decals (Level 2)
Open/Closed Doors (All Levels)
Fires (Level 3)
Audio (All Levels)
Props
Signage (Level 1 & 2)
Ladder (Level 3)
Machinery (Level 2)
Interactive elements help the player manage mechanics and navigate towards the objective.
Doors
Elevators
Flashlight
Flashlight Batteries,
Health Pack
Oxygen Refill Tank
Data is displayed on the HUD for:
Flashlight Battery Level
Oxygen Level
Stamina
6: Flow & Pacing
6: Flow & Pacing
NPC difficulty increases along with the lighting becoming dimmer and spaced further apart. Less space is available to navigate away from the NPC characters as the levels become smaller.
Players can find and use rooms/ buildings to rest in or trap the creature inside.
NPCs switching from roaming to hunting states creates a mix of high and low sequences.
7: Technical Considerations
7: Technical Considerations
Some steps were made to help with the optimisation of the project:
Necessary assets added to project.
Only assets that can be seen in each level implemented.
Options for resolution of screen.
Options for quality of graphics.
Collisions tested for level environment and assets. Only simple collision used as complex collision would be redundant.
Trigger events used for:
Doors.
Subtitles.
Ladder use.
Completion of each level.
8: Narrative & Story-telling
8: Narrative & Story-telling
Narrative was implemented at a later stage of development but used a series of smaller elements to convey a story with small pieces of lore sprinkled into the different paths.
Audio
Evacuation Announcement (Mentions breach in facility)
Distant Gunfire, followed by screams
Alien Creature noises
Breathing
Footsteps
Roars
Props
Dead bodies
Alien Biomass
Blood Decals
NPC Characters
Guard
Alien Creature
Alien Spore Creature
Subtitles
Used to not only tell the player the objective, but portray urgency in escaping the facility.
No cinematic moments as I don't feel that they're necessary in answering the research question.
Level Design Elements - DeepSeek
Level Design Elements - DeepSeek
Following on from discussions with my project supervisors, I was sent the results of a DeepSeek prompt with the different aspects of Level Design.
"Level design plays a crucial role in influencing player behavior in video games. By carefully crafting the environment, mechanics, and challenges, designers can guide players toward specific actions, emotions, and experiences. Here are several ways level design can influence player behavior:" - DeepSeek AI
1: Guiding Movement & Exploration
1: Guiding Movement & Exploration
Pathways & Funnelling:
Visible paths, lighting, and environmental cues (e.g., arrows, signs, or landmarks) can subtly direct players toward key areas or objectives.
Each level has three paths to take.
These paths are visible with distinctive lighting.
Environmental clues vary depending on the path taken.
These clues can be in the form of lighting, audio, text, decals, props, obstacles and signage.
Fig 1 A, B, C, D, E, F, G
Rewarding Exploration:
Hidden areas, collectibles, or Easter eggs encourage players to explore off the beaten path.
Subtitles with small traces of lore present on paths.
Bodies present on paths. This shows the danger facing the player.
Documents available for the player to read regarding the experiments conducted at the facility.
Easter eggs include the option to remove the alien creature from:
Level 2 [Paths 1 + 3] by inputting numbers found on documents into the computer terminal in the correct order.
Level 2 [Path 2] by changing all light colours on the electrical boxes to green.
Level 3 [Paths 1 + 3] by interacting with a particular item in the cabin.
Collectables
Flashlight batteries.
Health packs.
Oxygen refill.
Fig 1 H, I, J, K, L
Obstacles & Barriers:
Walls, locked doors, or hazards can restrict movement, forcing players to take specific routes or solve puzzles to progress.
Walls create a labyrinth of hallways.
Series of locked doors and closed doors (Openable).
Hazards include:
NPCs
Guard
Alien spore creature
Alien creature
Fire (kills player on contact).
Mud pools (slows player's movement speed)
Environmental obstacles
Alien biomass
Oxygen depletion
Fig 1 M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W
2: Pacing & Flow
2: Pacing & Flow
Varied Challenges:
Alternating between intense action and calm exploration can create a dynamic rhythm, keeping players engaged.
Level 1:
Level 1 - Path 1:
Calm (office).
Tense (in hallways where NPC guard can traverse).
Calm (elevator room).
Level 1 - Path 2:
Calm (office).
Tense (depleting oxygen).
Less tense (electrical room).
Calm (elevator room).
Level 1 - Path 3:
Calm (office).
Tense (in hallway where NPC guard can traverse).
Tense (in hallways with Alien Spore Creature.
Level 2:
Level 2 - Path 1:
Calm (elevator room).
Tense becoming intense (in hallways and rooms where NPC Alien Creature can traverse).
Calm (in rooms with doors closed - safe from hostility).
Tense/ Intense (exit of building).
Level 2 - Path 2:
Calm (when away from Alien Creature).
Tense (when Alien Creature is near, can be heard breathing and walking).
Intense (when Alien Creature is chasing the player).
Calm (in room with doors closed).
Tense (at vent).
Level 2 - Path 3:
Calm (elevator room).
Intense (in hallways and rooms where NPC Alien Creature can traverse).
Calm (in rooms with doors closed - safe from hostility).
Tense/ Intense (exit of building).
Level 3:
Level 3 - Path 1:
Calm (up to 5 seconds of spawning).
Tense (NPC Alien Creature pursuing player).
Intense (NPC Alien Creature chasing player).
Calm (if player traps NPC Alien Creature in cabin).
Level 3 - Path 2:
Tense (in vent and room with NPC Alien Creature).
Calm (at exit gate).
Level 3 - Path 3:
Calm (Up to 5 seconds of spawning).
Tense (NPC Alien Creature pursuing player).
Intense (NPC Alien Creature chasing player).
Calm (if player traps NPC Alien Creature in cabin).
Checkpoints & Save Points:
Placing these strategically can reduce frustration and encourage players to take risks or experiment.
Not included as levels are quite small.
Feel that having player respawn at points on a path could influence players to stay on that path.
Having player respawn at begining of level is the neutral option.
Not 'forcing' player down one path.
Leaving options of exploration open.
Opportunity to try new strategy.
Environmental Story-Telling:
Gradually revealing narrative elements through the environment can maintain curiosity and drive progression.
Story is revealed through:
Props:
Bodies
Blood decals
Alien biomass
Documents
Subtitles
Audio
Gun fire
Screaming
Fig 2 A, B,C ,D ,E
3: Encouraging Specific Playstyles
3: Encouraging Specific Playstyles
Combat v.s Stealth:
Level layouts can promote aggressive or stealthy approaches by providing cover, vantage points, or open arenas.
Layout of levels promotes a mix of stealth (in levels with roaming NPCs. Only become hostile if player is seen). There are props for the player to hide from the line of sight of the NPC Guard on Level 1. Successfully avoiding the vision of the NPC will continue the character's stealth run.
Chase is only playstyle on:
Level 2 - Paths 1 + 3.
Level 3 - Paths 1 + 3.
This is due to the NPC Alien creature always knowing the location of the player regardless of whether they can be seen or not.
Fig 3 D
Resource Management:
Placing limited resources (e.g., ammo, health packs) in strategic locations can influence how players approach challenges.
Limited resources:
Flashlight battery (can be found placed around levels in different rooms along the paths).
Stamina (regenerates automatically, Can't run once exhausted until 20% has recovered).
Health packs (found at junctions on paths).
Oxygen (found in room on Level 2 - Path 2. Due to the intensity of this path, the oxygen refill tank is available.
Fig 3 A, B, C, E
Puzzle Design:
Puzzles that require observation, experimentation, or teamwork can encourage critical thinking and collaboration.
Only puzzles are for the Easter eggs.
No observation but experimentation through implementing the correct code (in order) into computer terminal, switching all lights to green or finding the correct item to interact with. [Relates to Easter eggs].
No teamwork as project is based on single-player horror games.
4: Creating Emotional Response
4: Creating Emotional Response
Atmosphere & Mood:
Lighting, sound design, and environmental details can evoke emotions like tension, fear, or wonder.
Distinctive lighting:
Flickering.
Bright/ dim.
Dark areas (negative space).
Audio in the form of:
Ambiance:
Lighting (electrical buzzing, electrical humming).
Gun fire [distant].
Screaming [distant].
Warning alarm.
Wind.
Trees rustling.
General:
Door creaking.
Door buckling.
Player:
Footsteps.
Flashlight click
Breathing.
Item pick-up.
NPC:
Shouts.
Footsteps.
Misc noises (alien mutters, screams).
Environmental elements:
Oxygen draining when in vent can increase tension.
Alien biomass creates tension. The expectation of a hostile enemy nearby.
Hostile NPCs create fear. Potential death.
Red, dark, hissing, heavy atmosphere of Level 2 - Path 2 can cause fear and tension.
Wonder wasn't a factor in development as I have a focus on the horror genre. I wasn't sure how to fit this emotion in.
Fig 4 A, B, C, D, E, F , G , H, I , J
Height & Depth:
Vertically designed levels can create a sense of vulnerability or awe, influencing how players navigate the space.
Levels are mostly flat, lacking verticality with exceptions for:
Level 1 - Path 2: Vent system has diagonal shafts up and down.
Level 1 - Path 3: Leads downstairs before proceeding upstairs at end of path.
Level 3 - Path 2: Begins on roof of the building before proceeding to ground level.
Level 3 terrain has hills and dips. Not flat like the floors of the building interior.
Claustrophobia v.s Openness:
Tight corridors can induce anxiety, while open spaces can provide relief or a sense of freedom.
There is a mix of narrow and wider spaces to navigate.
Hallways of level 1 and level 2 have been designed and scaled to center the ceiling light and draw attention to it. This is done through creating dark areas to the side and bottom of the hallways. This creates a narrow path of light for the player to follow that adds to the claustrophobic feeling.
Level 2 hallways are slightly bigger than level 1. This is done to try balance the difficulty of the alien creature, the dark environment and the claustrophobia of the level.
Level 3 is more open, set in a forest area, providing more freedom of navigation and reducing claustrophobia.
5: Teaching Through Design
5: Teaching Through Design
Tutorial Levels:
Introducing mechanics gradually through level design helps players learn without explicit instruction.
Project isn't based on tutorials, so it was not a lot of focus was put on this aspect but a few mechanics are thought.
Controls Document:
A document that the player can pick-up with a list of all controls on it. The document is on the desk beside the flashlight. It is clearly visible. This is included to help those understand the controls better. A controls menu is available through the main menu and pause menu.
Interact:
Poster on wall in office tells player what button to press.
Flashlight and batteries (x2) are on desk in front of where the player spawns. These can be interacted with.
Flashlight:
Flashlight battery drains as its in use.
Batteries recharge the flashlight when they are used.
The flashlight UI provides this information to the player while the flashlight is in use.
Door:
Doors are interactable
Light grey, with glass viewing window (openable).
Green door (openable).
Grey double doors (locked/ openable).
Black (locked).
Doors become important when containing alien creature in level 2 and level 3.
Crouching:
Crouching made clear by vent system (Level 1 - Path 2 availability).
Obstacles that need to be crouched under:
Fallen tree.
Drooping biomass.
Sliding door.
Cover can be hid behind so NPCs can't see player.
NPC:
Hostiles develop as the levels progress:
Level 1:
Guard roams area and chases player when they are spotted. 'Kills' player on first contact.
Level 2 + Level 3 (Paths 1 + 3):
Alien creature knows location of player at all times.
Always moving towards player.
Damages player on contact (-25% of health).
Level 2 (Path 2) + Level 3 (Path 2):
Alien creature roams area.
Attacks player when spotted.
Damages player on contact (-25% of health).
Sliding Doors:
Some doors open up automatically.
Sliding door (to access elevator room)
Elevator door.
Visual Clues:
Highlighting interactive elements (e.g., climbable ledges, breakable walls) teaches players how to interact with the world.
No highlighted/ outlined elements.
Chose to prioritise environmental clues as I thought they fit the game world better.
Lighting:
Lighting becomes brighter when on safer path (Level 1).
Lighting flickers and becomes dimmer the further away from the objective the player is (Level 2).
Props:
Use of alien biomass, blood decals, bodies, signs and obstacles (such as fires) can show player which way to go at junctions.
Risk & Reward:
Placing rewards in risky or challenging locations encourages players to take calculated risks.
Level 2 + Level 3:
Players can remove alien creature by completing the Easter eggs.
Level 1 - Path 2 + Level 2 - Path 2:
Players navigate dark, claustrophobic environment with diminishing resource when moving.
Level 2 - Path 2 adds to the risk by including a hostile NPC to the path.
6: Social & Multiplayer Dynamics
6: Social & Multiplayer Dynamics
Cooperative Play:
Levels designed for teamwork (e.g., requiring multiple players to activate switches) foster collaboration.
Competitive Play:
Symmetrical or asymmetrical layouts can create balanced or dynamic competitive experiences.
Player Interaction:
Spaces that encourage communication or conflict (e.g., choke points, shared resources) can shape multiplayer behavior.
Project is focused on single-player horror games.
No social/ multiplayer aspects are required to answer the research question.
7: Replayability & Player Agency
7: Replayability & Player Agency
Branching Paths:
Offering multiple routes or outcomes encourages replayability and experimentation.
Each level has a set of paths.
Level 1 - Path 2 takes the player on a different route to the final objective.
Paths 1+3 on all levels allow for player to change path (back tracking - Including Level 1 - Path 2).
Dynamic Environments:
Levels that change based on player actions (e.g., destructible terrain, evolving layouts) make each playthrough unique.
Dynamic environments haven't been considered for this project due to time constraints.
I acknowledge that this would be a very interesting aspect to add to the project but it wasn't a priority as there were other areas that I felt would provide stronger results when answering the research question.
Player Choice:
Allowing players to approach challenges in different ways (e.g., combat, stealth, diplomacy) empowers them and enhances immersion.
Options of stealth or chase sequences with NPCs that roam area.
Ability to hide out of sight from NPCs behind walls or environmental props.
No diplomacy as I don't believe it would fit the project.
Need to find documents that are present on the different levels to find code to complete the Level 2 - Paths 1+3 easter egg. Can't find all documents in a single run.
8: Difficulty & Challenges
8: Difficulty & Challenges
Adjustable Difficulty:
Level design can include optional challenges or scalable obstacles to cater to different skill levels.
Not adjustable difficulty but paths offer different difficulty levels.
Level 1 Path 1:
NPC Guard roams hallways. Can potentially chase player.
Level 1 Path 2:
Oxygen depletes when moving in vent.
Electrified water kills player on contact.
Pipe walls and pipes to crouch under. Slows progression to objective.
Level 1 Path 3:
NPC guard roams hallways. Can potentially chase player.
Alien biomass to crouch under.
Level 2 Path 1:
NPC alien creature chases player. Always knows player's location.
Damages on contact.
Fires block junctions, creating traps.
Maze layout slows progression towards objective.
Level 2 Path 2:
Oxygen depletes when moving.
NPC alien creature roams hallways. Can potentially chase player.
Level 2 Path 3:
NPC Alien creature chases player. Always knows player's location.
Damages on contact.
Fires block junctions, creating traps.
Maze layout slows progression towards objective.
Dark lighting makes traversing difficult. Flashlight only illuminates a small area in front of player.
Level 3 Path 1:
NPC alien creature chases player. Always knows player's location.
Terrain steep in areas. Can't climb up.
Dark environment, hard to navigate.
Mud pools slow player's movement speed.
Level 3 Path 2:
NPC alien creature roams area. Can potentially attack player.
Damages player.
Electrified water. Kills on contact.
Pipe walls and pipes to be crouched under. Slows progression to objective.
Mud pool slows player's movement speed.
Level 3 Path 3:
NPC alien creature chases player. Always knows player's location.
Terrain steep in areas. Can't climb up.
Dark environment, hard to navigate.
Mud pools slows player's movement speed.
Trial & Error:
Designing levels that encourage learning from mistakes (e.g., respawning enemies, pattern-based bosses) can improve player skill over time.
Player can learn from NPCs by learning to avoid contact, eyesight, trap in rooms and different ways to navigate.
Avoid fire obstacles. understanding how the environmental clues are trying to guide the player.
Learn the different mechanics and how to manage resources.
Boss Arenas:
Specific layouts for boss fights can emphasize strategy, timing, or spatial awareness.
No boss fights or areas for boss fights.
I don't feel that it fits the horror genre.
9: Narrative Integration
9: Narrative Integration
Environmental Story-Telling:
Levels can tell stories through visual details, such as abandoned buildings, battle scars, or hidden notes.
Narrative elements convey a story with small pieces of lore sprinkled into the different paths.
Audio:
Evacuation announcement (Mentions breach in facility).
Gunfire followed by screams, (distant).
Alien creature noises (breathing, footsteps, roars, muttering).
Props:
Dead bodies.
Alien biomass.
Blood decals.
Documentation
Computer terminal
NPCs:
Guard.
Alien spore creature.
Alien creature.
Subtitles:
Used not only to tell player the objective, but to portray urgency in escaping the facility.
No cinematic moments as I don't feel that they're necessary in answering the research question.
Fig 9 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I , J
Symbolism & Themes:
Using architecture, color schemes, or recurring motifs can reinforce the game’s narrative themes.
Alien biomass in areas with the alien spore creature. This creature creates the biomass and lays the eggs of the alien creature.
Blood and dead bodies. People in the facility are getting seriously hurt. Shows the danger facing the player.
Failing power and fires. Structural damage to the facility and resources.
Facility is obscure. Located in the middle of a forest and fortified by thick and tall concrete walls.
Player Impact:
Levels that change based on player decisions (e.g., saving or destroying a village) can make players feel their actions matter.
No levels change based on player action but the alien creature can be eliminated from Level 2 + 3 by completing the available Easter eggs.
10: Player Feedback & Reinforcement
10: Player Feedback & Reinforcement
Positive Reinforcement:
Rewarding players with loot, story progression, or visual spectacle for completing challenges encourages continued engagement.
Progressing down paths and exploring rooms allows access to documents, a computer terminal and subtitles that reveal story elements.
These are broken up through the different levels to encourage replayability.
Negative Reinforcement:
Penalizing poor decisions (e.g., traps, enemy ambushes) teaches players to adapt and improve.
Traversing down blocked path or not opening/ closing door fast enough can result in death.
Allowing hostile NPCs to make contact either kills or damages the player.
Lighting shows the way to the objective. Traversing dark areas makes traversing more difficult and increases chances of getting lost.
Feedback Loops:
Immediate visual or auditory feedback (e.g., sound effects, animations) helps players understand the consequences of their actions.
NPC Guard shouts "Hey!" when player is spotted.
NPC Alien creature 'roars' when they start to hunt player.
NPC Alien creature can be heard breathing when they are close.
NPCs have footstep sounds.
UI for oxygen, flashlight battery and stamina levels. Only active when these elements are active.
Red vignette appears on screen when health is low.
Sliding door light changes from red to green to show door state changing from closed to open.
Locked doors buckle when interacted with. These cannot be opened.
Openable doors open/ close depending on state. Audio accompanies each state.
When completing the Easter eggs, if successful, the player will hear the Alien creature 'roar' before it disappears from the level.
Narrative
Narrative
Narratives can be told using a variety of different elements of level design. A stroy doesn't need to be told for an audience to understand it. "Game spaces that we can experience through our presence within them as other spaces. And this otherness is conveyed by giving this space a story of its own, a story that the player will come to understand through experience and influence through agency", (Domsch, 2000).
Subtle clues and sprinkles of lore can give a player enough context to understand a story. Audio, lighting, text, and props are level design elements that create an environment that tells the story.
Lighting:
The lighting used in an environment can tell a story. "Hard light can be dramatic, emphasizing contrasts, while soft light can be more flattering, smoothing out imperfections and creating a dreamy ambiance", (ITBT College, 2023).
Lighting for a horror setting typically uses "low-key lighting to create suspense and shadow". Examples of lighting being used to in a horror setting to add to a narrative is Lethal Company, (fig: 13). When the 'apparatus' (a device that powers a facility) is removed from its slot, the facility will lose power and become dark. The spawn rate of hostile creatures increases as they spawn in dark areas. This subtly tells the story of how the creatures can spawn and why there is power being delivered to abandoned facilities. The increased danger and limited visibility creates an uncertain atmosphere that leaves the player 'on edge' and looking to find a way out.
In Five Nights At Freddy's 1, (2014) (Fnaf 1), (fig:14), the dim lighting of the office light combined with the pitch black hallways to the left and right create a claustrophobic, trapped atmosphere. The hallways can be lit up briefly with a light. When the power runs out the office becomes nearly pitch black and the audio cuts out. The feeling of dread and defeat is strong as there is nothing to light up the office or even a small portion of it.
Audio:
Audio when being used with narrative can be dialogue, effects or ambiance. It can be long or short. Dialogue is the quickest and effective method to convey a narrative. Dialogue can get the player to understand the objective fast (McGee, 2023). McGee uses 'A Short Hike' to demonstrate how a small bit of dialogue can motivate a player to reach an objective.
The Stanley Parable (2013), uses a narrator to delivery the entire story and objectives for the player to follow as they play (fig: 15). The narrator will change the dialogue based on the player's actions creating a unique experience for the to enjoy.
Halo 3, (2005), has an incredible story and ends the Halo trilogy on a high. Throughout the latter stages of the game, an enemy known as 'The Flood' starts to invade the area around the player. Marines (Player's friendly NPC companions) shoot at the enemy and scream in pain when they are being attacked and killed, (fig: 16). This happens in front of the player as well as in the distance. The player can hear the pain of their teammates and their desperate attempts to fight off the waves of enemies.
At the start of the game, two injured marines spot the player and are delighted to be in his presence, emphasizing their desperation to be saved in the war.
Text:
Text can be used in the form of subtitles or text on items in the game world. Text can appear on props such as documents, books, posters or newspapers. Fnaf 1, (2014) used text to portray its lore in a very effective way. Newspapers, hung on the walls on the pizzeria, (fig 17), give minor details of lore regarding a possible reason for the smell of the mascot animatronics. The loading screen and paycheck at the end of the game also give lore details but I will avoid going into detail on these examples as it gets quite deep into the overall lore of the series.
The Outer Worlds, (2020), uses posters to convey small portions of lore. Posters range from movies posters that highlight the dangers of a particular planet to company supremacy to the reason of a new space colony existing to begin with (fig: 18). There is a lot of dialogue the environmental prop usage that confirms the poster lore in the latter stages of the game. The opening cutscene confirms the poster lore too but first-time players won't understand it.
Props:
Props are a strong way to subtly convey a narrative. Props such as bodies, decals of blood and machinery can tell a story.
Half Life 2, (2004), among many other games use corpses to display destruction and death in the environment. Bodies can also be used to signify sad moments where a person died along in a dark world. Fig: 19 displays a corpse sitting in a chair in front of a tv. This corpse is heavily decayed, hinting that this person was forgotten about, with no one coming to look for him or even that there was someone in the building.
Max Payne 3, (2012), uses blood decals (typically on the floor), to indicate to the player where to go. In fig: 20, the blood looks to be from a body that was dragged away. The blood trail turns to left, hinting at the player to turn down the left when they reach the end of that hallway.
The Last Of Us (2013), has some incredible environments that really build the world. Without using audio, the player already knows that they are in a post-apocalyptic world that has been slowly been reclaimed by nature over many years. The crumbling buildings, excessive foliage and abandoned vehicles and machinery give a game world life in a world where there really shouldn't be much life. This doesn't destroy the story and lore of the environments as it's well executed and helps the player understand the setting of where they are.
Player Behaviour
Player Behaviour
One player won’t necessarily behave the same as another player while encountering obstacles such as enemies in a horror game setting. The player may behave aggressively, impulsively or cautiously when facing dangerous situations (De Lima et al, 2018). These behaviours can be linked to player experience with different genres, where one player may engage with the horror genre so will play in a more relaxed tone compared to another player who prefers first-person shooters who will look to play cautiously and evade all contact with enemy beings. In-game roles and utilities are a big factor in influencing player behaviour when responding to obstacles and scenarios in a level.
In-game roles refer to what the player’s role is in a level and scenario. Horror games like to focus on the hunter versus hunted roles which can be seen in games such as Poppy Playtime (2021), Dead by Daylight (2016), Escape the Backrooms (2022) and Slender: The Eight Pages (2012). Being the ‘hunter’ versus the ‘hunted’ creates a widely different playing experience for players.
Dead By Daylight perfectly encapsulates the idea in a multi-player setting with four determined survivors facing a bloodthirsty killer in a vicious game of nerve and wits (Dead by Daylight, 2016). This role type in-game works very well for multiplayer where each side is unpredictable, Escape the Backrooms replaces the Player killer with NPC enemies while keeping the one to four players trying to evade them while completing tasks.
Developers of horror games can get stuck with the mindset of using ‘jump scares’ to frighten the player while not using in-game roles to justify why with Five Nights At Freddy’s (2014) being a game that has a series of jump when the player fails the game loop. While effective in the goal of scaring the player, the main horror of the game is the atmosphere and implied lack of hope for the player.
Players aren’t influenced by jump scares, they panic because of the jump scares but their response to the game after their initial shock is to evade the enemy and escape the scenario to avoid failing. Their behaviour is influenced by the potential end-game screen that will appear if they are caught.
Single-player games create a more immersive environment by making the player feel isolated and the main target for the monsters and creatures to follow and attack. Not only is being alone in a scary place inherently unsettling, but the solitude also allows horror games to gradually build atmosphere, suspense and dread too (Pekoeblaze, 2021).
Using an early, primitive example of the hunter versus hunted role in a single player setting to showcase the influence of fear it created on the player is Slender: The Eight Pages. The player is being hunted by a teleporting NPC enemy who is trying to stop the player from collecting eight pages. The player must evade the enemy as the challenge difficulty increases with the enemy getting more aggressive as more pages are created. You must dig your own grave in order to progress. Knowing it gets harder with each page you collect (Medium, Engelke, 2020). Some players will struggle with the challenge and stop playing or skip the section to move onto an easier section of the game.
Understanding how a player can be influenced by such obstacles is important for developers to know which designs work with what obstacles so they can create the most immersive and fun level for players to engage with.
Identification of Gaps in Research
Identification of Gaps in Research
It is evident that a player’s behaviour can be influenced through a level’s design. While previous studies have proven this with navigational clues of varying influences, I believe that there is another perspective that can be explored further to help developers design more effective levels in the future.
Previous research studies have had the developer influence how a player navigates their way around the environment through lighting, signage and varying types of space. (Fredriksson, 2018 et Guldur, 2020). These studies had an emphasis on navigation while my research will look at the elements that effect the player’s behaviour in terms of not only the environment, but the obstacles and the appeal of the paths available to the player.
From looking at previous research papers, I have found that enemy NPC characters aren’t used when observing player behaviour. Exploring the effects that both passive and aggressive NPC characters have on player behaviour as they traverse the level towards the objective is a unique element to this project that others have lacked.
These previous papers have set their environments at daytime with interior sections being well-lit. Using a mix of negative space (meaning dark areas) and a night-time setting, I will look to enhance the horror atmosphere to immerse the player in the game world. Developers typically use lighting to guide players through their environments with The Hundredth Hike (2024) used as an example prior, with lit candles showing the path for the player in a dark environment. I would like to see the effects (if any) of using negative space to guide players on their behaviour as this is not typical design for the genre.
The use of clever lighting can catch the player’s eye and draw them in that direction (Wikifandom), so flipping this established use of light can create a potential new method for level design. Combining this with the use of audio to lure the player to certain areas of the level has not been done in previous papers and can prove to be a really interesting aspect of this research study.
Exploring the influence of audio on a player is not something I saw from past research papers. In the 'Audio and Lighting' section above, I was only able to find one article that briefly discussed the perceived effects of audio on a player with navigation. I will look to explore the influence of audio on a player's ability to reach an objective as part of the broader level design influences.
Finally, the hunter versus hunted in-game role was mentioned in a previous player navigation study by Fredriksson (2018), but this is only on a surface level with the question being asked to participants of a survey through the use of images. My research will place the player as they hunted as they progress towards the objective with NPC enemy characters providing the hunter role and a challenge for them to overcome.
The research being conducted can provide insights on how player's are influenced by a level's design and how this can impact their navigation towards an objective in a positive or negative way.
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