WHAT I DIDN’T DO (Psychological Horror – Story Driven)
This is a first-person psychological horror game focused on guilt, silence, and consequences.
The player controls a father searching for his missing daughter. There is no combat, no inventory UI, and no dialogue choices.
The horror comes from:
- Movement
- Sound
- Environmental triggers
- Realization of inaction
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Mouse | Look around |
| Keyboard | Move |
| No Mouse Click | No clicking used in gameplay |
All interactions are automatic and proximity-based.
The entire game progression is controlled using invisible / visible plates placed in the world.
How it works:
-
When the player steps on a plate, an event is triggered
-
Each plate works only once
-
Plates control:
- Dialogue audio
- Story progression
- Spawning new elements
- Monster activation
This avoids:
- UI prompts
- Clicking
- Complex interaction logic
- All story is told through voice dialogue
- Dialogue plays when stepping on specific plates
- Each dialogue plays only once per gameplay
- No subtitles or UI clutter
Audio is used to:
- Guide the player
- Build tension
- Reveal story details gradually
No inventory UI is used.
How it works:
-
A key model exists in the world
-
A Key Plate is placed near it
-
When the player steps on the plate:
- The key is considered “picked up”
- The key model disappears
- A BoolValue (
HasRoomKey) is set on the player
This keeps the system:
- Invisible
- Simple
- Story-focused
Doors do not open with clicks or animations.
How it works:
-
Doors are simple Parts
-
A Door Plate is placed in front of the door
-
When the player steps on the plate:
- If the player has the key → the door disappears
- If not → nothing happens
This reinforces the theme:
Some doors only open after it’s too late.
The player cannot trigger future events early.
Progression is controlled by:
- Spawning plates only after certain story moments
- Destroying old plates after use
This ensures:
- Linear story flow
- No sequence breaking
- No confusion
The monster already has its own AI script.
Important design choice:
- The monster exists from the start
- Its AI script (
NPC) is disabled initially
Activation flow:
- Player steps on Daughter Scream Plate
- Daughter scream audio plays
- Monster AI script is enabled
- Monster begins to move
The monster represents:
- Guilt
- Consequences
- What the player avoided
There are:
- No cutscene videos
- No text popups
Story is told through:
- Audio
- Doors disappearing
- Objects vanishing
- Monster presence
- Player movement
The player connects the story themselves.
-
Server Scripts are used for:
- Key logic
- Door logic
- Plate triggers
-
Local Scripts are used only for:
- Menu
- Camera & input
-
No complex AI modifications
-
Asset-pack enemy logic preserved
- Less mechanics, more meaning
- No hand-holding
- Horror through implication
- Silence as a theme
- Player movement = player choice
The game does not focus on:
- Winning
- Losing
- Multiple endings
The goal is:
To make the player understand what they didn’t do.
- No combat
- No UI dependency
- Strong narrative theme
- Audio-first horror
- Clean, stable systems
- Jam-friendly scope
A psychological horror game where progression is driven by footsteps, sound, and guilt — not weapons.