At the beginning of my Spring 2025 semester, studying abroad in Canada, our team began development on Beware. For our game, we were given three "constraint cards", which would help us to pave the path towards creating our finalized game. We then promptly held a meeting to brainstorm!

Our three constraints were to create a colorblind compatible game, with physics-based objects, possessing a core mechanic solely based on sound. While this was a daunting challenge at first, ideas to accomplish these criteria were quickly brewing up!
With the constraints in mind, I developed the 3C's and the Core Gameplay Loop of Beware!

I decided on the setting of an eerie, mysterious park, from the perspective of a night vision camera. I devised that if the player is trying to take a picture of a bloodthirsty, mystical bear, it would be wise to lure it by throwing physics-based rocks, making sounds that could help to distract the bear, making for easier photographing and escaping! This core gameplay loop fulfilled all three of the constraints in a natural way, helping to create a core gameplay experience that felt tight, pointed, and cohesive!  

At points throughout development, we struggled to balance the game due to its more abstract nature. 

If we made the scene too bright, the player would always know where the bear was, taking away the horror aspects. But if it was too hard to see or hear, then it felt unfair to the player, who would not know what was happening before they were attacked. I worked with the other designers on my team to find a effective level brightness, making gameplay both frightening and fair!

When the player first opens the game, they are introduced to the narrative of the game through a newspaper article, describing and depicting Ursula, the rumored bear that has been taking lives and leaving others scarred by savage attacks.

In this short introductory segment, the player learns that the bear is their main target of interest, the three stand-out features of the bear to photograph, and that the bear is extremely perceptive to noise!

The player enters the park at midnight, viewing through the lens of their night vision camera. Everything is visible only in monochrome, aside from a vibrant red hue. 

Environmentally, this helps isolate the player in the forest, making them feel alone and vulnerable, while the bear is on the hunt for new prey. Listening for the bear is the best first course of action, but running directly towards it can alert it to your position! Stealthy exploration is the way to go!

As the player explores, they will come across landmarks, which will help them navigate the park despite their limited vision. 

Ideally, staying aware of their surroundings will allow for a smooth escape once they capture their evidence! The player is also able to find and pick up rocks scattered around the park, which can be used to distract and lure the bear, as it is attracted to any noises made in the park!

Once the player lures the bear and achieves the perfect side angle that captures each distinct feature of the bear, they take the picture, and a bright flash blares through the forest! 

The bear is stunned for a brief moment before charging at the location from which the photo was taken, so it's up to the player to quickly hide somewhere else before making a stealthy and silent escape, with their evidence effectively secured!