About

Veil is a survival horror game that immerses players in a journey through a series of nightmarish levels, each inspired by Dante's nine circles of Hell. 

After a car accident, Josh wakes up in a mysterious forest, only to discover that his daughter has disappeared. In an attempt to find her, he must traverse increasingly obscure environments, each representing a different level of the infernal realms.

As Josh progresses through this twisted world, he encounters grotesque monsters and faces disturbing challenges that reflect the sins and torments of each circle of Hell. Players must solve complex puzzles and engage in intense combat to survive the horrors that await them at each level. Each area presents unique and terrifying obstacles that test physical and mental endurance.

In Veil, survival is a constant battle against the constantly present threats of a world where reality and hell blend together. Josh's journey is not only a search for his daughter but also a descent into the darkest corners of the human soul, where each step forward brings him closer to redemption or eternal damnation.

Controls

• WASD to Move
• E to Interact
• R to Reload
• F Flashight On/Off
• Tab for Inventory
• Left-Click to Aim
• Right-Click to Shoot

Pricing

• Free to download

Platform

• Available on PC now!

Blog Posts:

Blog 1: Game planning

In the initial meetings, the team created a detailed production plan, which included a map on Miro, our hacknplan categorised by person and potential execution time, a risk analysis and a thorough evaluation of the available technologies and tools to create a survival horror experience. We also evaluated possible launch platforms and the feasibility of new products in the Virtual Reality space.

We have redefined some game mechanics and, in the beginning, to develop two new levels, then designed and planned possible solutions for them. However, we decided to only refine and focus on the first level, Limbo, for which we changed the level layout after the feedback we received in class.

Blog 2: Art direction

The artistic side was a crucial component as the style had to convey a dark and eerie atmosphere while recalling the low poly style of the Playstation One. At the beginning of the project, our team established a unified visual style that combined horror elements with surreal, nightmarish imagery.
In order to achieve cohesion between the different areas of the game, we defined the colour palettes, textures and lighting techniques to be used in the environment. This made each area fit the theme of the game and the atmosphere we aimed to convey.

One of the challenges we faced was balancing the elements of the game without overloading it and inserting elements to guide the player through it. To solve this problem, we changed the initial layout of the game by making the level less confusing, adding some puzzles and wayfinding elements. 

Blog 3: First Playtesting Session and Bug Fixes

The playtesting session went quite successfully, we received valuable feedback and could check whether our game mechanics worked properly and were straightforward.
We found that players were struggling to find their way around and the maze was too complicated but the fix cameras were appreciated along with the game concept and character control.
After that we found other bugs where the player was going slower near the cameras, which we fixed during the week and decided to do the level design again to simplify it.
We were satisfied with the playtesting results even though we decided to revise the level design so as not to confuse our playtesters. 

Blog 4: Social media plan

As we continued working on our prototype, we outlined a complete promotion strategy to create expectation and connect with our target audience. Collaborating with content creators specialising in indie and horror games will be crucial. These creators will show early stages of the game, sharing their thoughts to create trust and excitement among their followers.
We will use social media publishing developer diaries, concept art, behind-the-scenes content and live streams. These contents will be shared on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitch and Reddit, with short clips on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, X and TikTok.

In order to further engage players, we will periodically release teasers and trailers. We will also launch a playable demo on Steam and itch.io, allowing players to experience Veil first-hand and reveal hidden details.

Blog 5: Last Playtesting Session

We were satisfied with the results of our playtesting session. Players were able to catch the gameplay and narrative without any effort. There were some minor bugs, such as issues with weapon spawning and character animations.

A fundamental point was that the player needed visual feedback to know whether or not they were performing a command, so we implemented monster and character animations by supplementing them with sounds. In addition, we noticed that the environment lacked some environmental elements, so we added more details to improve the atmosphere.

Over the next few weeks, we focused on implementing these changes. We implemented the weapon spawning system, improved the feedback from player actions both aurally and visually, and enriched the scene with additional elements.

Blog 6: Finalising The Game

Over the past week, we have been focusing on perfecting Veil ahead of its presentation. After our recent playtesting session, in which the atmosphere was praised for its horror immersion, we identified some critical issues, such as bugs with player animations, weapon generation, and shooting mechanics that had been almost entirely resolved in the previous weeks.

We addressed some remaining issues, specifically the final boss animations and level filler. We made sure that there were sufficient environmental elements in the scene and that the textures contributed to the dark atmosphere of the game.  In addition, we improved and fixed bugs in the final boss.

After fixing these bugs and making the final adjustments, our latest build runs smoothly. The positive feedback from our playtesters, who felt scared and immersed, reassured us that our hard work paid off. We look forward to unveiling Veil next week, confident it will deliver the horror experience we envisioned.

Existing and emerging technology:

To  efficiently manage game development, we used AI technology to plan and optimize our activities. This helped us better understand how to manage our time, prioritize key activities, and ensure we met project milestones. It allowed us to focus on delivering a finished game on time.

Initially, we explored the potential of integrating VR features, especially with the advances of PSVR 2, such as OLED lenses, HDR lighting, and Foveated Rendering, as these features would greatly enhance the immersive experience for the game. However, we decided not to focus on VR for the initial release, but we are willing to revisit VR in the future, potentially expanding Veil if the project continues to grow.

Credits

• Astrid - 3D Artist - Models and Animations
• Maurice - 3D Artist - Textures and Environment
• Vanessa - Programming
• Ariel - Level Design

! We hope you have a nostalgic and terrifying journey through playing this game!