After returning from spring break and GDC Week, members of the team have become more accustomed to the project workflow. In this week’s development, we made significant progress in the Painting Experience, moving it from the conceptual stage to a more mature implementation stage.
At the same time, we conducted an in-depth exploration of the watering plant part in the clock experience. Around the themes of “growth” and “time backtracking”, the art team created segmented animations of plant growth based on interaction and expressive needs. This staged animation design allows plants to seamlessly transition and connect between different states, providing excellent visual support for future mechanisms related to time or behavior, and enhancing the overall experience’s vitality and dynamism.
We have also added an interactive content called ‘Jim’ for the hallway area to improve the previously monotonous process experience in that area. When passing through the hallway, players can see Jim in a small room through the doors of other project rooms. This character has a unique behavioral logic: when the player looks directly at him, he will remain completely still; And when the player looks away and then turns back, he will instantly change his posture, as if he is “secretly moving” (similar to the setting of SCP173).
This mechanism brings obvious psychological tension to the experience, and also strengthens the uncertainty and strangeness of the space. And through this, it weakens the sense of disconnection caused by the inability to enter the other project room doors. It also adds a subtle and unusual atmosphere to the entire etc building 3rd floor, making it more in line with the overall theme style of the backrooms.