Week 5 – First Playtest

Overview

Our focus this week was on getting our first testing prototype ready for Playtest Night while also wrapping up the production-design materials for the project. This was an important week because it gave us our first real chance to test some of the core ideas in the game, such as mist implementation, lighting in the mist, different camera angles, and basic enemy interaction in the first Playtest Night of the semester. Apart from that, we also finalized the project’s identity materials, including our poster, half-sheet, logo, and team photo.

Weekly Focus

Get the first testing prototype ready for playtesting
Conduct our first playtest at Playtest Night
Wrap up production-design materials

Progress Update

Tech

Continued core feature development
Prepared the prototype build for the Playtest Night
Tested different lighting setups in the mist
Expanded the checkpoint, save/load, and reset systems
Added additive scene loading
Integrated a new fog asset and fixed mist-related bugs
Got player pickups and interactions working
Continued work on enemy hearing-based detection and alertness states

Art

Continued 3D graybox and environment production
Worked on assets such as the shrine, house, and surrounding scene elements
Tested how these assets sat within the misty level atmosphere
Continued work on the player character direction, including curse markings and costume details
Finalized the poster, half-sheet, logo, preferred colors, and team photo

Sound

Integrated FMOD

Design & Production

Prepared, organized, and ran the first Playtest Night
Tested basic movement, mist implementation, different light colors in the mist, different camera angles, and basic ability casting with enemies
Conducted a survey covering prototype feedback as well as reactions to enemy art style references
Observed that players were often drawn toward lights and sometimes used mist more like a wall than a stealth/navigation tool
Noted mixed reactions to first-person readability and navigation
Continued working toward the design of the first section of the map
Wrapped up the main production-design materials for the project identity
Adjusted the team-photo plan after our original fog-machine shoot had to be canceled, and switched to a post-edited fog/mist approach instead

Notes

Week 5 was an important checkpoint as it was the first time we could put a playable version of the project in front of others and see how some of our ideas actually felt. The playtest gave us useful early feedback on mist, lighting, and especially camera choice. At the same time, completing the project’s production design materials helped solidify our team identity.

Continue developing the graybox prototype for the first section of the map
Refine the design details of Section 1
Settle the design details around the third-person camera angle
Use the playtest feedback to improve readability and navigation in future iterations