This week, our main focus is preparing for Saturday’s Playtest Day. Our goal was to connect all previous prototypes into a more cohesive experience while making the breathing interactions as intuitive and clear as possible.
The biggest changes have been made to the sneaking section. We iterated on the level layout and adjusted the enemy AI and visual alert range to give players a clearer sense of how their breathing directly affects enemy awareness.
Blowing Level Topdown Greybox:
We created a greybox version of the blowing level for Playtest Day, complete with basic code to ensure players could experience the full flow. Our goal is to observe how players interact with the fans early on and to see if the current puzzle design is too complex—potentially getting in the way of the core breathing experience.
Playtesting Video:
Playtest Day Results
Breathing impact:
Average score: 4.3. Most players found the breathing mechanic engaging and immersive.
Future breathing interactions:
Players suggested more environmental interactions (wind, smoke, poison), sound feedback, moving multiple objects, and breath-based attacks.
Challenges and Adjustments:
The playtest on Saturday provided a range of insights into how players experienced the breathing mechanics. Many participants found breathing to be an impactful aspect of the game, with some appreciating the calibration process and others suggesting clearer instructions. Some players desired more feedback on breathing sensitivity, particularly in interactions like door unlocking and sneaking. There was occasional confusion about whether physical movement, such as crouching, was required, indicating a need for more explicit cues.
Participants expressed interest in expanding the role of breathing mechanics, such as using breath to interact with environmental elements like smoke or poison, controlling multiple objects simultaneously, or integrating it with sound design. Some also proposed ideas like holding breath to store energy for attacks or exhaling sharply to trigger actions.
While most interactions were well-understood, some players struggled with the archery mechanic, citing issues with power shots and control clarity. The sneaking interaction also had occasional misunderstandings, particularly regarding how the screen’s darkening effect signified being hidden.
Future Plans:
Overall, the feedback highlights the need for refinements in instruction clarity and visual feedback, while also reinforcing that the breathing mechanics have strong potential to create an engaging and immersive experience.
Next week, our plan is divided into three main areas. First, we’ll mount our wind sensor onto the VR headset. Second, we’ll address difficulty issues and bugs that came up during the playtest. Third, we’ll refine our original vision and further integrate the prototypes into a more seamless experience.
