Safety Coffin

You can play Safety Coffin here on Itch.io

This page outlines my favourite parts of the development process behind my project and final game.

Safety Coffin emerged from my Master of Design research at AUT, which investigated:
“How can I integrate analog horror aesthetics and self-psychology within a psychological horror game reflecting personal fears and experiences to authentically scare myself?”

Photography Credit - Paul Chapman

( Level Concepts + Sketches + Greyboxing )

At first, I wanted the game to be purely point-and-click, inspired by DR Nowhere’s analog horror short film The Boy and the Bath. I sketched out a range of scenes and concepts, then refined them over time, focusing on how to capture the analog horror “charm” within a minimal 2D space.

From there, I started building my 2D and 3D environments. I even used nightmares and dreams I was having at the time as inspiration for game mechanics and levels. I see a lot of value in looking at non-typical ways of designing, and I feel that dreams really help me create designs when I need them the most.

I didn’t like any of these concepts, so I pushed the idea further through experimentation. I looked at both 3D and 2D ways of creating what I had in mind, even mixing 2D, 3D, and photography. I played with lighting and different colours of light, and started making physical objects. I tried many different branches of the idea, hoping something would finally click.

I then decided to create mini demos and audio tests to further enhance the atmosphere and spark additional inspiration for the direction of the project. These demos were not intended to be refined; I created them solely to explore what I could achieve with limited perspectives, similar to a point-and-click game.

( Prototype 1 )

( Game Demo + Environment prototypes )

( Prototype 2 )

From these demos, I decided I wanted to mix 2D and 3D with real photography and film elements. I still wanted a point-and-click element in the game, but I was open to exploring other options too.

( final Concpet )

( 2D Environments )

( Nightmare Inspiration )

These two images really sparked my inspiration especially the second one, and helped me develop the concept art for my game. That concept gave me a much clearer idea of what I could realistically create.

( 3D Environments )

( Exhibit Night )

Nightmare 1: It's Not Your Time

I was walking through a graveyard when I came across a tombstone with a massive, glowing timer. The tombstone had my name on it, and at the bottom was a hole with an open coffin. And for some reason, I jumped in. And then I fell from the sky and landed right next to my tombstone, and a loud, menacing voice grumbled, “It's not your time.” The whole environment felt off; there was thunder but no rain, and a constant humming sound. This nightmare informed my decision to include a dream sequence in my game prototype, allowing me to re-experience it. My goal in this experiment is to replicate the feeling I had in my dream.

Nightmare 2: The One Between the Trees

This dream consisted of me staring at a man hiding behind a tree in the middle of the night, and informed my goal of creating a feeling of being watched, fostering constant unease. This dream led me to create the character Peeping Guy, who looks at you from afar. When the player is walking around in the 3D environment, the Peeping Guy spots the player and hides behind a tree, then moves to a different location, where he’ll do the same: watch from afar, get caught, and move.

Nightmare 3: Sea of Tombstones

From what I can remember, I felt as if someone was chasing me, but I couldn't see anyone, just frantically running through an endless graveyard. I didn't know how to capture the dream in a drawing or note, so I sought real-life inspiration. This investigation was an interesting experience, as due to my thanatophobia, graveyards make me uncomfortable. This experimentation has allowed me to do my own legend-trip. Instead of seeking out locations identified in urban legends, I sought out locations that related to my personal experiences, so legend-tripped to a graveyard.