Game Title: Aftermath 

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Game Genre: Post-apocalyptic survival horror 

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Game Platform: PC

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Game Engine: Unreal Engine 4

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Game Description: Aftermath is a game that puts the player in the role of a survivor of a global nuclear war that has devastated the world and unleashed hordes of mutated creatures. The player must scavenge for resources, craft weapons and tools, build shelters, and fight against enemies and environmental hazards. The game features a dynamic day-night cycle, a weather system, a radiation system, and an optional permadeath mechanic.

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Game Design Goals: The main design goals of Aftermath were to create a realistic and immersive setting of a post-apocalyptic scenario, to challenge the player with survival mechanics and emergent gameplay, and to evoke a sense of fear, tension, and dread in the player.

My responsibility for this game was to create a dynamic system for day/night and weather that would affect the gameplay and the mood of the players. I wanted to make the game world feel alive and unpredictable, as well as immersive and atmospheric.

The system would randomly generate different weather conditions, such as rain, fog, snow, thunderstorms, etc., and cycle between day and night with realistic lighting and shadows.

The weather and the time of day would have an impact on the game mechanics, such as the visibility, the sound, the temperature, the enemy behavior, the resources, etc. For example, rain would make the ground slippery and reduce the noise of the footsteps, but also make the player more vulnerable to cold and infection.

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Night would make the game darker and scarier, but also offer more opportunities for stealth and exploration. The system would also create a sense of not only dread and fear, but that the world continues on no matter what. The player would feel the pressure of surviving in a harsh and hostile environment, where every decision matters and every mistake can be fatal. The player would also feel the contrast between the beauty and the horror of the game world, where the weather and the time of day can create stunning or terrifying scenes. The system would aim to enhance the emotional and psychological impact of the game, as well as the challenge and the variety of the gameplay.

I aided level and environment designers into designing safe zones where players can camp and get themselves situated before leaving for their next supply run. The range of areas differed from shacks to caves, which would provide the players with a temporary shelter, where they can rest, heal, craft, trade, and plan their next move. The safe zones would aim to create a sense of immersion and realism, as well as a contrast between the safety and the danger of the game. The safe zones would also add more depth and diversity to the level and environment design.

I also had the honor of working on a layout for a map that would introduce the stealth and loot system.

I also wanted the player to take advantage of the growing foliage that is emerging in the post apocalyptic environment. Aside from the sneaking mechanic that the player would utilize. I also wanted to give the player another stealth option by allowing them to hide inside the overgrown foliage.

I first started it off as a quick sketch to get the point across that when the player is in the foliage, no enemy can spot them and would get instantly killed by the stealth kill input.

Then, I fleshed it out as a flowchart to cover the bases that the foliage can only work if its tall enough and the stealth kill can only be done if the enemy is close enough to the player.

To add risk to this mechanic, if the player is caught doing the stealth kill this causes the enemy AI to become hostile and begin searching for the player.