Reminiscnece 9th Progress: UI and Immersion.

Let's focuse on how I approached UI and immersion. From the very start, the main objective was and is to keep the screen clean and immersive, removing unnecessary text and relying on more natural, in-game feedback to communicate with the player.

No On-Screen Text

One of the core design decisions was to remove all text-based indicators from the screen. Instead of cluttering the UI with instructions or sanity meters, I opted to create a world where the player must rely on environmental cues and visual feedback to understand their status and interactions.

• Why No Text?: By eliminating text from the game screen, we’ve allowed players to focus fully on the game world. This choice helps players feel more immersed, making the experience more seamless and uninterrupted.

Visual Feedback for Interactions

To replace text cues, we’ve implemented visual feedback that allows players to understand when they can interact with objects.

• Outline for Interactables: Instead of a pop-up message saying "Press E to interact," we’ve added a subtle outline effect to objects that can be interacted with. This glowing outline appears when you look at items like candles or books, signaling that they are usable without breaking the immersion with text.
• Natural Interactions: Whether it’s picking up a candle or examining a book, the visual cues blend into the environment, guiding the player without making it feel like a traditional UI element.

Sanity Feedback through Camera Distortions

Another major aspect of immersion is how we communicate the player’s sanity level. Rather than displaying a meter or counter on the screen, we’ve tied the player’s mental state to camera effects.

• Distorted Vision: As your sanity decreases, your screen will begin to distort. Blurring, shaking, and color shifts will all come into play, giving you a realistic sense of deteriorating sanity. This effect helps players feel the descent into madness without relying on typical health bars or status indicators.
• Immersion through Effects: The more we use natural in-game effects like camera distortions, the more the player becomes part of the world. It makes the experience of losing sanity feel more personal and immediate, drawing players deeper into the atmosphere.

Interactive Book for Objectives

 Also added a unique feature to help players stay on track with their objectives in an immersive way. Instead of showing mission goals on the screen, the player can look down at a book attached to their character to see the current objectives.

• In-Game Objective Display: When the player looks down at the book, they’ll see the updated game objectives, keeping them informed without breaking immersion. The objective book seamlessly fits into the world, blending narrative elements with gameplay.
• Always Accessible: This feature makes sure the player is never lost, while still preserving the text-free UI experience we’ve crafted.