Trauma
A first-person survival horror set across three stages of a protagonist's life — my DBGA Game Design 3rd level group project where I led Agile processes and structured playtesting.
Design Decisions
Contributed to the design of the dual-parameter system — Dread and Mental Health — that drives the horror experience. Dread rises from environmental triggers (darkness, enemy proximity) and, at threshold, begins draining Mental Health. At critically low Mental Health, dark minions spawn, creating a cascading tension loop. The puzzle design required players to explore, understand mechanisms, and find key objects — all while managing the psychological pressure of the Dread system.
Production Scope
Joined the team at the request of the course's core Trainer to reinforce Agile process and project management, as the team was smaller than others. I structured sprint planning, facilitated stand-ups, and helped the team maintain scope discipline. My most significant contribution was designing and running structured playtesting sessions — defining test goals, building play session journeys, collecting data, writing reports, and presenting findings to the team to drive iteration.
Technical Contribution
Supported the team in Unreal Engine 5, contributing to testing workflows, bug reporting, and ensuring quality standards across builds.
Trauma is a 3D first-person survival horror with realistic graphics, developed as the final group project during the 3rd level of the Game Design course at Digital Bros Game Academy. Set across three stages of a protagonist’s life in 1960s America, the player is trapped within their own mind, confronting traumas that manifest as physical threats.
Psychological Horror Through Systems
The game’s core loop interweaves exploration, puzzle-solving, and psychological pressure. Two parameters — Dread and Mental Health — create a cascading tension system: fearful situations raise Dread, and when Dread maxes out, Mental Health begins to drain. At critically low Mental Health, dark minions spawn from the ground, turning the horror from atmospheric into immediately dangerous. Every puzzle solved opens a new area but also deepens the player’s exposure to the nightmare.
Structured Playtesting as a Design Tool
I was brought onto the team specifically to strengthen its production processes. Beyond facilitating Agile sprints and keeping scope under control, my key contribution was building a structured playtesting pipeline: defining session goals, designing player journeys for testers to follow, collecting and analysing data, and presenting actionable findings to the team. This feedback loop directly shaped difficulty balancing and pacing decisions throughout development.
All assets were either made by the team or obtained with proper licensing (CC0 or public domain).
Gallery
