The Haunting Saw: A Test of Bravery

We are a team of college students passionate about crafting and playing games. After experiencing countless thrillers, we noticed a gap—few games truly made players reflect on their inner bravery. This inspired us to create something distinct: a game that doesn’t just challenge you but listens to your resolve. The moment you falter, the game concludes. This is more than a game; it’s a test of willpower that reimagines the idea of suspense.

The plan:

Creating a horror game that pushes the boundaries of fear and immerses players in an experience like no other. Here’s what we set out to achieve:

A Game That Listens to Fear: Unlike traditional horror games, our game doesn’t rely solely on scripted jump scares or predictable patterns. It actively listens for your scream. The moment you break and let out a sound, the game ends. Your fear is not just part of the experience—it’s the ultimate challenge.
An Immersive and Terrifying World: We wanted to craft an environment that pulls players in completely. From haunting visuals to spine-chilling soundscapes, every detail is designed to heighten tension and make you feel trapped in a living nightmare.
A Psychological Challenge: This isn’t just about survival—it’s about how long you can confront the fear without breaking. The game constantly tests your limits, keeping you on edge as the line between reality and fiction blurs.

With this vision in mind and a shared passion for gaming, our team was ready to turn our idea into reality, determined to create something unforgettable.

To start developing the game, we needed a storyline that would grip players and immerse them in the world of The Haunting Saw.

Storyline:

The protagonist finds themselves locked inside a haunted house, desperate to escape. To do so, they must confront a vengeful spirit that controls the house. As they explore, the spirit grows stronger, feeding off their fear. To survive, they must uncover the tools and knowledge needed to defeat the spirit. But the real challenge is overcoming their own terror—scream, and it’s game over.

Tech Stack:

We chose the Unity game engine to bring The Haunting Saw to life. To enhance our development, we plan to integrate various AWS services to streamline different aspects of the game:

Amazon DynamoDB will be used to manage dynamic in-game data. We plan to store player progress, high scores, and game stats, allowing us to easily update and retrieve data during gameplay without impacting performance. This cloud-based solution will give us the scalability we need as the game evolves.
Bedrock will be leveraged for creating interactive in-game characters. By using Bedrock’s tools, we plan to design characters that can adapt to the player’s actions and emotions, making the horror elements more personal and intense. These characters will react to the player’s fear, enhancing the psychological aspect of the game.
Amazon S3 will be integral for storing and managing large game assets, such as textures, sounds, and 3D models. This will ensure that our game can load assets efficiently and run smoothly, even as we expand content.
Amazon Cognito will be used for player authentication and user management. It will allow us to securely handle player accounts, making it easy for players to save their progress across multiple devices and ensure data privacy.
Amazon Game Lift will help us with multiplayer infrastructure (if needed) for future expansions of the game. It will provide a scalable, high-performance platform for game hosting, ensuring smooth multiplayer experiences.
AWS Lambda and Amazon API Gateway will be used for handling serverless game logic and communication between different game systems. This will enable us to run certain in-game processes (like randomizing enemy behavior or triggering events) without needing a dedicated server, saving us development time and resources.
Amazon Q will be used to speed up our game’s interactive dialogue system, allowing characters to respond dynamically based on player choices and actions. This will enable us to create more immersive, responsive character interactions and deepen the narrative experience.
AWS Amplify will be used to simplify and accelerate the development of our backend and cloud services. It will help us quickly add features such as real-time data sync, player authentication, and secure API access with minimal effort. With Amplify, we can focus on creating a more engaging and interactive experience for the players while AWS handles the heavy lifting on the backend.

Our development journey:

Designing the player character:

We started by designing the player character, opting for a first-person perspective to enhance immersion and create a more personal, tense experience. In a first-person view, players feel like they are trapped in the house themselves, with every creak and shadow heightening the terror. The ability to look around freely, interact with objects, and experience the environment from the protagonist’s eyes makes the game much more intense and intimate.

We took help from amazon Q to write our code snippets in unity.

To start, we created the basic first-person controller using Unity’s built-in assets. This controller allows for smooth movement, looking around, and interacting with objects, which are key elements in navigating the haunted house.

Next, we implemented key features such as:

Camera mechanics: The player’s view is controlled by the mouse or right analog stick (for potential console ports), allowing full 360-degree vision to examine the environment.
Player movement: We added smooth walking and sprinting mechanics, critical for the game's tension—players will have to decide when to run from danger or cautiously explore.
Interaction system: We integrated a simple yet effective way for the player to interact with objects in the environment. Players can pick up items, open doors, or examine clues that will aid them in confronting the spirit.

Preparing the basic map layout:

After developing the player character, the next step was designing the haunted house map for The Haunting Saw. The layout was crafted to evoke tension and fear, featuring key areas like the foyer, living room, bedrooms, basement, and secret rooms. The map was built in Unity using basic shapes and ProBuilder for rapid prototyping, ensuring the house felt eerie and claustrophobic.

To enhance the gameplay, AWS services were integrated to manage dynamic content and optimize performance: Amazon S3, for storing large assets like textures and models, allowing for quick access and efficient streaming, and Amazon DynamoDB, to Manages player progression and the changing state of the house, storing data on unlocked areas and completed events.

The Road Ahead:

We’ve already made significant progress. The player character is designed from a first-person perspective, enhancing immersion and creating a more intense experience. The basic player movement and interaction systems are in place, allowing for smooth navigation through the haunted house. Next, we’re focusing on the enemy and its AI logic, followed by integrating additional game objects to further build the world.

Stay tuned for more updates on our journey. The Haunting Saw is still in development, but we’re excited to share the progress and can't wait for you to experience the fear for yourself.

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