I've always thought that children's playgrounds seem like an underused videogame setting - not only are they inherently modular and multi-path, but they appear in a variety of environments (malls, parks, all manner of neighborhoods) that crop up all the time. While I can see the potential concerns with using such a kit in a shooter (a shame given the range of interesting cover options), it could at least be used in a run-and-hide horror type of game, hence this nightmarish little test level.
The central design concept is that the child-sized player must use the various tunnels and crevices to outmaneuver the eerie bird-maked creatures, who are too large for most (but not all) of the structure's openings. There's a nice cat-and-mouse feel, though the layout could certainly stand a few revisions. It's worth noting that the map uses very few models, all of which are low-poly and designed for Unity's built-in low-cost colliders. I also made the dubious decision to use triangular floor panels, which made for some interesting layouts but also required some tricky geometry.
While the off-kilter shadows cast by a nearby streetlight certainly have an twisted, unsettling effect (I particularly like the grids cast by the chain-link fence), a dark map like this certainly requires a more hands-on approach to lighting, and I think the lack of attention paid here really shows. There's not a lot of indication as to where to go, and while it could be argued that this makes the high-stakes tag match a bit more challenging, there's a lot of missed opportunity for clever lighting tricks (i.e. shadows in the shapes of the ghostly pursuers). Perhaps I'll try my hand at this setting again in the future - in spite of the industry's constant re-assessment of "survival horror," I haven't seen many games which openly embrace the feeling of being chased. Aside from Pac Man, I suppose.
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