Shadowbound
| Shadowbound | |
|---|---|
| Studio | DeLight |
| Spiel-Engine | Unity |
| Genre | Puzzle, Mystic |
| Spielmodus | Single Player |
The Game "Shadowbound" is a Project from the course Game Production of summer semester 2025. DeLight made the game happen.
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Links
- Pr-Page: Link zur PR-Page eures Spiels (sobald vorhanden)
- Repository: GitHub
- Projektplanung: GitHub Projects
Team List and Lead Roles
| Name | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Vanessa Nagelhofer | Lead Project Manager, Lead Story |
| Manuela-Amalia Pintilie | Lead Programming |
| Jay Molev | Lead Game Art |
| Verena Dietl | Lead Game Design |
| Reinhard Gruber | Lead Level Design |
| Daniel Langebner | Lead Audio Design |
Vision Statement - Shadowbound: A 3D Puzzle Adventure
With Shadowbound, we aim to craft a captivating 3D puzzle adventure that uniquely explores the interplay between light and shadow. Our goal is to immerse players in a mystical world that challenges their creativity and spatial reasoning. By combining an atmospheric environment, intelligent puzzle mechanics, and an engaging storyline, we offer an experience that is both thought-provoking and exciting.
Game Mechanics
- Movement: Players can move forward, left, right, and backward using the W, A, S, and D keys. A jump mechanic may also be included, allowing the player to jump by holding the Spacebar.
- Grabbing & Stacking: Pressing E enables the player to grab certain objects and stack them.
- Character Switching (Shadow Entity / Neutral Character): Players can switch between characters using the Q key.
- Dialogue Pop-Up: When standing near an interactive object, pressing E will trigger a unique dialogue pop-up.
- Audio Toggle: Pressing Escape toggles sound on and off.
- Mini-Map: The M key opens the mini-map.
Level Design
As player you need to switch between characters to solve certain tasks. Some objects can be moved with the main character to project a shadow in a specific area, so the Shadow Creature can move its way through the level.
After the player walks through the stairwell, Light Creatures will pass through the area in a certain pattern, blocking out the shadows on their position. As Shadow Creature you have to avoid running into a Light Creature. Otherwise you lose the game.
To solve the door riddle, both characters need to interact with two different levers apart from each other at the same time. With solving the door riddle, the closed door opens and the level is completed.
The upper visualisation shows areal height differences as the colors shift from dark (lower height) to light (higher height).
Since the Shadow Creature can only move in the shadows, the visualisation below shows how the shadows fall throughout the playable gameplay ground.
In this case, the static sunlight shines from left to right. Blacked out blocks are obsacles of any kind which can not be moved.
Story
Photaris was once a respected mage, responsible for maintaining the balance between day and night. However, what no one knew was that he never intended to preserve the balance—he wanted to erase the night completely.
As a child, Photaris often played in a dense forest where little light could pass through. One day, he got lost and couldn’t find his way home. He was forced to take shelter in a cave, where he spent an entire night in absolute darkness. Shadows surrounded him, and eerie whispers filled the void. That night changed him forever. He swore to never be alone in the dark again.
Over the years, he developed powerful spells to push back the night—creating magical lights that never extinguish, torches that burn without fuel, and cages of pure light to trap shadows. But it was never enough. To achieve his ultimate goal, he created the Lightcreatures, beings that acted as his eyes, hands, and enforcers. With their help, he became strong enough to perform a grand ritual, one that banished the night forever.
Now, the world is trapped in eternal daylight. The stars and moon have vanished, forests are withering, animals are disoriented, and the natural balance has been broken. As the protagonist, your mission is to restore the balance between night and day before the world collapses under endless light.
You wake up alone in a crumbling, abandoned ruin and you look around a little. After some time, you find a small shadow creature trapped by surrounding light. Using nearby objects such as barrels, fallen pieces of the ruin, and boxes, you can create a shadow bridge to reach the creature and set it free.
The small creature tells you that Photaris has imprisoned it. And so your story beginns~
User Interface
Title Screen UI: The title screen prominently displays the game’s name along with three interactive text options. The design is inspired by the glassmorphism effect, with a background featuring a snapshot from the game.
Pause Screen UI: The pause screen follows a consistent glassmorphism aesthetic. To enhance usability, four hexagonal icons with unique functions surround the glass center. When hovered over with the mouse, each hexagon changes color.
Speech Bubbles: To convey the game’s story, dialogue is presented through speech bubbles. Various designs have been sketched to explore different styles and how they might appear in-game.
Music / Sounddesign
The soundscape of Shadowbound is designed to be immersive and dynamic, seamlessly adapting to the player's journey through the game world. Each location and event features a unique soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere, deepens the emotional impact, and contributes to a heightened sense of realism. Spatial audio techniques ensure that sounds are positioned accurately within the 3D environment, providing a immersive experience.
Dynamic Sound Implementation
To create an engaging audio experience, Shadowbound employs an adaptive music system. As players transition between different areas, the soundtrack blends smoothly, ensuring a seamless shift in tone and mood. (Planned: Additionally, ambient sound layers adjust dynamically based on player actions and environmental changes.)
- 3D Spatial Audio: Sounds are placed realistically in the world, allowing players to perceive distance, depth, and directionality.
- Layered Sound Design: Multiple audio layers combine environmental effects, background music, and interactive sound elements to create an organic experience.
- (Dynamic Transitions:) Music fades or shifts smoothly depending on the player's movement and progress within the game.
Soundtrack Overview
Each stage of Shadowbound has a unique musical identity, reinforcing its distinct atmosphere:
- Title Screen
- A mystical, ethereal theme that sets the stage for the journey ahead.
- Soft chimes and evolving synth pads create a dreamlike atmosphere.
- Forest
- A tranquil and organic composition featuring gentle woodwinds, rustling leaves, and distant wildlife.
- Dynamic layers adjust based on the time of day, movement, and interactions with the environment.
- Desert
- A minimal yet intense soundtrack, emphasizing vastness and solitude.
- Wind-driven soundscapes, resonant percussion, and sparse melodic elements reflect the arid environment.
- Ruin
- A haunting, echo-filled score, incorporating distant whispers and deep reverb.
- Melancholic piano notes, metallic reverberations, and shifting harmonic textures enhance the sense of mystery.
- Final Song
- A climactic orchestral piece that intensifies with the unfolding confrontation.
- Deep bass undertones and layered choral elements heighten the tension and drama.
- End Credits
- A reflective and somber arrangement, encapsulating the journey’s emotional weight.
- Strings and piano blend with ambient soundscapes, offering a sense of closure.
Realistic Sound Design
Beyond the musical compositions, Shadowbound pays attention to environmental and interactive sound effects:
- Footsteps: Adjust dynamically based on surface material (grass, stone, sand, etc.).
- Object Interaction: Unique sounds for dragging, stacking, or manipulating objects.
- Creature Sounds: Each entity in the game world has distinct vocalizations, reacting to player presence and interactions.
- Light & Shadow Effects: The transition between illuminated and darkened areas is accompanied by subtle audio cues, reinforcing the core game mechanics.
With a focus on authenticity and immersion, Shadowbound’s sound design ensures that players not only see the world but truly feel and hear it as well.
Asset List
| Asset | Group | Type | Animated | Variations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Creature | Character | 3D | yes | no | main shadow creature, simple movement/idle animation & "poof" animation, changing to character |
| Light Creatures | Character | 3D | yes | yes | simple movement & "poof" animation |
| Main Character | Character | 3D | yes | no | simple movement/idle animation & "poof" animation, changing to character |
| Ruin walls | Environment | 3D | no | no | background |
| (broken) Ruin pillars | Environment | 3D | no | yes | maybe 2-3 |
| Boxes / Stones | Environment/Item | 3D | no | yes | maybe 2-3 |
| Ruin lanterns (?) | Environment/Item | 3D | maybe | no | emits light (???) |
| Forest (Trees) | Environment | 3D | no | no | background |
| Bushes | Environment/Item | 3D | no | yes | maybe 2-3 |
| Logs | Environment/Item | 3D | no | yes | maybe 2-3 |
| Mushrooms / Stones | Environment/Item | 3D | no | yes | maybe 2-3 |
| Branches / Planks | Environment/Item | 3D | no | yes | maybe 2-3 |
| Desert | Environment | 3D | no | no | background |
| Sandstone Blocks | Environment/Item | 3D | no | yes | maybe 2-3 |
| Bones / Fossils | Environment/Item | 3D | no | yes | maybe 2-3 |
| Tumbleweed (?) | Environment/Item | 3D | no | no | just 1? |
| Doors / Exits | Environment | 3D | yes | yes | 1 per level |
| Hieroglyphs (???) / Puzzles | Item | 3D/2D | maybe | yes | for the puzzle aspect, to be able to open the door/entrances of the levels |
| Asset | Group | Type | Animated | Variations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Story Panels | Cutscenes | 2D | maybe | yes | Introduction, ev. between levels, at the end. (explaining plot) |
| Start Screen | UI | 2D | maybe | no | |
| Pause Menu | UI | 2D | no | no | |
| Options Menu | UI | 2D | no | no | |
| Dialogue Bubble | UI | 2D | maybe | yes | variations: different text |
| Interact Prompt | UI | 2D | no | yes | W, A, S, D, E, Q, Space, ESC |
| 3D Asset Textures | Environment | 2D | no | yes | |
| 3D Character Textures | Character | 2D | no | yes | |
| Minimap (optional) | UI | 2D | maybe | no | interactive or static? |
| HP Bar | UI | 2D | yes | no | |
| Game Over / Try Again Screen | UI | 2D | no | no |
| Asset | Group | Type | Animated | Variations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutscenes | Cutscenes | Audio | VO? | ||
| Cutscene Music | Cutscenes | Audio | yes | ||
| Character Poof | Character | Audio | no | ||
| Character Jump | Character | Audio | no | ||
| Atmo | Environment | Audio | yes | ||
| Level Music | Environment | Audio | yes | variations should be similar in style | |
| Character Speech | UI | Audio | Audio | depending on chracter, animal-crossing like, for dialogue bubbles | |
| Menu click | UI | Audio | no | ||
| Pause / Options Mnu | UI | Audio | no | ||
| Interact | UI | Audio | no | ||
| Tumbleweed | Environment | Audio | no | ||
| Moving Rock | Environment | Audio | yes | ||
| Water/Flowing | Environment | Audio | no | ||
| Puzzle Sounds | Environment | Audio | yes | ||
| Easter Egg sound | Environment | Audio | no | ||
| Puzzle solve sound | Environment | Audio | no | ||
| Light/Dark Realm Transition | Environment | Audio | no | ||
| Door / Exit Opening | Environment | Audio | no |
Mood Board
