Feedback wanted: Exploration horror game set in an underground shopping complex
I’m currently developing a first-person exploration horror game set within a vast underground commercial complex.
The environment is made up of an abandoned network of corridors, tunnels and interconnected shopping areas with no natural lighting. Much of the complex is made up of tight passageways with shops connected to it, but occasionally opens up to large plazas and communal spaces. The goal is to create an environment that feels familiar but eerie, where players can easily be disoriented the deeper they explore.
The player awakens alone in this abandoned complex with no understanding of how they got there, but they discover a chip implanted in them that tracks their vitals and records some information. As they explore deeper through the complex, they start experiencing physical and psychological stress indicated by the chip caused by something unknown. To survive and explore deeper, they must obtain equipment that blocks out this phenomenon that is causing the stress.
However, this anomaly is only part of the story. The deeper they explore, the rooms start to distort and become unnatural, stores become unrecognisable and the architecture feels as though it's transforming into something entirely different. As they continue to explore deeper, it is clear that they were not meant to exist in this complex.
This game focuses heavily on exploration, atmosphere and environmental storytelling. Rather than giving definitive explanations to what's happening, the player is given limited information and the story remains mysterious, encouraging them to form their own theories about the complex and why they are here.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this concept. Does it sound like something you'd be interested in playing? Any feedback, criticism, or ideas on how to improve this concept would be greatly appreciated.