"Not just 'gameplay first' — I want you to feel the looming threat."
Hi!
This is Evil from Berry, the lead game designer of The Burning House, and I usually have plenty to talk about and much to share. I want to tell you as much as possible about The Burning House before it releases and keep you updated on its development.
I think it's best to start with the goals — to tell what The Burning House should be and what experience I want to offer you.
Even though I follow the principle of "gameplay first," I take narrative and the overall feeling of the game into account. Even if a game isn’t primarily narrative-driven or solely about conveying emotions, an active gameplay experience — when it takes up a significant amount of time — largely defines the overall feeling and either aligns with or contradicts the narrative. That's because we, as humans, perceive the elements of a game as a whole.
That’s why I’ve set clear goals and shaped a vision not just for the gameplay but for the experience as well.
I want you to feel the looming threat - one that can no longer be postponed. To feel trapped — not in a trap where you can't move or are helpless. You still have the ability to change things, but you can’t turn back what has already begun. What exactly you choose to do about it is up to you. There is no single path you must follow, no specific obstacle you must overcome. Which obstacles are worth tackling, and in what order you should overcome the ones you choose — these are your decisions, and in the grand scheme of things, they might be the wrong ones. You can, in fact, rely only on yourself.
In the mechanics, I maximize the idea of resource management — every action you take, every decision you make in exploration or combat mode, revolves around managing expenditures or exchanging resources — whether it’s time, health, stamina, or items. Breaking the floor, opening a door, throwing an item to distract a monster, or moving a floor candelabrum — all of it comes down to one main task: managing the resources you find and your own well-being in a way that ensures you have enough to keep searching for more resources and a way out, all while remembering the looming death of the house.
That's why the house is dark. That's why matches burn out, and the axe grows dull. That's why injuries heal slowly. That's why pain slows you down.
It may sound off-putting, but I think it's damn interesting. That's why I'm working on The Burning House, and that's why I want to share it.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3561910/Burning_House/