Breathe (Delusion Mechanics)
First Person Psychological Horror Game | Unreal Engine 5 | Solo Project
Project Overview
Breathe is a first-person psychological horror game developed in Unreal Engine 5, focused on perception, reality distortion, and environmental manipulation. The player navigates a tense and atmospheric world where what is visible is not always real, and the environment shifts based on a core delusion mechanic that alters how the world is perceived and interacted with.
The project explores psychological horror through systemic gameplay rather than scripted events, using environmental changes, audio distortion, and perception-based mechanics to create tension and uncertainty.
Roles Played:
Solo Gameplay Programmer
As the sole Gameplay Programmer, I was responsible for implementing the core delusion system and its integration across gameplay, environment, and audio systems.
Key Contributions for Gameplay Programming
Delusion-Based World System (Core Mechanic)
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Designed and implemented a systemic delusion mechanic that alters world perception in real time
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Enabled objects, environments, and gameplay elements to dynamically appear or disappear based on player state
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Implemented Dark vs Light Mechanic to Affect Player Delusion
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Integrated the mechanic across environmental interaction, objectives, and gameplay triggers
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Built a systemic framework for perception-driven gameplay rather than scripted sequences
Material & Rendering Systems
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Implemented dynamic material transitions to support fading and visibility changes
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Identified and resolved performance limitations of translucent materials in favour of masked dithering techniques
Environmental & Gameplay Interaction
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Developed systems where doors, objectives, and interactable objects respond to delusion state
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Created dynamic environmental behaviour tied directly to perception mechanics
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Built systemic interactions that support multiple gameplay states without hard-coded logic
Audio & Feedback Systems
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Integrated audio changes and environmental sound variation based on delusion state
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Enhanced psychological feedback through reactive environmental audio cues
Design Collaboration Note
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Core door key-based progression mechanic was not designed or implemented by myself and was provided as part of the project design structure
Technical Challenges
Perception Design
A key challenge was designing a system where the environment could dynamically shift between multiple states without breaking gameplay clarity or player orientation. This required careful structuring of object state management and consistent rules for when and how world elements transition between visible and hidden states.
Rendering
Early implementations used translucent materials for fading effects, which were found to be performance-heavy, see through majority of the time, which showcased exactly where to go before the player had a chance to figure it out themselves and unsuitable for large-scale use. This was resolved by implementing a masked dithering approach, allowing efficient and scalable fade transitions while maintaining visual fidelity.
Delusion-Based Visual Feedback System (Grain & Vision Restriction)
I developed a dynamic system to visually communicate the player’s delusion state and reinforce psychological tension. As the delusion level increases, the screen progressively becomes darker, grainier, and more visually restricted, simulating a narrowing field of perception and increased mental instability.
This system was implemented using a combination of post-process effects, including grain intensity, vignette scaling, and exposure manipulation, allowing for real-time feedback that directly reflects gameplay state. The result is a clear and immersive visual indicator that ties player perception to the core delusion mechanic without relying on UI elements.