Project Overview
Darkest Hour was created during the Game Jam of Québec, a 48-hour competition where teams build a fully functional game from scratch. Our team of four, comprising three developers—Zakary Dujardin, Anthony Johnston, and Nicolas Nadeau—and one artist, Vincent Vilain, worked together to deliver this immersive horror experience. The game centers around a dark and tragic tale told by a mysterious narrator as players explore a shadowy forest.
The core challenge was to balance gameplay, art, and narrative within the tight 48-hour time constraint, pushing each of us to contribute our expertise. Darkest Hour is a horror adventure where the player becomes immersed in a grim story that unfolds progressively. To unlock the next part of the tale, players must successfully complete specific tasks and mini-games assigned by the narrator, ensuring that they stay engaged and drawn into the evolving tension.
Game Context and Narrative
At the heart of Darkest Hour is a tragic and eerie narrative told around a campfire, where players are captivated by the narrator’s story of horror. The setting is a dark forest where lighting and sound play an essential role in crafting an oppressive, haunting atmosphere.
The narrator slowly reveals grim secrets, but for the story to continue, the player is tasked with performing certain interactive actions. These interactions aren’t just simple prompts; they are woven into the story as mini-games that represent in-game tasks. Each completed mini-game unlocks more of the story, immersing the player further into the horrors being told.
Team Collaboration and Workflow
With three developers and one artist, the project was a collaborative effort that utilized each person’s strengths.
Despite the pressure of working within the short time frame, the synergy between our roles allowed us to create a cohesive and engaging game.
Gameplay Mechanics and Mini-Games
The gameplay of Darkest Hour is driven by the player’s interactions with the world around them, guided by the narrator. The key to advancing the story is completing various mini-games that represent tasks essential to the tale. These mini-games were designed to add tension and variety, enhancing the overall experience:
- Woodcutting Mini-Game: Players must stop an axe at the right moment by clicking the left mouse button, simulating the effort to chop wood for the fire.
- Fishing Mini-Game: Players hold the left mouse button to raise the hook and align it with the fish, representing the need to catch food.
- Lockpicking Mini-Game: Players use the J and L keys to adjust pin positions and K to test the placement, emulating the challenge of unlocking secrets hidden within the forest.
Each mini-game is tied into the narrative, increasing the player’s involvement in the story. Success in these tasks allows the narrator to continue unraveling the dark tale, while failures or delays add to the tension.
Atmosphere and Technical Details
We placed a strong emphasis on atmosphere in Darkest Hour, using a combination of dynamic lighting, eerie sound design, and carefully crafted environments. The forest is dark and foreboding, with every shadow hiding potential threats. The campfire, where the story is told, acts as a small beacon of light in an otherwise grim setting. As the story progresses, the lighting shifts and the sound design builds, creating an immersive, tense experience that mirrors the growing horror of the tale.
We used Unity to develop all core systems, from the movement and interaction mechanics to the implementation of mini-games. Each system was designed to be as intuitive as possible, allowing players to quickly understand their objectives while maintaining engagement with the evolving narrative.
Controls
- Movement: WASD keys to move your character.
- Interaction: Press E to interact with objects or characters.
- Dialogue Skip: Press the spacebar to skip dialogue sequences.
- Mini-Games:
- Woodcutting: Click the left mouse button to stop the axe at the correct moment.
- Fishing: Hold the left mouse button to raise the hook and align it with the fish.
- Lockpicking: Use J to move the pin right, L to move it left, and hold K to test the pin’s position.
Results and Learning
The Game Jam experience highlighted our ability to work effectively under tight deadlines while maintaining a high standard of quality. Darkest Hour successfully integrates narrative, gameplay, and atmosphere to create a memorable horror experience. Through this project, we learned the importance of rapid prototyping, efficient teamwork, and how to adapt quickly to challenges in game development.
Download the Game
You can download and play Darkest Hour from the following link: Darkest Hour Game Download.
Alternatively, you can access the game directly via my Itch.io page, linked in the header of this page.