Tools Used:

Unity

C#

Visual Studio Code

JetBrains Rider

Overview:

Trick-or-Treat was a solo-developed project where I handled every aspect of production, including design, programming, systems architecture, audio, and level implementation.

The goal was to create a cohesive horror-puzzle experience that combined environmental storytelling, AI tension, and mechanical progression into a focused, replayable game loop.

The project was publicly released on itch.io and presented at the Wake Technical Community College Student Showcase.

My Role & Ownerships

Core Gameplay Systems

Puzzle Design & Implementation

AI Systems

Cutscene Logic

Level Design

Audio Integration

Designing for Tension & Clarity

The core design challenge was balancing puzzle clarity with psychological tension.

Players needed to:

• Understand objective flow without handholding
• Read AI behavior patterns clearly
• Navigate the environment under pressure
• Experience escalating suspense without frustration

To achieve this, I built modular systems that controlled AI states, trigger events, and puzzle progression in a way that allowed fast iteration and tuning.

Breakdown: Core Systems

Ownerships:

AI State Machine

Puzzle Framework

Event Triggers

Cutscene System

Gameplay Flow & Pacing

The AI system was designed to reinforce tension rather than overwhelm the player. Timing, audio cues, and movement patterns were tuned to create pressure without breaking fairness.

Cutscenes and scripted sequences were integrated directly into gameplay systems to maintain immersion and prevent hard transitions.

What This Project Strengthened

• Full-cycle solo development
• System architecture in Unity
• Designing AI-driven tension
• Shipping and publicly presenting a finished product
• Rapid iteration and debugging without team support