Play Again? – A Horror Game Set in a Twisted Toy Store
Role: Solo Developer & Designer
Engine: Unity
Style: Stylized Horror / First-Person / Puzzle-Adventure
Status: In Development
Overview
“Play Again?” is a first-person horror game set in a once-cheerful toy store that’s now haunted by eerie silence and disturbing secrets. You play as a curious soul trapped inside after hours, where innocent playthings become uncanny threats. Inspired by titles like Little Nightmares and Poppy Playtime, this game blends stylized visuals with atmospheric horror and interactive gameplay mechanics.
Key Features I Developed
Exploration & Interaction
- Full first-person movement and camera control.
- Modular interaction system using the
IInteractable
interface. - Objects react to proximity and player focus (e.g., highlight on gaze, activation on click).
- Designed for puzzles, readable notes, locked doors, and toy-based tools.
Balloon Popping Mechanics
- Interactive balloon enemies and puzzle elements:
- Balloons can block paths, distract enemies, or trigger traps.
- Player can pop them using specific weapons.
- Integrated popping sounds and burst VFX feedback.
Inventory & Items
- Minimalist inventory HUD, styled to fit the toy world.
- Player can collect:
- Healing potions
- Quest items
- Weapons like toy hammer, rubber duck gun, sticky hand grapple
Combat System
- Stylized, toy-themed melee and ranged combat:
- Melee: big plastic hammer.
- Ranged: rubber duck gun, sticky hand grappling used for movement.
- Implemented attack cooldowns, animation triggers, and sound feedback.
- Enemies have AI logic for detecting, attacking, and reacting to damage.
Weapon Switching
- Player can switch between weapons using the corrosponding number.
- Each weapon activates/deactivates its own model and abilities.
- Switching clears lingering visual effects (e.g., grapple line renderer).
Custom Grapple Mechanic (Sticky Hand)
- A fully working grappling hook system using a toy-like sticky hand:
- Shoots toward grapplable surfaces.
- Animates a stretchy, cartoonish line.
- Pulls the player in a parabolic arc with accurate physics.
- Automatically retracts and resets with visual feedback.
- Designed to look like an exaggerated green stretchy toy hand, fitting the store theme.
Combat Feedback Systems
- Animated damage HUD flash when the player is hit.
- Particle bursts on Enemy Kill.
- Dynamic health bar with smooth transitions via
Mathf.Lerp
. - Game Over event tied to a centralized
GameEvents
system.
Visual Style & Effects
- Glowing, animated potions and interactables using custom shaders.
- Horror lighting with flickering toys, long shadows, and ambient particles.
- UI matches theme: chalky fonts, plastic buttons, and toy-style inventory.
UI Design
- Health bar with animated smooth transitions on damage/healing.
- Damage flash feedback using UI overlay.
- Inventory HUD toggled dynamically.
- All UI elements styled to match the toy horror aesthetic (chalky fonts, plastic colors, handmade feel).
AI System
- Enemies with modular behavior trees using interface (patrol, detect, chase, attack).
- Attack animation synced with damage hitboxes.
- Cooldown-based logic for fair play.
Technical Design
- Clean C# architecture with separated components for Input, Movement, Collision, etc.
- Unity Events and ScriptableObjects for event-driven gameplay (e.g., weapon switching, health updates).
- Designed for scalability: future characters, weapons, and puzzles can be added modularly.
What I Learned
- Creating flexible gameplay systems like grappling and interaction
- UI/UX polish in horror settings
- Combining animation, sound, and mechanics to create immersive feedback
Summary
“Play Again?” is where horror meets childhood wonder — a solo-developed project blending stylized visuals with creepy atmosphere and satisfying interactivity. From custom shaders to full combat and inventory systems, every feature was hand-built to fit the twisted toy store setting.