parasomnia

Parasomnia is a short, dark, anxiety-inducing experience built for Unreal Engine 4's October Game Jam.

In the hypnagogic twilight between sleep and waking, something haunts you / hunts you in this maze...

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE GAME, just a quick taste cobbled together over a couple evenings.

Before you download, note that the current version requires:

• 64-bit version of Windows (32-bit coming soon)
• a reasonably powerful video card, since there is currently no way to adjust graphics quality (also coming soon) other than hacking the .INI files. By default, it runs fullscreen at the same resolution as your desktop, with dynamic lighting/shadows and costly rendering effects. This runs just fine at 60fps on my GTX670 at 1920x1200, but your mileage may vary with slower cards or higher resolutions. This type of experience doesn't require the precision and fluidity of 60fps like a first-person shooter would, but it's painful to play at 1fps on an Intel HD 3000 (I've tried ;)

It's possible to lower the resolution by editing the file "GameUserSettings.ini" in the subfolder "parasomnia\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor":

[/Script/Engine.GameUserSettings]
; 0 = fullscreen (traditional): best performance, supports
;     all resolutions, but doesn't alt-tab as nicely
; 1 = windowed fullscreen (borderless): always at desktop
;     resolution, better alt-tab app switching
; 2 = windowed standard: supports lower-resolution window
;     with border and min/max/close buttons
FullscreenMode=0
; width and height of game window
ResolutionSizeX=1280
ResolutionSizeY=720

Planned but not yet implemented:

• procedural three-dimensional labyrinth, different on every playthrough
• labyrinth sections move around like puzzle pieces (inspired by the movie Cube)
• no turning back: the labyrinth is always closing in behind you, compelling you forward, potentially trapping and annihilating you at dead ends
• something else haunts this maze, hunting you (or a way out)
• better sound design (some audio glitches in current version)
• better performance on midrange and lower end PCs, with adjustable video settings
• better Oculus Rift visuals (screen-space reflections make some parts, especially the beginning, look wonky)

Best played with headphones in the dark ;)

PHOTOSENSITIVE SEIZURE WARNING: There are some bright fullscreen flashes, not rapid strobing, but nonetheless be forewarned.

Email acat@acatalept.com or follow @acatalept on twitter for more info.