Nick here!

Today, I wanted to share some insights into our work on the lighting for "The Brimstone." Lighting is a crucial element in creating the eerie and immersive atmosphere we want for our horror puzzle game. Creating believable lighting is no easy feat, and takes lots of trial and error, as well as patience. One of the lessons I had to learn was that too many light sources will cause issues and create weird effects, especially when they have overlapping radii.

A good example of of properly spaced lights:

And here is a bad example:

A quick breakdown of the lighting in our game:

Dynamic Lighting

One of our primary goals was to use dynamic lighting to enhance the sense of dread and tension. Specifically, we implemented dynamic lighting for the sconces that turn off when the demon walks by, creating a chilling effect that makes the environment feel more alive and unpredictable.

Atmospheric Effects (Post Processing)

To deepen the sense of limbo, we incorporated volumetric lighting and fog. These elements help create a sense of depth and mystery in the corridors. By adjusting the density and color of the fog, we were able to give each floor of the hotel its own distinct mood, ranging from cold and ghostly to dark and oppressive.

Lighting for Puzzles

Since "The Brimstone" is a puzzle game, we had to carefully balance the lighting to ensure that it enhances gameplay without being too distracting. We used spotlights and point lights to highlight key puzzle elements and guide the player’s attention naturally. This not only aids in solving puzzles but also adds to the visual storytelling.

Optimizing Performance

One of the challenges we faced was optimizing the lighting for performance. Real-time lighting can be resource-intensive, so we implemented a mix of baked and real-time lighting. Baking static lights helped us reduce the load on the engine while still maintaining the dynamic feel for moving elements.

Interactive Light Sources

To add an extra layer of immersion, we incorporated interactive light sources that players can control. For example, lamps that can be toggled by clicking on them. 

Stay tuned for our final updates in the coming week!