The Inner Light
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, and Linux
Description
You wake up at night, alone in your room, all the while the shadows close in and the sounds of the night grow louder. Leave the comfort of your room and explore the rest of the house at your own peril if you wish. But what will you find? Will you find the light, or face the darkness forever?
Synopsis & Gameplay
'The Inner Light' is a short experimental game in which you play a child who wakes up alone in their bedroom and must explore the house around them while facing off against the darkness of the night. The game doesn't feature any kind of combat, instead relying on exploration and carefully crafted atmosphere to draw in and engage the Player. The game places a strong emphasis on the concept of 'darkness', with the only sources of light in the house coming from moonlight shining from the windows that dot the outer walls, and whatever few other lights that are still on.
The game was built in Unity in just over a week, creating as a part of a Student Project for Studio 2 at SAE QANTM in Brisbane, Australia. The goal behind the development of the game was to convey the emotional experience of being alone at night as a child, fearing the dark and the unknown world around them. It draws on the authors own childhood experiences, and the house setting is an amalgamation of houses that the author has resided in at one point or another over the years.
A Postmortem for 'The Inner Light' is available here.
Legal
'The Inner Light' is an educational project, and is not for sale or commercial reproduction. It is provided free of charge. Any and all assets used including but not limited to Audio, Video, and 3D Models, were created solely for this project by the author, are available for use free of charge, or used in manner that falls under the use of the 'Fair Dealing' clause of the Australian Copyright Act of 1968. Any remaining works consist of a mix of Freeware, Creative Commons, Public Domain, and Non-Commercial licenses. Due to their limited use and the non-profit nature of the project as an educational piece, their use in 'The Inner Light' falls under the umbrella of 'Fair Use'.
Copyright 2017 - Kira Zingmark.
Download
Install instructions
For Windows users:
- Unzip the Game.
- Run 'The Inner Light (v1.0).exe' executable file.
For MacOSX Users:
- Unzip the Game.
- Run 'The Inner Light (v1.0).app' bundle executable file.
For Linux Users:
- Unzip the Game.
- Run 'The Inner Light (v1.0).x86' executable file or the 'The Inner Light (v1.0)'.x86_64' executable file, depending on your OS.
PLEASE NOTE: Linux support for 'The Inner Light' is experimental. For a higher level of compatibility and performance, please use a version of Ubuntu or another Debian-based distro.
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
I loved the attention to detail in the objects. I also liked the lighting. Only irritation was the dodgy graphics when looking or turning.
It's funny because when I first played it , I was quite scared, and then I asked myself ''why am I afraid?''
Creepy Atmosphere! I recommend giving it a go! :D
Interesting experience, I wasn't quite sure what to expect going in, but I came out feeling satisfied. So good on you. Wouldn't mind seeing this style and idea incorporated into a larger game, I felt like things were happening all around me, and I couldn't see them, which I hope was intentional, as it fits the moral perfectly. Worth a play, good work, good idea.
Thanks for all your feedback, I really appreciate it. I'm just glad to hear you enjoyed it, even if it was barely a teaser in length. :D
I'm just about to announce a new project I'm working on in the coming days, so unfortunately I won't be to return to 'The Inner Light' just yet. I do plan to come back and develop the prototype into a fully fledged game in the future. The only question is when.
Since you took the time to give me your two cents, I'll be sure to let you know when there is more news to come on the game. Thanks again! :D
This is a pretty cool short little adventure. The graphics are all in a noire styling and well done, the sound design is creepy and atmospheric, and the story behind it is something everyone can relate too. I especially love the total isolation you feel in this game as you make your way through the world. You hear creepy noises that make you want to simply hide away from the unknown. I love this games concept and how everyone can relate to it in some way. Let's be honest, everyone has jumped or dreaded walking around in the dark. Not being able to see everything draws you to believe something could be there. Same goes for hearing creepy noises from somewhere, but not knowing where makes you speculate and worry. This game does a good job of that in a short experience and which makes it a fun little game. I did a video on my experience with the game if anyone is interested.
Wow! I can't thank you enough for all your feedback, let alone taking the time to record a Playthrough on YouTube. Love your channel by the way, even took the time to watch some of your other videos.
I'm relieved to hear that the themes of isolation and a fear of the unknown transferred across to other Players in their experiences. As if I didn't already known, I'm glad to hear I wasn't the only child who was scared of the dark (and whatever might be lurking in the shadows).
I'm planning down the line to develop the prototype of 'The Inner Light' into a fully fledged and more polished game. I'll make sure to drop you a line when there are any developments! :D ;)