Obscurity
A horror mod for Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Obscurity was my first solo-developed mod, created for one of my favorite games—Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Released over a decade ago, it marked a major step on my journey into game design. While I don’t include it as part of my professional portfolio, Obscurity reflects the early roots of my design sensibilities and remains a formative project that sparked my passion for interactive storytelling and atmospheric design.
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I taught myself C++ and the HPL2 engine (Frictional Games' proprietary engine) and built Obscurity over the course of a year.
Obscurity has been played by popular YouTubers such as PewDiePie and Markiplier, and has widely been regarded as one of the best Amnesia mods of all time. Even with its imperfections, it’s a project I remain deeply proud of.
The above gameplay is from an early level in Obscurity, taking place in an abandoned village's only inn. I had two main goals for this level:
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Create a sense of unease through an ominous atmosphere, without directly putting the player in harm's way.
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Plentiful hiding spots suggests that something bad might happen​, and the map design implies an encounter is imminent (though one never occurs).
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The default window assets were opaque, so I made transparent variants to give the player a feeling of being watched, a fear that is confirmed when the player spots a figure peering in.
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Ambient noises (chattering mice, distant creaking) adds to the environment's tension
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Progress the narrative through environmental storytelling, communicating that the Inn was attacked at some point before your arrival.
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Furniture has been piled up to barricade the Inn's front door.
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A room features the remains of a struggle from an abducted guest—the wardrobe is turned over, and a trail of mud and bloodstains imply the guest was dragged out of their hiding spot​
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Being part of the early wave of Let's Play content on YouTube was an unexpected honor. It meant a lot to see Obscurity contribute, even in a small way, to the beginnings of that culture!
Other Modding
I've been experimenting with modding since childhood, starting with my love of Nintendo games. I was active in online Zelda modding communities, and eventually was brought on as a level designer for the mod Newer Super Mario Bros. Wii. These early experiences sparked my fascination and curiosity for design that has carried through my work today.
