Creating a Horror Game Based on Indian Mythology in Unreal Engine 5

Introduction

My name is VK Samhith, I'm the founder of BornMonkie and the game director of Occult Chambers. I am an experienced game developer who has created 30-50 casual and hyper-casual games. 

BornMonkie's team is very strong. We are a small team, but everyone on the team specializes in something and punches above their weight. Suresh Pitla is our primary 3D Generalist. He is in charge of the art department. He is responsible for developing new pipelines, particularly new pipelines with open-source software, which I strongly encourage in the studio. Rehyansh Verma is the Character Artist. He excels at creating vividly realistic characters. 

Our Cinematic/VFX artist, Chaman Kumar, has vast experience with Unreal Engine, specifically with cinematics and look development in the Unreal Engine, and has worked on well-known TV shows. Omrum Cetin, the Lead Developer, has been an active contributor to the Unreal Engine community for the past eight years. He is one of the top developers and has frequently been highlighted in the community spotlight for being the most active contributor. A recent article he wrote for the Unreal Engine was accepted as an official tutorial by Unreal. Yunus Cilek is the newest member of our group. He has a terrific sense of design.

The Story of BornMonkie Studio

BornMonkie was founded in my fourth year of engineering with one goal in mind: to one day make AAA games. This has always been the plan, regardless of what people say, where we begin, or what opportunities exist in India. We've been working extremely hard to achieve our goal. We've done everything from casual games to hyper-casual games to hardcore multiplayer for mobile games. All of those capabilities, I believe, are common for any platform, and we believe we are well-equipped to create games for consoles. That is BornMonkie's story in a nutshell.

I started building simple shooter and platformer games pretty early on during my schooling days. I started out by making silly animations in flash and later figured out that you could make games in it. Later, I switched to Unity. It's an excellent game engine for those who want to build their own system or for those who are just starting out.

In my engineering, I dabbled with Unreal Engine, though the resources for UE were limited. Unreal released a multiplayer shooter demo, and that is where I learned the majority of Unreal API for C++. For the past four years, I've been switching between engines, including Godot, Unity, Unreal, Phaser2, Cocos2d, and others.

Occult Chambers

We believed that an action-horror game would be a fantastic debut title for a studio of this size. I think the success of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice with only a 20-30 dev team and Indie hits like A Plague Tale gave us the confidence to explore strictly narrative action horror games. BioShock and Amnesia are heavy inspirations for Occult Chambers' initial concepts.

The Inspiration

The market is flooded with shooters of all kinds and high-fantasy role-playing games, so we wanted to develop this game in the action horror genre considering our fresh setting. Despite the market's glut of shooters, we believe our game adds something to the action-horror subgenre that no one has ever embraced in horror games, which have always been set in these westernized rooms, homes, and villages, European or American settings. However, our game OC essentially introduces the weird, unsettling subculture of Indian mythology. I think that this is a breath of fresh air and a truly original setting, something that no one has done before and that fans of horror and action-horror would like.

The usage of occult practices and India itself was decided from the start, but the game's setting in north India or the Himalayan regions was something we materialized as we were discussing the story's topics. Instead of us selecting where the game needed to be situated, the themes of the lore and the story led us to these. Although it may sound like modern India, the game itself has the atmosphere of a modern man discovering abandoned temples, ancient ruins, and unexplored forts that are now inhabited by Aghora and asuras.

Unreal Engine 5

For the most part, the game was developed using Unreal 4.2.7. We moved to version 5 when we learned that it had become stable. Exciting features like Nanite, Lumen, and Chaos motivated us to move to it. We wanted to begin using this newly stable engine, and since it would take two years to develop, we would prefer to start now rather than later. At the same time, that decision is strategic. Even though our assets already looked great, moving to Unreal 5 improved our game and turned our assets into nanite. It made our existing visuals even more powerful.

Within the studio, cross-platform games, which are primarily aimed at PCs and consoles, are typically produced in Unreal rather than Unity, which we use for the majority of our mobile games. And over the past two years, we've made investments in technology at the studio, hiring a CTO specifically for that purpose and holding numerous training sessions for our team members. Therefore, Project OC is the result of all of our learning about this technology and refining the pipeline.

The Art Direction

Having a small team means that you will have to wear multiple hats. Because I am very familiar with how video game art is created, I am in charge of art direction. We were going for a grounded, realistic look. I consistently asked our team to represent authentic architecture since day one. The Kailash temple, the Sun temple, and the Humpi were the wonders that had to be displayed. You will see this significant architecture throughout the game, which I believe has been studied and summarized from a blueprint of all of these different architectural styles.

In addition to other elements, we chose realism as our art direction. The game is ultimately designed for PCs and consoles. It must have a photorealistic appearance or be on par with AAA games. We wanted to do it justice because there will be a lot of gamers who will witness Indian architecture for the first time. Given that the backdrop of the game is India, we made every effort to authentically depict the locale.

We did take liberties because the entire plot is fictionalized. I give the art team a lot of scribbled sketches in terms of art direction, and they generally understood what I was trying to do. BioShock, God of War, and Tomb Raider served as this game's primary inspirations. 

The Gameplay

At the game's very inception, the decision was made consciously not to include gunplay and modern weapons. This was obviously not a shooter. Despite the fact that the genre is an action-horror, we wanted to have a unique weapon and combat mechanism for this game.

The player starts out defenseless (where the horror elements are at their peak,) and the game slowly transitions into action horror as the player picks up abilities to defend himself. Casting spells with a special staff, which the player discovers at the beginning of the game, is one of the game's most unique mechanics. It's unlike any other high-fantasy game with spell casting. It's more like stitching together words to make a sound and casting them. Additionally, you can draw on walls to break spells and you can execute rituals to defeat foes or acquire temporary powers in the game. You can control and manipulate other animals through astral projection or other means.

Another significant aspect of the game is crafting. Puzzles will also be available. Numerous frightening rituals and occult activities will be explored in the game and presented to the players as puzzles. In a way, a puzzle allows the player to perform a ceremony. With a wide array of environmental puzzles featuring mystical themes and ritualistic problem mechanics, the puzzle designs are distinctive and one of a kind. These form the basis for creating the setting and the mystic realm where rituals are prevalent.

The Environments

References

Finding references for this type of environment was difficult because our environment was completely new to the game world. We spent a significant amount of time researching and gathering references. We began placing our references in PureRef for better visualization after determining the art style and architecture of the environment.

Blockout

We created an early blockout of our level in 3D using primitive shapes, rough materials, and basic lighting as we transitioned from 2D to 3D. The goal of this stage was to get a sense of the space in 3D. We were simply finding out the world's scale in relation to our references.

We first started defining the size and shape of all of our assets. It was crucial to construct each prop at the appropriate scale with respect to the others. It also helped to better understand the final image and determine whether specific ideas would work in 3D.

After the blockout was complete, we made the decision to develop all the components in a modular fashion to facilitate better world creation. All the resources were divided up into several props (walls, pillars, floors, ceilings, arches, steps). We worked on creating the high poly mesh. We utilized ZBrush to finish the project with superb detail after modeling it in Blender.

Sculpting

To ensure that the small features looked better baked from the model, we sculpted them in ZBrush rather than adding them later using Height maps in Substance 3D Painter.

Making carving alphas in ZBrush and converting them to VDMs was a significant way we were able to save time. This allowed us to reuse our designs rather than having to create new carving details each time we created a new location or object.

Modeling

After finishing the high poly, we began building the low poly, focusing on lowering the tri count while keeping the silhouette. We retopologized a few objects in our scene so that we could pose or twist the model after texturing it to add variance without adding more textures or materials. We unwrapped the UVs and attempted to mirror as much as we could after finishing the low poly to make the most of the texture size.

Texturing

Substance 3D Painter was primarily used for texturing due to the convenience of reusing materials.

When texturing, we took care to use elements and textures that complemented the scene's overall aesthetic. We combined the base color and alpha with the roughness, metallic, and AO into a single texture to maximize efficiency.

Assembling in the Engine

The next stage was to create the shaders in the engine once the texturing was finished and the assets had been imported into Unreal. We were able to change the colors in the engine for the textures we created, many of which were in greyscale.

In order to make a lower resolution texture appear higher resolution on huge items or when the object is scaled larger than intended, we could add tiling detail. We also created different materials with emissive properties for the player's movement and lights.

Final Blockout

The core of the scene was pre-planned, but after the tiny objects and details were made, they needed to be put in place. The modularity and color variety gave us a choice of assets at our disposal to fill the area, and we used some of the Quixel Megascans' elements to build the scene.

We positioned them such that they would appear differently depending on the lighting and orientation. We took some time to make sure that artifacts were placed in settings that would give these objects a sense of history in order to give the environment even more vitality. Every item had a backstory and a purpose for being where it was.

Lighting

Our work is centered around finding a visual style that gives a sense of immensity to our indoor location and surrounding area. To support this aesthetic, we implemented directed lighting and skylights for illumination. We also used fog effects with very little intensity to add depth and create a mood-setting atmosphere.

Final Touches

After all the pieces were completed, we worked on the particles and lighting. To give a little more detail, we made decals for the smoke. Later on in the project, we built some terrain from scratch to use as a ground plane to make it look like a bit of a playground.

Creating the Mood

The abandoned forts have a somewhat eerie, haunted atmosphere. These architectural marvels exude a palpable sense of history. The past is immediately felt. Any fort you visit will leave you with the impression that a lot has happened there, even though no one tells you anything about it. The eerie atmosphere and the history are palpable. Therefore, the environment – uncharted forts and temples that have been deserted for 100–1000 years – creates a tense atmosphere. Additionally, if you have complete control over the lighting and sound effects, you can make the experience even more dramatic by adding a powerful or really creepy background score.

Creating the Characters

The software used for the project is listed below:

• PureRef to create a reference board
• ZBrush for sculpting
• Blender for retopo, groom, and UVs
• Substance 3D Painter for texturing
• Unreal Engine for the final render

Subject

The mythology, history, and traditions surrounding the Aghori, or the courageous, are dense. To achieve Brahman, or ultimate knowledge, Aghora forsake everything in the real world. They use mystical and ancient tantric practices away from civilization to liberate their physical bodies from the constraints of this reality. Their apathy toward life, death, suffering, joy, and civilization is terrifying, but if you understand the underlying meaning, it is the least violent path.

Consider that The Matrix (the film trilogy) is real and that we are all thriving in its simulation. Then the resistance would be known as Aghori.

References

For the project, we extensively studied Aghora's anatomy to determine the body structure. The character's body, head, eyes, legs, and hair all had to be considered in relation to the plot. We used PureRef to organize and display the references used. We usually kept it open while working, especially when texturing and sculpting as it speeds up picture handling. The first stage, references, is an important part of the work because it allows us to finish the project outline.

Sculpting

This stage entailed the creation of 3D sculptures, and the level involved blockout. We used the concept that the human body can be divided into two parts: the head and the body. The head we drew served as a guide for proportionally developing the rest of the figure. We started by blocking with a sphere. To create the base mesh for sculpting, we used ZBrush software.

We began with the fundamental forms in order to comprehend the character's core. After confirming that the proportions were correct, we set about defining the overall shapes of the muscles and constructing the skin that covers them. The goal of doing this was to temporarily maintain symmetry.

We designed the nose, eyes, and lips for the face using simple forms. Then we began to give the shapes additional depth and richness. To capture the specifics of the references, we utilized the "see-through" feature in ZBrush. Setting the appropriate angle of view is crucial because the reference images occasionally deceive.

To "perform" retopology and UVs, we exported the base structure into Blender. While creating the UVs in Blender, we made sure that they are all properly arranged and do not overlap. Additionally, we assessed the UV scale and worked to remove UV distortion.
We introduced pore detail and other finer characteristics after establishing a clean topology. It took us 7 to 10 days to build the base structure.

Skin Detail

In ZBrush, we kept sculpting additional elements near the eyes and forehead. Pores, wrinkles, and other skin-detailed brushes were created, and these were then transformed into ZBP brushes. All of the skin's pores were made using the drag option. The character's face also displays signs of aging in the form of wrinkles. Next, further fine details and features were created using HD geometry.

Hair

We used the Blender hair particle system to build the hair. We started with the hair particles and set the various types of hair strands on the plane. The texture maps were then all baked and placed on different plane cards for the following processes.

We built a separate Bézier curve for each part (head, eyebrows, lashes, peach fuzz, nose hair, etc.) for various cards. Using curve modifiers and the Bézier curve, we attached the cards to the mesh and changed their height and shape. For the hairline and brows, we used Density maps for a smoother transition.

Texturing

To texture the character, we used Substance 3D Painter. We first made a foundation layer that fit the skin tones of Indians. We used curvature to mix dark colors in the next layer. Then we added minute information about the skin's texture. We also applied a paint layer on moles and skin tags. We started with a darker foundation color on the top, adding lighter and darker tones as necessary. To add a small amount of red, purple, and yellow, we did employ a few blend modes.

To integrate them, we first used a Spray brush at various opacities, followed by a soft brush.

In order to add more skin pore details, we also doubled the Displacement map's single channel to create a Specular map and a Coat map.

For the entire character, a total of 15 UDIMs were employed. We used 4K maps, and the Albedo, Specular, and Roughness maps were created in ZBrush.

Rigging

As a result of the aforementioned work, we had a clean mesh ready. We utilized the Blender plug-in Auto-Rig Pro for rigging. This helped us in constructing the character's skeleton. Using “markers”, the bones were properly positioned to create the bone structure. The character's entire framework was completed at this stage. We made sure that every bone was perfectly aligned with the mesh. We also arranged the positions of the bones during facial rigging to achieve accurate facial expressions.

After creating the body and face, we placed the eyeballs at appropriate spots in the plug-in. We finished setting up the controllers and skeleton using the Matching functionality. This facial rigging is compatible with the ARKit face mocap. Additionally, we developed 52 facial blend shapes for Unreal live link, which cover all of the facial expressions.

Furthermore, we used Forward Solver and Reverse Solver to build a control rig in Unreal for our character. This aided in the editing of the animation and the creation of the scenario in Unreal.

The Skin

We selected the mesh and bones using Auto-Rig Pro's automatic technique and then chose the Bind feature. Next, we applied the heat approach. As a result, the character’s skin got attached to the skeleton automatically, but wherever the mesh was not completely connected to the skeleton, we manually altered the mesh using bone vertex groups.

The skeleton system was operating correctly when we tested it. We also noticed that the skin and skeleton also perfectly fit together. We created a "pose" animation to ensure that the character's bones and skin were in their proper positions. We employed the same face rigging technique to create each facial expression.

Working in Unreal Engine

Assembling

We generated the foundational shaders for skin, clothing, and hair after importing Aghora's skeletal model, base mesh, and texture as an FBX file. The texture was loaded into the Unreal workflow using Substance 3D Painter.

Look Development

After importing all the assets, we began the character creation phase by developing unique shaders for each element of the character.

1. To adjust values in real-time, we established parameters to alter the material's roughness, base color, and metallic characteristics.
2. We exported textures from Substance 3D Painter using the ARM (Ambient Occlusion, Roughness, Metallic) technique, and then we boosted these values with parameters for real-time customization.
3. We attempted to create a simple and easy-to-understand setup for the master material.

Lighting

1. To illuminate our outdoor area, we first added directed lighting and then sky lights.
2. We added exponential height fog with very little intensity to the atmosphere to add depth.
3. To go with the tone of our game, we avoided using any light sources in the interior arrangement. Additionally, we employed post-process volumes for detailing to improve the environment.
4. For interior scenes, the only lighting options are torchlight or weapon light.
5. For the fire effect, we used point light followed by a light function to give it a more realistic feel. This was the main light source for the interior setup.
6. For cinematic shots, we tried experimenting with various lighting setups, but the dark theme is still quite challenging to execute.

Cinematics

1. All of the cinematic shots were created in Unreal Engine 5.
2. We started by making a Level Sequencer and adding it to the main level.
3. We've constructed distinct cameras for each shot and customized their features, such as lens length, depth of field, focus, aperture, etc.
4. To create cinematic shots, camera animation was done using a level sequencer.
5. When the shot was ready, we used Movie Render Queue to render out the png sequence.
6. We used Adobe Premiere Pro for the final editing.

The Audience

Being an Indie studio, we have a limited budget for game development and marketing, we have just started community building and marketing. But we believe in getting a publisher on board to handle promotions and marketing as we are not the best at this. Finding an audience is definitely a challenge and the good old discoverability issue has always been a challenge for us. But the reactions we are getting from influencers and gamers for Occult Chambers are great and have shown promising interest in this game. We are doing everything we can to create an engaging game and show it to as many people as we can in order to reach the audience we want.

Getting into the Industry

I can see three possible paths that are available to get into the industry. First, you can receive a traditional education in game creation from a college or other educational institutions. Second, simply enroll as an intern in a game studio and work your way up. If you're lucky, you'll begin as a tester and eventually go to game design, level design, or programming if you enjoy it.

Self-study and discipline make up the third strategy. Online classes are readily available to help you with this. Enroll in these online courses, then start producing work and building your portfolio. Trust me, studios will consider your portfolio rather than your academic background. They are only concerned with the quality of your work and your ability to complete projects, which is critical. The majority of them start projects and stop working on them in the middle, but if you finish them and add them to your portfolio, you're already halfway there and in the industry.

Passion for game development and gaming in general and willingness to upgrade himself/herself every day is what we're looking for in a new team member. Every new member of BornMonkie must possess these two characteristics. They should be able to benefit from our experience and be willing to learn and work on themselves. They also should be able to teach us something. These are the two qualities we seek in new team members.

Future Plans

We currently want to finish the demo and then we'll start looking for publishers/raising funds. We're hoping to find good publishers for this game because it's such a unique and original project, and I'm confident it'll be a commercial hit in the action-horror genre.

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VK Samhith, Founder of BornMonkie Studio

Interview conducted by Theodore McKenzie