OCDemon

Narrative Snapshot

Sarah is a young woman who looks composed in daylight—checklists, routines, forced smiles. At night that discipline splinters, and the OCDemon drags her through abstract labyrinths that mirror every intrusive thought. The vertical slice covers one full day: morning rituals, an office visit, and the descent into the demon’s echo chamber.

Structure

1. Morning Apartment – Real-world point-and-click scenes where rituals either calm or inflame anxiety.
2. Office & Errands – Semi-real spaces slowly crack as intrusive whispers peek through.
3. Dream Labyrinth – Fully surreal 2.5D levels stitched from the day’s stressors.
4. Ritual Trial – Sarah must perform or resist the Demon’s scripted demands while a timer threatens to boot her back to zero.
5. Reflection – A quiet vignette measuring progress, coping strategies, and the Demon’s taunts.

Systems & Mechanics

• Anxiety Meter – A diegetic stat that reshapes puzzles, dialogue, and camera behavior. Higher anxiety adds fake clues and harsher whispers.
• Ritual vs. Resistance – Each interaction offers both; rituals reduce anxiety short term but empower the Demon, resistance is risky but builds resilience.
• Layered Puzzles – Classic inventory logic mixed with perception toggles; reality layers can be peeled back to reveal demon graffiti or safe paths.
• Performance Capture – Stylized mocap animations emphasize micro-expressions, keeping Sarah human amidst the surreal.

Look + Feel

• Muted palette in reality, saturated jewel tones in dreams. Glitches and looping brush strokes show the Demon clawing through.
• Sound design leans on distant hums, ASMR whispers, and sudden tape-scratch cuts to emulate intrusive spikes.
• UI typography switches from rigid sans-serif in reality to handwriting overlays when the Demon hijacks the narrative.

Developer Notes

• Slice ships with four chapters, including a branching finale where players can “bargain” with the Demon or stand their ground.
• Built in Godot 4 with custom spline-based camera rails that track anxiety surges.
• Collaboration: contract composer handles adaptive score; all writing, design, and implementation handled solo.

Roadmap

• Expand post-slice content into a full week of Sarah’s life with new locations (therapy, family visit, commute).
• Prototype accessibility sliders for ritual frequency, audio intensity, and text overlays.
• Prepare a private screening build for mental health advocates to ensure authenticity before public release.