Gloom

Frame · Gloom & heaviness atmospheric · visual / auditory / haptic

Oppressive heaviness, no sun, shadows everywhere – the darkness is not threatening but omnipresent.

Design question – A grey veil lies over everything in your game. What does the darkness hide – and what happens when someone brings light?

Reference example – Silent Hill: fog, shades of grey, flickering light and sounds you cannot place. Arkham Horror: rain-soaked alleys of a town over which something sinister hangs.

Atmosphere

Gloom

Sensory field

Sight: greys, shadows, low contrast, an overcast sky, flickering light. Sound: muffled noises, dripping, creaking, dampened voices. Touch: damp, heaviness, as if the air were denser.

Coherence

Gloom implies restricted information (darkness = limited sight), a slowed pace, atmosphere as an opponent. Mechanisms: Fog of War, Hidden Information, Exploration (in the dark). Activities: Searching, Navigating, Surviving. Ductus: a heavy, slow rhythm.