Behind the Scenes: Creating a Horror Game You Play Blindfolded

The seed of the idea actually started while I was working on my previous title, Refind Self: The Personality Test Game. I remember thinking, “I’d love to make a game driven entirely by sound, and horror would be the perfect fit for that.”

To be honest, though, I got so wrapped up in other ideas after that launch that I completely forgot about it! (Laughs)

It wasn’t until earlier this year that the idea came back to me. I put together a quick prototype, realized the mechanics actually held up, and decided to dive into full-scale development. While “audio-only” games do exist, I’d never really seen one specifically in the horror genre, and I felt like that was a space worth exploring.

In terms of actual development time, yes.

I actually had several other projects in the works simultaneously, so for a long while, this game was in a cycle of “prototype, pause, repeat.”

I usually decide whether a project is worth a full release only after the prototype is complete. During that stage, I don’t just rely on my own gut feeling: I have people around me playtest it to gather feedback.

One thing I prioritize is accessibility: “Can someone who doesn’t usually play games enjoy this?” That’s why I typically aim for mobile-friendly designs, though this particular title is a Steam exclusive.

Exactly. To start with, I’m actually not a fan of horror games myself! (Laughs)

Beyond that, when you are relying entirely on audio, a sudden loud blast of sound is more likely to be physically painful or irritating than actually “scary.” Because of that, I decided to skip jumpscares entirely.

The feedback from players has been fascinatingly polarized. Some say, “It wasn’t scary at all,” while others tell me, “It was so terrifying I couldn’t finish it.”

Because there are no visuals to ground the experience, the horror happens entirely in the player’s imagination. It’s been really interesting to see how the game’s impact shifts based on each person’s individual sensitivity and internal world.

In the beginning, prototyping was actually very fast because I didn’t have to worry about creating art assets.

However, once we got into the thick of development, I realized that building a game this way was far more difficult than the traditional process. Since we didn’t have the “standard” visual cues or UI elements that players usually rely on for guidance and settings, the hurdle was much higher than I anticipated. In the end, the extra work created by the lack of visuals far outweighed the time saved by not having graphics.

While writing the script, I’d often stop and think, “Wait… can I actually convey this through sound alone?” It was a constant process of discovery.

It was also my first time working with voice actors. I had to be very careful about how much information we could pack into the dialogue without it feeling like forced exposition. I didn’t want the characters to sound like they were just explaining the game to the player.

Ultimately, the voice actors’ incredible performances are what made it all work. They truly brought the story to life, and I couldn’t be more grateful to them.

It was a collaborative process. I had a rough vision, but I consulted with the team at G-angle about the vibe of each character. They provided several great suggestions, and we narrowed it down from there.

Because the game has no visuals, the weight of the performance was everything. I needed actors who could convey an entire world through their voices alone, and they were absolutely incredible. We didn’t even have character designs to show them, so it’s no exaggeration to say that they were the ones who truly breathed life into these characters during the recording sessions.

Yes, that was very much by design. I wanted to leave things as open-ended as possible. In a game where the player has to rely on their imagination, whatever gender or appearance they envision for a character becomes the “correct” version for them. I really want players to enjoy that process of filling in the blanks themselves.

I definitely sent you back to the drawing board more than a few times. (Laughs).

I’m actually hearing that for the first time! I had no idea you went to such lengths.

In this game, your “own” footsteps serve a practical purpose—they help you track your location. On the other hand, “Mr. Footsteps’” footsteps had to be an iconic symbol of pure dread. Even though they’re both technically “footsteps,” they serve completely different mechanical and emotional purposes.

I know I asked for a lot of revisions, but we really needed that constant back-and-forth to nail the distinction between the two.

That’s correct. During the prototyping phase, I built the game entirely with library assets. From there, I identified specific sounds where I felt a custom-made approach would really elevate the overall quality and asked G-angle to step in.

It was an iterative process. For instance, with the “wall sounds,” G-angle initially created custom audio for me, but after extensive playtesting, I realized that library assets actually fit the game’s mechanics better in that specific case. Sometimes, for the sake of game design, a simpler asset is actually the right choice.

I really wanted to avoid a “clean,” sentimental ending.

While I did consider going in a traditionally moving or emotional direction, it felt like doing so would invalidate everything the protagonist had gone through. It felt like they wouldn’t truly be saved or rewarded by a typical happy ending. I wanted the music to capture a sense of raw defiance, a spirit of rebellion against the situation they were in.

Plus, from a practical standpoint, if we had just stuck with ambient noise until the end, a player wearing a blindfold might not even realize the game was over!

We weren’t even planning on having a chorus, but we ended up tossing one in halfway through development. (Laughs).

But the final result was just incredibly cool. You nailed it.

You really did use your own body as an instrument for so many of these sounds!

Honestly, the biggest factor is just how easy you are to work with! Having collaborated on Refind Self, the high quality of your work and the mutual trust we’ve built made you my first choice. When I started thinking about who to consult for this project, G-angle was the only name on my list.

For this game, I needed more than just music; I needed sound effects and voice casting as well. Having a single point of contact for everything was a massive advantage.

Because G-angle managed all these moving parts internally, I always had a clear overview of the production status. It allowed the entire team to stay aligned on a single creative vision. Most importantly, it saved me from having to act as a middleman between different vendors, which significantly reduced my management overhead and let me focus on development.

For the final phase, I requested playtesting from people who aren’t typically involved in game development or professional QA. G-angle stepped up and put together the perfect team for me.

For indie developers, hiring a full-scale QA firm can be a huge hurdle. Having a partner who can provide focused, right-sized test-playing support is something I think many creators will find incredibly valuable. While exhibiting at events is one way to get feedback, I don’t do that often, and I usually rely on close friends for early-stage testing. Having professional support at that stage was a game-changer.

Well, I am interested in it… (Laughs).

With so many incredible entertainment options out there today, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took a chance on this experimental title. It means a lot that you’ve chosen to play it!