Project · 2025
First Spark
Concept and design project — application piece for HKU.
Tags
- Unity
- HLSL
- Concept
- Design
Project info
- Team
- Solo
- Duration
- 7 days
- Engine
- Unity 6
- Languages
- C#, HLSL
Concept
First Spark is a short experimental game inspired by the concept of Homo Ludens — “the playing human.” The game invites players to explore without explicit instructions, relying purely on instinct and environmental cues.
You begin as a primitive human inside a dark cave, your fire extinguished. The world is obscured in shadow and mist, pushing you to move forward guided only by faint glimmers of light. This gradual transition — from almost complete darkness to a blindingly bright finale — is intentional, reflecting the idea of finding the “light” within yourself.
Trigger warning: volume might be loud.
Design Pillars
The concept was born from the metaphor of losing something essential and instinctively searching to reclaim it — just as ancient humans would guard their fire. This primal urge is paired with modern design sensibilities to create a layered, symbolic experience.
Environmental level design
Instead of tutorials or UI markers, the game uses light, shadow, and subtle visual hints to guide the player.
Visibility as narrative
The player’s vision expands throughout the game, creating a physical and emotional journey from obscurity to clarity.
Open interpretation
Entities encountered in the mist carry no fixed meaning — players are free to interpret their role in the story.
Technical Work
Build
- Designed dynamic lighting setups to subtly lead the player’s movement.
- Created and tuned volumetric fog to evoke mystery and depth.
- Built the game loop with a simple timer and entity collection system, with restart/quit functionality for quick replayability.
Research & inspiration
- Studied environmental storytelling to remove the need for tutorials.
- Experimented with Unity’s lighting and fog systems to balance atmosphere with performance.
Reflection
First Spark is aimed at players who enjoy atmospheric, symbolic experiences and are willing to explore without being told exactly what to do.
If I had more time, I would:
- Add a main menu and more refined transitions.
- Create disappearance effects for the mist entities.
- Expand the playable area with additional content tied to the theme.
First Spark is a small but complete prototype — museum-worthy in its symbolism and design intent — and a personal exploration of how play, instinct, and meaning intersect.