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The Wrong Floor elevator scene
Case Study / 04

The Wrong Floor

A compact horror experiment about noticing the one thing that changed.

Genre
Anomaly Horror
Role
Solo Game Designer
Engine
Unreal Engine 5
Duration
Under 72 hours
Platform
PC
01 / The Vision

Make repetition feel like a test.

The project started as a small challenge: could one elevator become a complete psychological space? The player fantasy was to become more observant than the environment, learning to trust memory while the rules quietly shifted.

The Wrong Floor elevator interior
A single space can hold many interpretations.
02 / The Challenge

Players saw the room, but did not know what to compare.

The first version relied on surprise instead of pattern recognition. The design challenge was to make every anomaly legible enough to learn from, while keeping the player uncertain about what would happen next.

03 / My Responsibilities

Gameplay Design

Defined the observation loop and the choices that move it forward.

Systems Design

Created a consistent language for anomalies and progression.

Level Design

Used a repeating space to make small changes feel large.

Balancing

Tuned surprise so it supported curiosity instead of frustration.

Playtesting

Tracked which details players remembered without prompting.

Production

Protected the central idea while working inside a short deadline.

04 / Design Process

One room. Many questions.

IdeaWhat changed?
↓
PrototypeCan it be spotted?
↓
PlaytestWhat gets remembered?
↓
FeedbackWhere does trust break?
↓
Final DesignAttention becomes progress.
Interactive Artifact

Anomaly flow / notice, compare, commit.

This flowchart makes the player’s observation loop visible at a glance.

Open anomaly flowFlowchart / annotated

Select a stage to reveal the design insight.

The Wrong Floor early anomaly stateWireframe
The Wrong Floor final anomaly stateFinal
05 / Iterations

From jump scare to observation.

The Wrong Floor early anomaly iteration
Version 1 / Surprise without a pattern.
The Wrong Floor refined anomaly iteration
Final / The player learns how to look.
06 / What Didn't Work

Randomness alone was not scary.

When anomalies appeared without a readable rhythm, players felt tested by the game rather than invited into it. We gave the changes a stronger visual and narrative relationship.

07 / Playtesting
08 / Production

Constraint became a design tool.

The short deadline made prioritization visible. We cut systems that did not strengthen observation, shared responsibilities clearly, and used every test as a decision rather than a verdict.

Scope reductionCommunicationFeature cutsTrade-offs
09 / Lessons Learned

Lesson 01Players need a pattern before they can fear a break.

Lesson 02Small spaces reward precise design.

Lesson 03Fast iteration can still be thoughtful.

10 / Reflection

If I revisited this project today...

I would keep the single-space constraint and sharpen the first three minutes. I would improve the feedback around incorrect observations so failure teaches the player how to look again.

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Status

Completed

Type

Psychological Horror / Anomaly Detection Game

Engine

Unreal Engine 5
About
About
The Wrong Floor is a psychological anomaly horror game where the player is trapped inside a looping elevator system and must detect subtle environmental changes to progress.
The project started as both a college assignment and a personal challenge. After nearly 10 months working on my main game LAB1995, I wanted to step away for a bit and see how quickly I could turn a small idea into a fully playable experience completely on my own.
The game was developed in under 72 hours. Even though the environment takes place inside a single repeating elevator space, the experience focuses on atmosphere, repetition, memory, and psychological tension instead of jumpscares or combat.
A major technical focus was building a modular anomaly system that could randomize events, manage progression, and keep the experience unpredictable while still feeling coherent.
Project Info
Project Info
  • Role: Solo Developer
  • Duration: Under 72 Hours
  • Genre: Psychological Horror / Anomaly Detection
  • Engine: Unreal Engine 5
  • Platform: PC
  • Project Type: College Project + Personal Challenge
  • Status: Completed Prototype
Screenshots
Screenshots
Suggested categories for this page: Gameplay, Elevator Interior, Lighting & Atmosphere, Anomaly Examples, UI & Interaction, and Environmental Details.
Recommended layout: one large banner image, 4 to 8 gameplay screenshots, and an optional image carousel for anomaly variations.
  • Gameplay
  • Elevator Interior
  • Lighting & Atmosphere
  • Anomaly Examples
  • UI & Interaction
  • Environmental Details
The Wrong Floor Screenshot 1 The Wrong Floor Screenshot 2 The Wrong Floor Screenshot 3 The Wrong Floor Screenshot 4
Objectives / Key Features
⚙️
Objectives / Key Features
  • Modular anomaly system built using Blueprint inheritance
  • Dynamic environmental changes and randomized events
  • Psychological horror focused on observation and memory
  • Elevator progression system without real level transitions
  • Material swapping and lighting anomaly systems
  • World-space interaction prompts and custom interaction system
  • Minimalist UI and atmospheric storytelling
Role & Contribution
👤
Role & Contribution
This project was developed completely solo.
  • Game Design
  • Gameplay Programming
  • Blueprint Systems
  • UI Logic
  • Lighting & Atmosphere
  • Environment Assembly
  • Interaction Systems
  • Anomaly Design
  • Audio Integration
  • Progression Logic
  • Technical Implementation
Challenges & Solutions
Challenges & Solutions
Building a Non-Repetitive Anomaly System: The biggest problem was making anomalies feel unpredictable without repeating the same events. I solved this with a modular anomaly architecture, randomized selection, and repetition control.
Making a Stationary Elevator Feel Tense: Since the elevator never moves, the horror had to come from atmosphere, pacing, lighting, and subtle changes instead of traditional progression.
Creating Subtle but Noticeable Anomalies: The anomalies had to feel believable while still being clear enough for players to spot them.
Managing All Logic Inside One Environment: Progression, interaction, anomaly management, and transitions all had to be handled dynamically without actual level changes.
Outcome / Status
✅
Outcome / Status
The Wrong Floor was completed in under 72 hours as a personal game development challenge and college project.
The project became an experiment in rapid prototyping, modular gameplay systems, psychological horror design, and environmental storytelling.
It also helped refine systems and workflows that will later support LAB1995.
Related Links
🔗
Related Links
  • Play The Wrong Floor
  • View Devlogs
  • Wishlist LAB1995 on Steam
  • Back to Projects