Inspiration
BREATHLESS began with a simple question: what makes a horror game truly frightening?
I've always loved psychological horror, mysterious stories, and environmental puzzles. I wanted to create a world where players feel that something is wrong, even when nothing frightening is happening.
My goal is to build an experience that stays with players long after they finish the game.
What It Does
BREATHLESS is a first-person psychological horror puzzle game that combines exploration, environmental storytelling, and immersive sound design.
Players explore mysterious environments, discover hidden clues, solve interconnected puzzles, and gradually uncover a larger story.
The game focuses on atmosphere, uncertainty, and the fear of the unknown.
Key Features:
- First-person 3D exploration
- Narrative-driven environmental puzzles
- Psychological horror and mysterious storytelling
- Atmospheric lighting and interactive environments
- Character voice acting and original music
- Multiple layers of environmental storytelling
How I Built It
BREATHLESS was originally developed as a browser-based 3D game using JavaScript, Three.js, WebGL, and HTML5.
As an independent developer with over 10 years of software development experience, I handle the programming, game design, narrative development, and integration of visual and audio assets.
For the Meta VR Start Developer Competition, I am exploring WebXR to bring the experience to Meta Quest.
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges has been creating a convincing horror atmosphere while maintaining good performance in a web browser.
Adapting the game to VR introduces additional challenges:
- Optimizing 3D environments for standalone VR headsets
- Designing natural hand-based interactions
- Creating comfortable first-person movement
- Maintaining immersion through spatial audio and lighting
- Translating traditional puzzles into physical VR interactions
What I Learned
Building BREATHLESS has taught me that horror depends heavily on pacing, atmosphere, sound, and player expectations.
Music and sound design have become particularly important parts of the experience.
I am also learning how immersive technology can transform traditional first-person storytelling into something more personal.
What's Next
My next goal is to develop a playable WebXR version for Meta Quest.
The planned VR experience will focus on:
- Immersive first-person exploration
- Hand-tracked puzzle interactions
- Spatial audio and environmental storytelling
- Optimized performance for standalone VR
I hope BREATHLESS can demonstrate the potential of browser-based immersive horror games.
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