Light It Out

A flashlight-controlled indie arcade game

Born from a school project, Light It Out evolved into an indie arcade game that premiered at MAGFest 2023 in Washington, D.C. This spine-chilling 3D maze adventure takes players deep into a crumbling railroad, where they navigate using an innovative flashlight controller equipped with photoresistors. Guided by a gripping narrative, players dive into a tense, first-person journey of suspense and survival.

TEAM

Rama, Smitha
@ Parsons MFA Design & Technology

MY ROLE

Game Designer & Developer, Exhibition Director

TOOLS

Unity, C#, Adobe Photoshop & Premiere, Arduino

Timeline

Dec 2022 - Jan 2023

01

Ideation

What if players mirrored the actions of the in-game character?

Driven by this question, I explored the concept of player-character synchrony, creating a flashlight-based controller powered by Arduino and photoresistors to detect light.

Players, immersed in complete darkness, use the flashlight to illuminate their path while unraveling the mysteries of the maze. To see if the idea works, I quickly prototyped a low-fidelity version in Unity. After try-and-error using Arduino for the first time, I got to realize my ideation and received positive feedback from play-testers.

In 2022, a woman's anonymous article about suspected secret photography went viral. Instead of support, she faced harsh victim-blaming, shifting focus away from the act of harassment.

Shocked by society's unrealistic standards for victims, I conducted in-depth research on gender theories and personal stories. Inspired by feminist discourses, I sought to use game design as a powerful tool to drive awareness and encourage positive change.

02

Narrative & Game Mechanics

I expanded the original prototype into a complete arcade experience by developing its narrative, core mechanics, and player flow around a simple tension: use light to find your way, but risk being caught in the process.

Narrative

Players take on the role of John, a security guard navigating a surreal maze to find the “yellow door” and escape.

Game Mechanics

• Explore the maze by illuminating paths.
• Hide in darkness when footsteps approach to avoid capture.

Player Flow

Light and sound work together to create a loop of exploration, risk, and retreat. I mapped the player flow to align narrative beats, instructions, gameplay, and feedback throughout the experience.

I translated the flow into a storyboard to align the team on pacing, interactions, and key narrative moments before development.

1. Intro Animation

2. Arcade Instruction - a

3. Arcade Instruction - b

4. Game Scene

5. Ending Animation - a

6. Ending Animation - b

7. Ending Animation - c

8. Ending Animation - d

03

Game Development & Production

I led a three-person team to bring the concept from prototype to a playable physical installation. I owned the game design, Unity development, programming, and ending animations, while collaborating with the team on illustration, Arduino integration, sensor testing, and fabrication.

My Role — Game Design · Unity Development · Programming · Animation
Collaboration — Illustration by Smith · Arduino Programming & Fabrication by Rama

Unity Development

Fabrication Design

Sensor Try-out

Ending Animation - a

Ending Animation - b

Ending Animation - c

04

Exhibition @ MAGFest 2023

The reception at MAGFest exceeded our expectations. Players were captivated by the flashlight alt-controller, enthusiastically engaging with its unique concept. Seeing players record, discuss, and gather around our arcade was deeply rewarding. The overwhelmingly positive feedback reaffirmed the impact of our game’s innovation and execution.