A Slavic-inspired action roguelike where players draw spells to fight fear, heal minds, and uncover lost memories. Developed with Unreal Engine 5
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Heart O’ Nightmare is an isometric action-roguelike built in Unreal Engine 5, blending gesture-based spellcasting, Slavic folklore, and psychological storytelling.
Players explore surreal mindscapes where they must confront emotional trauma, face mythical entities, and rediscover fragments of forgotten memories.
Created for the Safe in Our World Game Jam (2024), the game explores mental health through myth, play, and creative empathy.
- Implements a custom spell recognition system using the $P Point-Cloud Recognizer (ported from C# to C++).
- Players draw magical runes to cast spells directly on-screen.
- Each spell represents emotional states—Light, Fire, Restoration, or Summoning—and evolves as players heal inner worlds.
- Designed with Behavior Trees and EQS systems for adaptive and reactive enemies.
- Each enemy symbolizes psychological fears or myths from Slavic folklore.
- AI dynamically reacts to player tactics, spell types, and proximity.
- Built using DataTables and condition-based branching.
- Each dialogue node contains: Speaker, Emotion, Line, Special Event, and Visual Cue.
- Player choices influence story tone, NPC relationships, and memory restoration progress.
Players journey through six handcrafted dream biomes:
- The Playroom – Childhood innocence fractured; unlocks the Light spell.
- The Halls of Memories – Shadows of grief; overcome the Moroi and unlock a cleansing spell.
- The Mirror Room – Confrontation with self-image; gain a reflection or deflection ability.
- The Abandoned Nursery – Puppet control and manipulation; earn the Puppeteer spell.
- The Garden of Shadows – Judgment and abandonment; environmental control and defense spells.
- Domovoi’s Den – The final realm of acceptance and closure; merge magic and memory to heal the mind.
Each biome reflects a stage of mental recovery and emotional growth.
| Tool / Engine | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Unreal Engine 5 | Core engine and rendering |
| C++ / Blueprints | Game logic, gesture system, and modular design |
| $P Point-Cloud Recognizer | Custom gesture-based spell input |
| Behavior Trees & EQS | Enemy AI, environmental awareness |
| DataTables (CSV) | Dialogue, quest, and branching logic |
| FMOD Studio | Dynamic sound and adaptive ambient layers |
| Blender / Substance Painter | Character and environment assets |
| Figma / Photoshop | UI and spellbook interface design |
“We don’t just build worlds, we forge fables.”
Every mechanic in Heart O’ Nightmare reflects a psychological process:
- Combat mirrors the struggle to control inner fears.
- Spells represent self-discovery and emotional resilience.
- Death loops emphasize learning and personal growth through repetition.
The player’s progress is both mechanical and emotional—each encounter reshaping how they perceive themselves and the world.
| Role | Name | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Game Director / Programmer / Web Developer | Han | Core systems, spell recognition AI, dialogue system, fabesmiths studio website |
| Game Developer | Shubhodeep | Enemy AI and Boss Fight Mechanism |
| 3D Artist & Animator | Valerie | Character and prop design, animation |
| UI / 2D Artist | Nicole | Interface design, spellbook art |
| Narrative Designer | Emily | Story, dialogue structure, and pacing |
| Sound Designer | Anna | Score, combat FX, ambient layers |
- Official Website: https://fablesmiths.com/games
- Trailer: https://youtu.be/i4u0_fzbd1Q