Title: DEAD AIR (Working Title)
Genre: First-Person Atmospheric / Analog Horror Engine: Unity
The Concept
You are the new graveyard shift DJ at 96.6 The Creek, a tiny radio station isolated deep in the Blackwood National Forest. The year is 1995. The station is old, the equipment is analog, and the woods outside are pitch black.
Your job is to keep the station on air from midnight until dawn. But there is a rule the previous DJ didn't tell you: Something is trying to broadcast a signal through your tower, and it's using the callers to do it.
The Gameplay Loop
Phase 1: The Pre-Show (Walking Mode)
Perspective: First-Person Shooter (WASD + Mouse Look).
The Atmosphere: You start in the dark. The station is empty. You can hear the wind howling outside the breakroom door.
The Ritual: Before the show starts, you must physically prepare the station.
Walk to the basement to flip the Circuit Breakers.
Go to the archives to find the Cartridge Tapes for tonight's ads.
Brew a pot of coffee in the breakroom (and ignore the knocking at the back door).
The Transition: Once the tasks are done, you walk into the soundproof booth, look at the worn-out swivel chair, and Interact. The camera smooth-snaps into the seat. You are now locked in.
Phase 2: The Broadcast (Sitting Mode)
Perspective: Fixed Desk View. Your mouse cursor is now your hand.
The Job: You operate a tactile 1990s mixing board.
Faders: Slide volume up/down for music and mic.
Carts: Physically pick up ad tapes and insert them into the deck.
The Threat: The phone lines light up. You have to answer.
Screening: You hear the caller before they go live. You must listen for "Mimic" indicators (repeated phrases, unnatural pauses, background screams).
The 7-Second Delay: If a caller turns hostile, you have exactly 7 seconds to hit the DUMP BUTTON. If you fail, the signal broadcasts, and the entity breaches the station.
Key Mechanics
Tactile Interaction: No menus. If you want to play an ad, you have to pick up the tape. If you want to cut the feed, you have to slam the button.
Vulnerability: You are safe while walking, but once you sit in the chair, you are vulnerable. You can't run away; you can only manage the audio to keep the monsters out.
Dynamic Audio: The game uses Unity's Audio Mixer to degrade the sound. As the night goes on, the "Signal Stability" drops, and you have to fight through the static to hear the clues.