Sinyi Tan

Yansession

My project, Yansession, explored how horror can emerge from cute and familiar environments by blending psychological tension with soft, anime-inspired visuals. The brief was to create a game that showcased both technical skill and conceptual depth, so I focused on level design, 3D modelling, and atmosphere building within Unity. The project was aimed at players who enjoy narrative-driven horror with emotional and visual contrast.

The main idea driving my design was the concept of obsession and control, inspired by the “yandere” archetype, a character who loves someone to the point of madness. I wanted to challenge the idea that horror always needs to look dark and gritty, instead showing how innocence can become unsettling when slightly distorted.

Key design features include cel-shaded visuals, flickering lights, eerie writings on the walls, and environmental storytelling through interactable clues and objects. I used Maya for modelling, Substance Painter for texturing, and Unity’s lighting tools to build mood and emotion.

This project is significant because it experiments with how atmosphere and subtle visual cues can manipulate player emotions. Yansession contributes to psychological horror design by showing how vulnerability and beauty can exist within fear, creating a more personal and unsettling experience.