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Devil's Office

My Roles

Lead Programmer (C#)

Designer

Developed in

Unity Engine

Duration
Platform

2 Weeks

PC

Release
Student Project

April 2024

Intro

Devil’s Office is a 2–4 player local PvP party game set in the worst workplace imaginable — hell itself. Players must blend in among NPC employees, complete office tasks, and stealthily eliminate rivals by stabbing them in the back. But beware: kill the wrong target, and you’ll have to clean up the evidence, exposing yourself to others.

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With a procedurally generated tile-based office, player-specific tasks highlighted by shaders, and a map system that aids navigation but risks revealing your position, every round balances clarity with secrecy. The result is a tense, chaotic mix of stealth, deception, and party-game fun where no two matches play the same.

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The goal is to reach the end of the timer with the most points. Killing other players grants more points, and doing tasks grants a base of 10 points.

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Key design challenges:

  • Design tasks and objectives that keep players moving while blending into NPC “employees.”

  • Reward careful play and punish careless mistakes (e.g., killing an NPC).

  • Balance clarity (knowing what tasks to do) with secrecy (not revealing your position to opponents).

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Design Approach

Task & Map Design
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  • Procedural Tasks: Printer, PC, and other objectives placed dynamically with each round.

  • Personalized Shader Feedback: Each player only sees shaders highlighting their own tasks, preventing information leaks across screens.

  • Map Overview: A minimap shows task locations, improving clarity, but creates risk — other players can track your movement.

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Rationale: These features kept the game fair but tense, with players balancing clarity (find your tasks quickly) against stealth (don’t reveal your position).

Core Gameplay Loop

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  1. Blend In: Players disguise themselves among NPC employees.

  2. Complete Tasks: Earn points by performing random office chores (e.g., using the printer, checking PCs).

  3. Eliminate Rivals: Players can only kill others by stabbing them in the back, creating tension around positioning and earning more points

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Win Condition: Highest score at the end of the round (via tasks + eliminations).​

Tile-Based System
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  • Implemented a tile system to control player and NPC movement.

  • The tiles allowed players and NPC to move more similarly making it more difficult to distinct players from NPCs

  • Tiles allowed for procedural generation of tasks and objects, ensuring maps felt fresh each play session.

  • Provided a flexible foundation for dynamic task placement and modular level design.

Iteration and Feedback

The Problem

Early playtests revealed two major issues:

  1. Players struggled to locate tasks, leading to confusion and downtime.

  2. Rounds sometimes felt static, as players camped instead of moving.

 
The Solution

  • Minimap System: Added a clear overview of task locations, improving direction and pacing.

  • Personalized Shader Highlighting: Prevented information leaks while keeping objectives visible.

  • Procedural Map Changes (via Tile System): Ensured players had to adapt every round, breaking static strategies and keeping play dynamic.

 
The Result

  • Players moved more actively around the map.

  • Objectives were clearer, reducing frustration while keeping the hidden identity tension intact.

  • The procedural variety boosted replayability and unpredictability.

Skills Applied

  • Technical Systems:

    • Implemented a tile-based movement and map generation system.

    • Developed shader logic for player-specific task highlighting.

    • AI Behavior to be similar to the player's.

  • System Design:

    • Balanced tasks, kills, and punishments to encourage stealth and deception.

  • PvP Balancing:

    • Designed mechanics where risk (killing NPCs, using map) had visible consequences.

  • Iteration & Testing:

    • Adjusted UI/UX (map, shaders) based on player feedback to improve clarity and pacing.

  • Team Collaboration:

    • Coordinated programming and design efforts, ensuring systems aligned with the stealth party-game vision.

Outcome

  • Delivered a stealth-based PvP party game playable by up to 4 players locally.

  • Achieved a balance between clarity (objectives) and tension (hidden identities).

  • Showcased advanced technical design work (tile system, shaders, procedural maps).

  • Positive playtest feedback highlighted the chaos of stealth kills and the thrill of trying to “act like an NPC” to fool opponents.

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