Toplvoker is a short horror-themed narrative experience about discovering which guest in a manor is secretly a monster. The game was developed over the course of 1 week for the 2026 Screamology Game Jam.
I was the only programmer on the project and one of two designers. I developed every mechanic and was a major part of ideation, as well as serving as the team's lead, recruiting artists and sound designers. I developed a dialogue system that the other designer and I used to create the complex branching narrative in such a limited amount of time.
This was my first experience writing anything in the horror genre, a genre that I am very fond of, especially in film. The concept of Toplvoker being a horrific shape-changing creature was inspired by my all-time favorite horror movie, The Thing (1982). While there is a lot of room for improvement in my horror writing, this is a first step that I am very proud of.
The game performed well in the game, scoring 3rd in story and being one of ten games to win the gHost's Choice award.