NARRATIVE GAME / WORLDBUILDING
Between Empty
Between Empty is a first-person narrative exploration game set in a world where every being is made of mirrors. They know themselves only through what the world reflects back—light, color, images, and the gaze of others. In darkness, that sense of existence begins to fade.
When a friend disappears into a forbidden dark zone, the player follows, uncovering scattered mirror fragments, traces of memory, and signs that those who came before may have removed their own shells willingly.
As the player begins to alter their own mirrored body, the world they perceive changes with it—revealing hidden spaces, unseen beings, and a deeper question beneath the reflection: if the mirror is only a shell, what remains underneath?
Explore the Mirror Village
The opening chapter is designed as an open exploration of the mirror village, where players can wander freely, speak with residents, and gradually learn how mirror-beings live, what they value, and what they have been taught to believe.
Stay Within the Light
Your mirrored body depends on light to remain perceptually stable. Move too far into darkness and your vision begins to distort, tying your freedom to explore directly to the space you can illuminate.
Light Reveals More Than Space
Redirected light does more than brighten the environment. It can awaken light-responsive organisms, reveal traces of earlier travelers, and uncover clues hidden in the dark.
Something Moves Where You Cannot See
In darkness, approaching footsteps suggest the presence of unseen figures. They initially seem threatening and can disrupt your sanity, but their true role is revealed later.
Change the Body, Change the World
A future core mechanic will let players alter fragments of their own mirrored body, changing what they are able to perceive and access. The visual shown here is a separate style test exploring how that perceptual shift might look; the body-modification mechanic itself has not yet been implemented.
Developed in Unreal Engine 5
Integrated AI-driven 3D modeling to create all abstract stone formations within the dark environment, with custom material refinement.
Character animation combines custom OptiTrack motion capture with supplementary Mixamo animation assets.
Credits
Creative Director / Game Designer / Narrative Designer
Lois He
Developer
Eric Zhang, Lois He
3D Generalist
John Luo, Jimmy Qin,
Lois He
Concept Artist
Kico, Jiayun W
Voice Actor – Protagonist
Celine Brad
Tech Artist
Lois He, Yi Wang, Eric Zhang, John Luo,
Animator / Mocap Technician
John Luo, Lois He, Jimmy Qin
Sound Designer
Kaiyang Zhao
Title Designer
xing Zhang