# Outlast Style - Horror Template | Summer Engine ## About this template Outlast turned the camera into the most important tool in horror gaming. The night vision mode on the protagonist's camcorder is the only way to see in pitch-black environments, but it drains batteries that are almost never plentiful enough. The viewfinder creates a layer of separation between player and horror: you are watching events through a screen, like found footage, and that framing makes everything feel documented and real. Summer Engine helps you build that camcorder-driven horror. Describe your asylum, compound, or abandoned facility. The AI scaffolds night vision rendering, battery resource management, chase sequence triggers, and hiding spot mechanics so you can focus on designing the encounters and setpieces that make players put the controller down. The chase sequences are what define an Outlast-style game. These are not optional encounters. The player rounds a corner, something massive starts running at them, and the next sixty seconds are pure adrenaline: sprinting, vaulting, sliding under obstacles, and diving into lockers. The design challenge is making these sequences feel desperate without being unfair. ## Who it's for * Developers who want to build relentless, high-intensity horror driven by chase sequences and environmental setpieces. * Filmmakers and found-footage fans who see the camcorder as a narrative device, not just a gameplay gimmick. * Horror creators who want to explore disturbing themes through environmental storytelling and document-based narrative. * Solo devs building a linear, intensely paced horror experience designed for streaming and content creation. ## Highlights * ### Asylum Demo Build one wing of an asylum with night vision exploration, two chase sequences, locker hiding, and a battery economy. A 20-minute experience designed to be terrifying and streamable. * ### Full Found-Footage Campaign A 5-7 hour game across multiple connected areas. The camcorder records key events automatically. Battery management escalates as areas get darker. Multiple antagonists with different pursuit behaviors. * ### Documentary Horror The protagonist is an investigative journalist. The camcorder records evidence. Notes and documents build the conspiracy. The horror is what the protagonist discovers about what happened here. ## Highlights ### Camcorder night vision The camera's night vision is the only way to see in total darkness. The green-tinted view, lens flare from light sources, and grain noise create a found-footage aesthetic that makes everything feel documented. ### Battery resource economy Night vision drains batteries. Batteries are scattered through the environment. Players constantly weigh using night vision to see ahead versus conserving power for the areas they know will be pitch black. ### Relentless chase sequences Scripted and dynamic chases where enemies sprint after the player. Vaulting obstacles, squeezing through gaps, and making split-second directional choices while something screams behind you. ### Locker and bed hiding Specific hiding spots where the player crouches and holds their breath. Through the slats of a locker door, they watch the enemy search the room. Getting caught in a hiding spot is instant death. ## Features * ### Night vision camera system A full-screen camcorder overlay with night vision toggle. Green tint, noise grain, battery indicator, and recording timestamp. Light sources bloom and flare realistically through the viewfinder. * ### Battery management Batteries deplete while night vision is active. Found batteries auto-equip. The UI shows remaining battery count. Late-game areas can be designed with zero ambient light, making batteries critical. * ### Chase and parkour system Sprint, vault over obstacles, slide under gaps, squeeze through narrow passages. Chase triggers are scripted or proximity-based. The environment during chases is designed as a linear gauntlet with split-second choices. * ### Hiding spot interaction Lockers, beds, barrels, and crawl spaces serve as hiding spots. Players enter and peek through gaps. Enemies investigate nearby, creating tension through proximity. Some enemies can detect the player's breathing. ## Genre fit * Horror * Survival * First-Person * Stealth * Found-Footage * Desktop * Console ## Related Templates [View All](https://www.summerengine.com/templates) [Survival Horror Build a third-person survival horror game with resource scarcity, inventory management, and enemies that punish carelessness. Describe your world and Summer Engine builds the systems with you. Horror](https://www.summerengine.com/templates/horror/survival-horror/survival-horror) [First-Person Horror Build an immersive first-person horror game where the player perspective is the horror tool. Close quarters, limited visibility, and audio-driven dread. Summer Engine helps you construct the experience. Horror](https://www.summerengine.com/templates/horror/first-person-horror/first-person-horror) [Amnesia Style Build a first-person horror game inspired by Amnesia: The Dark Descent. No combat, sanity mechanics, physics-based interaction, and a light-versus-darkness system where staying in the dark too long destroys the player's mind. Horror](https://www.summerengine.com/templates/horror/survival-horror/amnesia-style) Source: https://www.summerengine.com/templates/horror/survival-horror/outlast-style --- ## Machine-readable resources - Site index for agents: https://www.summerengine.com/llms.txt - Full inlined content: https://www.summerengine.com/llms-full.txt - Porting catalog: https://www.summerengine.com/llms-porting.txt - Structured catalog: https://www.summerengine.com/agent-catalog.json - Sitemap: https://www.summerengine.com/sitemap.xml - Developer resources: https://www.summerengine.com/docs