Killer in the Woods: An Interactive Murder Mystery

If you come down to the woods today, you better not go alone…

As part of my final year of media production at Solent University, I developed an immersive experience prototype using 360-degree cameras. I pitched this prototype to a potential client, showcasing the commercial viability of 360-degree content. The project involved using Adobe Captivate, Marzipano, and Adobe Audition (with the Sennheiser 360 sound plugin) to create a fully interactive and engaging experience. I also conducted user testing to gather feedback on the user experience, which was included in my supporting documentation for the presentation. This project allowed me to refine my technical skills and demonstrated my ability to create marketable, immersive media products.

Outline

“Killer in the Woods” is an interactive murder mystery that immerses the audience in the role of a police investigator at a crime scene. Using 360-degree camera technology, viewers are positioned as the investigator, allowing them to freely explore the virtual environment. At the start of the experience, an audio tape from the serial killer provides crucial exposition, setting the scene and hinting at clues hidden along the forest trail. It’s then up to the viewer to uncover these clues and ultimately apprehend the killer.

Interactive Elements

The prototype contains many interactive elements that are used to help the user move through the space. Below I have listed the icons that the players are likely to come across.

Given that the experience is an interactive murder mystery, we aimed to provide users with as much freedom as possible to encourage decision-making. As illustrated in the map below, we designed two distinct pathways, each leading to different locations within the virtual world, offering varied routes and outcomes for the investigation.

The Prototype

The prototype is available from this link: https://dindinzcafe.co.uk/InTheWoods/