Bahir

Bahir is a stealth based puzzle game where you play as a person from the upper echelons of a society in a world without a sun. Cast out from their position and afflicted with a mysterious force known as "The Dark" the player is changed into a creature of shadow by their peers who seek to control the city with strange artificial light. The game starts as the player is thrown from the top of the city spire into the lowest depth of the city of Ayin.

From the depth of darkness of the lower levels of the city you must traverse and overcome the various obstacles and puzzles to reclaim your place in the world and restore the true light.

Utilise the shadows in the environment or move objects to create new patches of darkness to manoeuvre and pass through obstacles whilst avoiding enemies who seek to stop you. Carefully venture into damaging light to overcome obstacles and progress through levels, whilst ensuring that your mental meter doesn’t deplete, or all will be lost.  When all else fails strike down enemies hindering your path to find the exit that brings you closer to the Spire.

Bahir is based around the aspect of social anxiety and depression, Gameplay is designed to represent a person’s fall and slow, yet difficult climb to overcome their condition.  We developed the work speaking about how such issues can be crippling in day to life and wanted to portray them in a context that is easily accessible to anyone.

The elements of gameplay surrounding the light and dark areas in the game were designed to be representative of how someone suffering from depression and social anxiety feels. With the darkness allowing the player to move faster and home base symbolising how they feel safe and empowered when out of public view the rigours of living with some of these conditions are put into traditional gameplay forms. By contrast the light areas are representative of the draining toll on a person’s mental health when in public view, with the transition to a cloaked figure displaying the insecurity and difference in personality.

For more details about suffering with social anxiety and where you can get help please visit https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/ or another charity local to you

This is our first version of this work, which we have made over the last few months and we hope you enjoy it.