Created by Dorian Jovanovic during his studies at HEAD (MA in Media Design), The Werlit Incident is a game set in a dystopian world where miniature black hole-like creatures consume all light, and humanity’s last hope lies in an artificial sun powered by bioluminescent beings.
What began as an exploration of sound and light, aiming to create an immersive, reactive auditory experience, inspired by INSIDE (Playdead), resulted in a atmospheric and open-ended narrative. While not explicitly addressed, the world of the game is also influenced by the lesser evil moral dilemmas, themes of light pollution, fleeting satisfaction and the exploitation of horseshoe crabs for medical research.
All assets are crafted using photogrammetry and field recordings. Objects and environments are scanned from real locations, while captured sounds are transformed to blend into the game’s world. Developed for Windows and controlled using four keys (up, down, left and right), the game’s reactive audiovisual elements create a sensory-driven experience that encourages exploration and interpretation.
The project earned Dorian the prestigious Metaa 2024 Prize. Dorian is also a finalist of the Swiss Design Awards 2025 in the category Media and Interaction Designt. Supported by: Simon Senn (Tutor), Photo: HEAD–Genève, Sylvain Leurent
