I had a lot of fun remaking this video essay about Subnautica (even if it took way longer than expected, of course...) This game has been one of my favorites for years. Ever since I first played it, I’ve been fascinated by how its sound design, music, and atmosphere create such a hypnotic experience. So here’s my take. Grounded in research, game design, and a little psychology. And yes, I might’ve gone on a few tangents. I had to. Don’t question it. Let’s dive in. Literally. 🤿 🌊🐠 0:00 Intro 0:53 The First Emotional Shift 1:45 The First Prototype 2:14 Solar Fields 2:45 Assigning Emotion to Design Pillars 3:45 Don Norman’s Emotional Design Theory 4:16 The Three Levels of Emotional Design 6:00 The Psybient Influence 7:37 Simon Chylinski 8:08 Subnautica's Hypnotic Design 10:17 No Guns 11:27 Outro #subnautica #subnauticaessay #thalassophobia #videoessay #gamedesign #psybient #gaming #mesmer #gameanalysis #gameessay #gamemusic #subnauticasountrack #subnauticamusic #subnauticadesign