Tension Lab

Tension Lab is a visual timeline tool designed to help creators structure and analyze emotional tension over time in games and interactive experiences. It focuses on pacing, contrast and rhythm rather than content or storytelling mechanics.

Developed and actively used during the creation of my own game, Tension Lab helps identify overload, habituation, weak transitions and ineffective surprise moments. It provides clear observations, cognitive classification and actionable design advice.

The tool is informed by university-level studies in neuroscience and cognition, using simple, robust principles about attention, vigilance and surprise as guidelines—not strict rules. Tension Lab is an experimental but practical instrument for thinking about emotion in interactive design.