Contributions & info
Level Design
- Level layout and progression
- Layout for traversing
- Puzzle placement and how they unlock
Gameplay Design
- Traversal mechanic
- Puzzle interaction with world
- Character movement & Camera
- Interactive abilities
User Experience
- Main menu
- Visual feedback
- Cutscenes and events
- Animations
Details
- Genre: Point & Click
- Duration: 4 Weeks
- Platform: PC
- Engine: Unity
- Size: 10 developers
- Product Owner
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Thirdperson Point & Click Adventure
Traverse different areas of a nightmare, solve puzzles and manipulate your environment.
Main level
For me this level was all about introducing the player to a vast world. Full with explorational potential.
To create a sense of urgency in the player, many of the levels platforms and key locations are distinguishable by their movement or lights. The many smaller islands create a path the player can traverse to reach their next objective.
Outlines
Objects that are interactable are highlighted with an outline to guide the player.
Interactable introduction
The player is immediately introduced to their first main level puzzle. This to reinforce to look for wireframe objects.
Puzzles
The first puzzle is introduced early in the level. Teaching the player and preparing them for the continually increasing difficulty.
Iteration
The first draft of the level was built to accommodate for Proportions. By playtesting the level in the early stages I quickly noticed how the great distances may work in my favor when it comes to the scale but creates issues for moving around.
This is when I reworked some of my designs for the controls and synergized them to work better as a combination. The ability to travel large gaps with a simple mouse click, allowed me to maintain the vision of the level.
The core puzzle area visible in the back, was lifted up. This to increase visibility and keep the objective clear to the player.
Void level
This level was built to introduce the core mechanics of the game.
I wanted to make sure the player was introduced to how they could interact with wireframe materials with their mouse.
The level was designed to be as simple as possible. To only interfere with the players main controller and function as a tutorial.
You are taken into a connectional tunnel between the real world and the dream world. This to give the player an impression of how they have supernatural abilities.
First draft
Introduction to how to use the mouse as a tool to progress in the game. I wanted to teach the player without pop-ups or text of how to play.
Beta version
Player moves forward if they press the wireframe spheres.
Final version
Moves forward if they press wireframe spheres.
Moves backwards if they click anywhere but the wireframe spheres.
Movement and controls
During development, I worked through many iterations of movement. I wanted something that felt natural and fun.
I decided on a Third-Person Perspective and the ability to jump to platforms with just a click. It was important that the controls didn’t limit the players feel of the game. That they felt as if the controls and puzzles worked in harmony, rather than the opposite.
Jumping to platforms
As a designer I always thrive for the most effective and fun solution. Therefor I worked on a fast, effective traversal tool. Something that immediately catches the players eye and make them want to use it again and again.
Third person camera
I wanted a consistent focus from my players. To ensure this I used my experience from the dead space series, of how to work with the camera and interactable puzzles within the game world.
Cutscenes
To make the player more attached to their progression and to traveling across the world I utilized cutscenes. Rewarding them for completing tasks.
Puzzles
As I created puzzles for the game, I focused on how they would affect the general pacing and what the player would find intuitive. They also had to fit the game world, and was designed to work within the themes of a nightmare.
Statue Puzzle
Pillars Puzzle
The first iteration of the pillar puzzle.
Entry point
How the pillars start spread out in 2nd iteration
Solution
Solution to the pillar puzzle
Final pillar puzzle
The objective of the puzzle is to make sure all the statues “front side” face the center of the platform. To achieve this the player can press a statue and have it move to a set location. The first statue always ends up the first available slot.
If a player presses a statue and it ends up at the incorrect location, he has to press it again to move it backs to its original position. This means the most efficient method, is to carefully choose each statue by looking at their initial rotation and recognizing their pattern.
Bridge Puzzle
Pillars Puzzle
The first iteration of the bridge puzzle.
Entry point
You reach the bridge puzzle and activate it by first pressing the wireframed buildings. Pressing a blue building will enable the next.
Bridge components
The platforms now move side to side, in different speeds. Pressing on them with Mouse1 will freeze them in place. If they all line up in a straight line, the player can then proceed with their jump.
Final bridge puzzle
At this point, I had already exposed the player to multiple puzzles and increased the difficulty. They now had to combine what they’d previously learned and use their intuition.
As I designer I really enjoy, creating something that the player finds natural. Something that makes sense in that specific world. I work to compliment creative thinking.
This was another opportunity to work with patterns, that once solved makes the player go “Oh of course, why didn’t I think of that.”
Main Menu
I wanted to create an immersive and expressive main menu. Something that told a bit of the story of the game in just a few seconds.
Through my iteration, I made sure to use a similar cutscene-styled setup. This makes it feel like a part of the game, rather then just a complete separate entity.
