About the project
Personal Responsibilities
Level Design
Game Design
Details
Project Length - 8 weeks (half time)
Engine - Diablo 2D, Developed by our project group
Level Editor - Tiled
Reference Game - Hyper Light Drifter
Development Process
I was tasked with creating the introduction level as well as the final level of the game. This was a lot of fun since I had to first teach the player how to play the game then challenge them in the final level.
Introduction Level
The introduction level acts as a tutorial but also features the hub area from which each level is accessed.
Environmental storytelling - The level begins in a large empty desert. In front of the player is a manmade structure leading into the mountain. Initially I wanted a large gate with massive doors that the player had to squeeze through in order to enter the temple, but they were cut due to time constraints.
Introducing mechanics - The first section of the level solely focus on teaching the player how to move and how to dash. I accomplish this by presenting small challenges that progressively gets more and more challenging, making sure the player is comfortable using the mechanic before introducing further mechanics.
In this tutorial I introduce the mechanics in the following order:
Move -> Dash -> Switches -> Checkpoints -> Hazards -> Healing -> Combat
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hub
A designproblem we had to solve was “how are we going to interconnect the levels?”. We decided to go with a hub layout where the introduction level acts as as the center point.
Initially we thought about only using the middle room where the player receives their weapon. This design worked but felt a bit boring since it was basically a portal room.
Another thing we noticed during playtesting was that the way we introduced enemies wasn’t great since they often attacked in groups, making it difficult to tell what enemy does what.
I solved this by extending the introduction level. The player must reach a lever in order to access the other levels. The way leading to this lever introduces enemies one by one making it easier to learn their mechanics.
I also created the rooms to suit the enemies mechanics i.e. the summoner is placed behind an empty void out of reach of the players attack, forcing the player to navigate around the void which allows the summoner to spawn a couple of enemies.
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Final Level
In the game there are four levels which we designed with a specific gameplay element in mind.
Level 2 (Strength) designed by Emil Maris focused on combat. The level features large quantities of enemies often attacking in groups. The player is also introduced to a new mechanic which is a charged throw that allows the player to break certain blocks opening up paths that was previously blocked.
Level 3 (Dexterity) designed by Sara Löfgren focuses on movement, challenging their ability no dash between platforms. In this level the player is also given an upgrade to their dash ability which makes it deal damage.
Level 4 (Bravery) the last level of the game designed by me, features a mix of the themes of previous levels. The level features challenging platforming paced with combat scenarios often including a mix of enemies.
Combat CHallenges
The level features “challenge rooms”. When the player enters the room the doors close and the player must defeat the enemies inside in order for the doors to open again.
I’m really happy with this design decision as it challenges the player with various combat scenarios and forces the player to actively move around the space keeping the player engaged in the experience.
