Level Design

BACKGROUND

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Your mother's in deep with loan sharks, and there's no other way out. The only person willing to help is your cousin Vinny, a member of a gang your family cut ties with years ago. He's trouble, always has been, but right now he's your only shot.

His boss was tipped off about a priceless artifact, The Seraph's Halo, locked away in the Kingsgate Museum. Supposedly, it has "powers," but the boss smelled a setup and passed the job to your cousin. Thinking it's just more nonsense; Vinny has handed the job off to you. He figures you're expendable, you've already written him off, so why should he care?

The museum's vaunted SecuroLock doors are the weak link. A recall was issued after a critical malfunction was discovered: cutting the power pops them open. Kingsgate bragged about their upgraded security, and now it's coming back to haunt them.

This is a dangerous play, but for your mom, you'll do whatever it takes.

OVERVIEW

Infiltrate the museum, disable the power, and take the Halo. Expect heavy reinforcements, make your way to the roof for a helicopter extraction. The SecuroLock flaw is the only reason this job is possible, but it's not without risk. Grab extra loot if you can, make this one count, but don't get greedy. Most importantly, make it out alive, for your mom's sake.

OBJECTIVES

1. Infiltrate the museum: Choose your approach. Go in quietly or force your way through.

2. Disable the power: Exploit SecuroLock's flaw.

3. Steal The Seraph's Halo: Secure the artifact and escape.

4. Collect additional loot: Make this trip count. (Optional)

5. Escape: Extract via helicopter.

MUSHROOM FOREST

SUMMARY

I worked as the lead level designer on our capstone project: Alice in Public Domain. This is the initial tutorial level created to teach the player all of Alice's basic mechanics.

This design has changed quite a bit from the original block out since two levels were cut and were partially merged into the mushroom forest.

The final includes more areas for Alice to use her shrink potion, the addition of Pooh with a tutorial area teaching his abilities, a hedge maze, and "battle arena" type area for the finale.

The updated design can be seen here. 

WALKTHROUGH

A1 (Platforming)

• Narrative intro, teaches player movement/jumping.

A2 (Combat)

• Breakable web to teach card throwing.

• Surprise enemy teaches dodging and combat all in one place.

A3 (Platforming)

• A harder platforming challenge to make sure player is comfortable with movement. Introduces rewards.

A4 (Stealth)

• Uses a reward to teach player that they can avoid enemies' line of sight.

• Player is then given the shrinking ability to enter the next area.

A5 (Combat/Stealth)

• Player can choose to continue using shrink ability to sneak past enemies in this area or fight them.

A6 (Combat)

• Final test of player's combat before they can move on to next level.

QUEEN OF HEARTS' CASTLE

SUMMARY

The final level for our demo. Created to be the most intense challenge yet while providing multiple ways to complete and various breaks for the player in between battles.

Unfortunately this level was cut from the game due to time constraints and didn't receive any further development.

WALKTHROUGH

A1 (Maze)

• Hedge maze as seen in the actual Queen of Hearts' Castle.

• Since this game is more combat focused, I didn't want to slow the player down.

• Multiple paths can be taken through the maze by using shrinking and smashing abilities.

A2 (Lower Courtyard)

• From here, 3 paths can be taken to progress.

• The middle path requires a puzzle to be completed to continue, but holds a reward at the end.

• The puzzle is a game of Blackjack. A statue holds 2 cards which equal 20. Once activated, cards will spawn around the area. The player must collect cards that equal to exactly 21.

A3a (Combat Zone)

• Small combat area with crates the player can either smash or shrink through.

A3b (Platforming challenge) *Requires puzzle completion

• Moving card platforms appear after completing puzzle.

• Gives player a vantage point for next area and dumps them out at the end of A3c.

A3c (Combat Zone)

• Eliminating enemies here will preemptively stop reinforcements from appearing in A4.

A4 (Lower Market)

• Features access to hidden area for a reward.

• Reinforcements will appear from A3c after enemies near defeat.

A5 (Upper Market)

• Provides a break before final battle.

• Features a tower the player can climb for a reward.

A6 (Upper Courtyard)

• Final battle takes place here. Multiple waves of enemies.

• Chess board themed tiles. Following 1st wave, black tiles drop to the void after being stepped on by player.

• Entering castle ends the demo.