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Trailer
Overview
What this Project is About
What it is NOT
- A fully developed game.
- A commercial project.
- A fast paced game level.
What it IS
- A level design personal project.
- An exploration and narrative driven game level.
This project is a Level Design CGMA project that I took the time to enhance after the course.
It had some clear objectives to accomplish:
- Developing a Lunar/Planet type base contained in the style of Open World level environment.
- Letting your imagination run wild and design paths and spaces that inspire cool gameplay ideas.
- Strive for believability and immerse the player in a believable world.
- Give more definition to landmark spaces and aim to tell a story within the environment.
- Districts should have unique identities, aiding navigation and creating a sense of place.
I am thankful to Shane Canning for his early guidance and lessons when I was getting started on this project, and to my colleagues and friends for their continued support and feedback.
Player's Goal
My approach to level design in a nutshell is developed by a clear start and end objective, the core of everything.
While the “fun” part of a game happens in the variety of things and branching paths that can occur in between, the Start and End are always met requirements. I believe that every other aspect deviates from this.
Further reading
Having these start and end requirements makes me develop the level accordingly, it’s almost like an objective, if I don’t have where I want to go, I won’t be able to develop the design faster and accurately to the game’s setting.
In this project, I knew I had to have an “open area” for the free roaming of the player in the base. My initial idea was to make the player use the main elevator to ride through the floors of the base. But this approach would ultimately make the exploration a bit harder, since the player wouldn’t be able to “map” the base in its mind with ease. So I made the main use of elevators for progressing through the mission (and the player can still use them to ride through the floors) and not become the only mode of traversing the base.
To give a sense of an underground ocean on the moon they’re in, one of the elevators is a big ride to stimulate the idea of being deep underground the surface that reaches some caves connected to the ocean, which is where the player starts.
After the introduction, the player can explore the main part of the base freely, talking with NPCs and deepening himself in the world of the level, while completing part of the mission.
The ending is within a big weather tower at the highest point of the base, exposed to the harsh conditions of the moon, and not easy to reach. It reveals what was creeping the entire duration of the gameplay.
Open World Hub Design
This project showcases my ability to create a dynamic open-world hub that’s all about player driven exploration. I wanted players to feel completely free, but also intuitively understand the vastness of the world beyond, seeing where they could go and how they’d get there.
Ensuring that players can roam freely, while also having a purpose with a compelling narrative. This means the hub seamlessly blends non-linear discovery with a clear, story-driven progression, giving players both autonomy and a reason to dive deeper into the experience.
Further reading
For the purposes of this project, the player should be able to explore the base freely and have a purpose while exploring, whilst also carrying the understanding that there is a world that he’s living in right now and this world is not empty, it has people, other bases/places to go and tasks to do. It’s an immersing world, where the player can be excited to explore certain areas even though he cannot reach them.
Beside the non-linear approach that a “hub” of an open world game should have, there is a story behind the base that guides the player toward a more linear ending (like in an open world game, with moments that makes the player follow a sequence that, almost always, triggers progression of the game story or events).
Level Flow Chart
Further reading
The flow of the level feels very vertical. The introduction happens in the lowest part of the base, the subsurface ocean, and after leaving the introduction, the player reaches the main level of operations of the base, where the player is able to freely roam around it while doing part of the mission and exploring.
After that, the player is prompted to reach the abandoned sector of the base, which is accessible by another elevator to go higher. The initial idea was to reach the Ending point right after using the elevator, but it lacked the struggle to reach the objective, the player felt it was too easy, so another sector of the abandoned part was created, the deep fissure in the mountain, with added challenges and more exploration.
When the player reaches the ending of the level, he is at the highest point of the base and can even see past sections of where he went, giving the ultimate sensation that he is progressing and reaching an end. The ending was designed to leave an impression on the player, making them wonder “What if there was more to this? I wanted to explore the rest of this world”.
Composition
Composition
Engaging and cohesive spaces. Guiding Player Movement and communicating information while giving space and comfort.
Sightlines
Visual hierarchy using principles like silhouettes, proportion and scale to define player perception, orientation and navigation through focal points.
Further reading
I consider composition as vital, it simply defines how a world is created and most importantly, how it is perceived. The player should be able to see or not see things through composition, it is how we interact visually with our real world and how it impacts games too.
The moment a player enters a new area/room, the first thing he sees is of utmost importance, since the player will make interpretations and decisions in as few as 2 seconds. That’s the power of composition in level design, where objects, props, landmarks are placed, their interaction with one another and the disposition between them instantly impacts the gameplay.
Environmental Storytelling
Expressing important gameplay narrative through the level.
With enough detail, the blockout conveys the intended feeling and the idea of a level’s function and location, focusing on the core concept.
Further reading
I believe that level design should not be just placing the path with blank and null locations that mean nothing while the player explores. Each location needs a purpose, even on level design, so it gives a meaningful impact on the player’s experience from the start. This experience is what drives the player to feel like he is in the game, immersing himself. When the level is designed with this intention in mind, the process of collaboration and pitching the ideas to other people flow easily.
Let’s consider the merchant shop as a case in point. At first, I didn’t think of the possibility of “trading” in this base, since it is designed for scientific exploration, but when I was designing the dormitory layout, I thought “It’s kind of null, what if there is a smuggler of some sort here?”, so I decided to add a shop as the people of the base wouldn’t want to always trade their cash having to travel to another base to do it. That way, the environment got richer and with purpose, giving another layer of depth to the level and immersion.
To meet the requirements of the level, I decided to create this icy moon in another sci-fi system. It orbits close to a gas giant, covering almost half the sky, giving the sense of hugeness and a size perspective. It tells the player how the environment he is in is not a common one, implying how his gameplay is impacted by that world’s rules and settings.
Another not explicit requirement for the project was a clear visual explanation of how the player would use transportation in this world, which I expressed as the Monorail system between bases (for fast travel) and the huge vehicles in the Frostgate Hangar to indicate more grounded and versatile exploration in the snow filled environment. Even though these vehicles are not playable for the project, it conveys the intention through the environment.
Landmarks
Crucial for player guidance and immersion. Often visual guides to objectives, aiding general navigation.
Main Landmark Examples
Weather Station
A direct and spottable tower of one of the objectives of the player.
Frostgate
Huge gate that protects the base entrance, it clearly establishes the chamber aesthetics and can be spotted from outside.
The lone spire
Although not influencing directly the gameplay, it serves as a direction recognition landmark (even for future expeditions).
Further reading
Landmarks are core components, second to the Start and End goals of my design toolkit, navigation through the world simply seems wrong without them. And I’ll tell you, placing landmarks inside of a mountain is challenging haha. Most of the chambers inside have their unique features that can be perceived as landmarks, they just can’t be seen until you’re inside the chamber most of the time.
There are main landmarks in this project. The most prominent is the gas giant Orithris, it covers half the sky and can be seen from almost anywhere on the surface of the planet, aiding navigation through the open world. The Lone Spire is another one that fulfills this purpose as well, it sticks out in the sky being easily recognizable and aiding navigation between the other bases, which are landmarks themselves, being visible across the valley.
Another important landmark is the High Altitude Weather Station, being visible from the lower gameplay areas (even from the Command center) and through the path leading to it, serving as a navigation guide to the player’s objective and also foreshadowing.
The Frostgate, the Command center’s outside window and the formations in the Lagoon cave are examples of landmarks that give meaning and aid navigation inside the mountain, they’re not just for beauty shots, they create a clear representation of what that location is and make it easier to remember that place by its features.
Some of the other landmarks are subtle. The merchants lights signaling the shops location and drawing attention, the big screens on the walls of the HUB leading to the Command center, the bridge that connects the Lagoon cave with the Frostgate hangar that has a unique and readable silhouette from inside the cave, and even the broken relays can be objective landmarks, being distinctable from the environment and having their unique shape when spotted from afar.
Language, Feedback and Mechanics
Communication and Feedback
Informing Players about their actions and progress with immediate, purposeful and clear feedback while enabling player agency.
Showing first collectable
Letting players figure out the next ones, if they choose to collect them.
Clearly displayed Relay's state
Player is prompted when near the relay and, when action is taken on it, its current condition is presented.
Limiting Confusion
Maintaining a logical layout with consistent visual language and smooth transitions.
All airlocks are similar
The similar pods with suits in them and a locked door ahead let the player know he’s in an airlock to change from inside or outside.
Readable spaces
The player instinctively knows whether he is within the base, in a cave, or outside thanks to the base’s similar hallways, the same organic carvings on the caves, and by the snow covering the outside surfaces.
Further reading
You can think of the simplest game, and still, the complexity to guide players and give appropriate feedback while not confusing them will be enormous (if you want a great game flow). That’s why I believe feedback to the player is so important, be it feedback from their input or a “passive” feedback of the player just looking around the environment (the environment is the “feedback”, they’re looking around). Having every part of the gameplay with some thought behind makes their experience infinitely better.
When a player takes an action (button press), the game should respond accordingly and be quick about it, making the action meaningful. When the player chooses a route, it should deliver something to its gameplay decision. All that while maintaining the game environment clear and understandable to guide players intuitively, and making objectives and paths easy to interpret without breaking immersion, giving it a natural and engaging feel.
Mechanics
Encouraging player action and engagement through challenges.
Enabling gameplay variety and progression to keep players engaged while ensuring consistency and player familiarity.
Which means continuously introducing new mechanics, challenges and environments as players advance, fostering a sense of growth and accomplishment, whilst keeping an eye on difficulty, pacing and balance.
Rewarding Curiosity
Rewarding player exploration with collectables and environment storytelling.
Fostering deeper immersion as players discover the lore and evoke emotions by discovering non-explicit narrative content through exploration.
Visual language
Teaching player world interaction and navigation non-invasively.
Using colors, symbols, icons, patterns, shapes, textures, lighting and architecture to make key elements stand out contextually, guiding players through multiple situations.
Affordances
A visual or contextual cue that clearly suggest how an object or element can be interacted with.
Guides players on what they can do and how to navigate while providing immediate feedback upon interaction.
Empowering players while conveying design intent when balancing guidance with challenge.
Beats and Timing
Rhythm,Timing and Beats
Strategically placing events at the right time.
Adequate space between challenges to allow players to process their achievements and prepare for the next obstacle, improving level’s pace and flow.
Varying gameplay elements and their intensity/pacing to maintain player engagement and immersion.
Airlocks
Controls pacing and enhances immersion while transitioning spaces.
Also hides loading levels between key areas.
Further reading
Platforming
Player navigation through jumping across platforms and obstacles with diverse challenges, focusing on flow, visual clarity and escalating difficulty. Also adding strategic checkpoints to prevent frustration.
Narrative
NPCs and Narrative
Vital for creating immersive, dynamic worlds, especially in open world games, bringing life into the game.
NPCs serves various roles, and are often drivers of quests and storylines.
They drive dynamic gameplay, allowing players to learn about the NPC, what they're doing and how they can impact their experience.
Dialog
Crucial for immersion in narrative. Using placeholder dialog text and enhancing with the environmental storytelling to ensure cohesive narrative integration.
Further reading
Since this is mostly an exploration game, the dialogs of the main character’s thoughts and the conversations with NPCs were used to enhance and deepen the immersion of the player to the world. They are descriptive and occasionally funny to let the player understand more about the moon, the characters, and his purpose around it.
Mission Design
The level design supports a clear objective broken into smaller goals and driven by a compelling narrative. Ensuring a balanced flow and pacing with varied moments of tension and action, offering meaningful rewards and consequences to immerse players.
Further reading
The ending with the storm that is creeping the entire playthrough reaching the valley was designed to give a spike on adrenaline and tension. Since most of the gameplay is a calm exploration experience, I wanted to give a sharp balance of expectations and challenges at the end for the player. This contrast was key to delivering the desired mood that I wanted to give, leaving a meaningful challenge to remember the level by and setting the lore of “what will be of this world after this storm?”.
Districts
Breaks down areas of a level, aiding navigation and spatial awareness.
With distinct features, logical boundaries and unique visual language, they promote non-linear exploration, especially in open world games.
The pathing between them encourage exploration via multiple routes and hidden areas. It balances linear progression with optional side paths while seamlessly connecting areas and maintaining flow consistency by gradually introducing new elements.
Further reading
Some of the goals for this project were to develop distinct districts that evoke different feelings and enhance player’s understanding of the world while also allowing players to explore both interiors and exteriors, giving them the freedom to choose their path. With this in mind, I created the districts shown above and integrated with the world outside the mountain, showing the player with playable and non-playable areas that generates immersion to the experience.
Each of the areas have unique features that make them distinct from one another, and I took another step to focus on the transitions between them. For instance, the snow piling up on the portals to the outside of the mountain signaling what to expect where you’re heading, the scattered papers when reaching areas of research like the command center, the canister near lab areas and crates near transport/logistics zones. All of these help immerse the player and give him clues about the environment around him.
Lagoon Cave
A cave designed to be the most beautiful place of the base, it represents life inside the mountain where the most abundant bacterial colonies thrive providing the cave’s stunning lighting.
Hydroponic Lab
Located inside the Lagoon Cave and is the survival essentials lab of the base, growing and synthesizing food for the occupants and also providing oxygen for outside expeditions.
Monorail Terminal
The fast travel to other bases and also the main export/import terminal for the base.
Dormitory
The sleeping quarters of the inhabitants of the base, designed as a chill location where workers can hang out and play during rest (also where most gossip happens).
Frostgate Hangar
A huge gate directly between the internal operations of the base to the outside land, protecting the base entrance from losing most of its heat to the world’s harsh conditions.
HUB
A central connection between the main areas of the base. A hang out location with clear signage guidance to other areas and is where news, operations guidelines and events are broadcasted to the public.
Subsurface Ocean
A direct connection to the liquid ocean beneath the moon’s surface, where studies of microbial life and possible multicellular organisms are being conducted. Designed to be the introductory area for the player, giving a sensation of expansion when completing the story, leaving a constrict underground area to the vastness of the outside surface.
Command Center
Where the base's administration is located, the ideal location for the main quest giver, and also where the major research and bureaucracy of the base happens.
The Abandoned Sector
A forgotten section of the old base that should no longer be accessed again. Although not a direct district to the free roaming gameplay zone, it is designed for the final linear story progress sequence. It was too quick before, so I developed the Huge Fissure, which served as an expansion of challenging gameplay towards the ending.
Keep the Level Alive!
Backgrounds and sky
Using techniques that enhance player immersion and engagement.
Movement and Motion
Using techniques that enhance player immersion and engagement.
Lighting and Atmosphere
Using techniques that enhance player immersion and engagement.
SFX and VFX
Using techniques that enhance player immersion and engagement.
Cutscenes
The cutscenes represent major and often important parts of the game that are highlighted, in this project they happened in the beginning and the end, to set the mood and final “image” the player has in mind while and after playing.
UI Design
Using techniques that enhance player immersion and engagement.