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.
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.
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.
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.
Landmarks
Crucial for player guidance and immersion. Often visual guides to objectives, aiding general navigation.
Weather Station Landmark
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Orithris Landmark
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Communication and Feedback
Informing Players about their actions and progress with immediate, purposeful and clear feedback while enabling player agency.
Limiting Confusion
Maintaining a logical layout with consistent visual language and smooth transitions
Showing first collectable
letting player figure out the other ones
Service Three
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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.
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.
Platforming
Player navigation through jumping across platforms and obstacles with diverse challenges, focusing on flow, escalating difficulty and visual clarity. Also adding strategic checkpoints to prevent frustration.
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.
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.
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.
Keep the level alive!
Using techniques that enhance player immersion and engagement.
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
Using techniques that enhance player immersion and engagement.
UI Design
Using techniques that enhance player immersion and engagement.