Internship
Sheyper
August - November 2021
Game Design / Level Design
Context
During my Vocational Bachelor's in GD/LD, I did an internship that required a versatile profile in Game / Level Design and Narrative Design, for this Action-adventure game.
My main responsability was to create engaging levels with puzzles of exciting challenges for the player. Then balance the diffificulty, the playing duration and manage complications.
My responsibilities:
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Creation of quests, puzzles, VR mechanics
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Design, integration et environment setting of levels (Unity, Probuilder)
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Writing the Lore
Explore dungeons, interact with objects and the environment, solve puzzles, complete quests and collect trophies!
OVERVIEW
HUB: Tavern
Onboarding
The tavern allows the Player to be introduced to interactions and traversal. Each level, new mechanics are introduced that impacts the HUB, and showcases the game’s narrative.
Level 1 - Light the Braziers
Training level
In order to familiarize myself with the assets and the game engine, I created this first quest.
The goal is to light fires according to patterns to unlock key rooms, in order to open the final exit door.
The level highlights the throne and the library, which allow you to resolve the puzzle.
Level 2 - Light the Braziers 2
Develop the basic mechanic
The first level's main feature had been appreciated, so I reprised it and created a second quest that was longer and more environment to discover.
The objective is to light braseros to open locked doors to reach the exit.
This level introduces more verticality as well as being more linear, testing observation skills, and sometimes, asking for backtracking.
Level 3 - Follow the Line
A feature, lots of puzzles
This third level was the opportunity to think of a new concept, and I was assigned this one.
This level requires the player to follow the "magic line" that crosses the entire level in order to reach the legendary artifact. To design it, I wanted to test my creativity and build it according to a story, with many new puzzles.
Level 4 - The Pipe
One feature, 3 sections
For my last quest, I had to use another main mechanic and develop it into 3 parts, linked to the progressive difficulty et its introduction.
The goal is to lead a ring out of the pipe from which it is stuck.
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Zone 1: simple room with objects on the way and parkour
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Zone 2: more complex space of multiple rooms, that introduces new features
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Zone 3: new mechanic that switches up the experience from the previous ones, an incomplete ring
DESIGN TECHNIQUES
Landmark as sign
By using an imposing landmark, central and visible from the entrance in the big room, the Player can directly understand the answer, when the first book is found with the icon of the landmark.
Mechanic introduction: Cranks
The cranks are very intuitive to use and always have an impact on an object next to or very close to the Player, allowing them to see an instant feedback of their action. Here, the second floor indicates that it is an elevator; for the second one, they just have to follow where the rope is connected to.
Mechanic introduction and backtracking: Ledging
When passing through this corridor, the bricks that allows climbing aren't easily noticeable. So when the Player gets stuck in front of a closed door, they will have no choice but to turn around, where an opening in the ceiling and some bricks on the surface of the wall can be seen. Later, some bricks will mean going down into a small hidden room.
Mechanic introduction and imprisonment: Barn lock
Locked up in a stable, the Player only sees a hole between the doors and the board used to close them, prompting them to put their hand or an object through the hole to unlock the door.
Introduction to the line and exploration : Iron puzzle
In the locked stable, the line passes under a closed door prompting her to follow and solve the puzzle. A horseshoe is located near the bases and the door has smaller horseshoes arranged in a distinct way, indicating that they must be found and the code reproduced.
Readjusting the line - Rotating platforms
This room has 3 exit doors, with several lines pointing in their direction hinting the real exit, but they're all turned off. The Player has to realign the true pattern by turning the platforms. This introduces to the Player that they need to reconstitute the line to continue and solve the next puzzle.
Twist - Tearing down boards
The start of the zone wants Player to pull up boards that obstruct their way. This mechanic comes back at the end of the section and Player is reminded during exploration, as the boards can be found.
