Undergrowth
OVERVIEW
This is my final large university project, created by a group of 13 people using Agile and Unity over 8 months. The game is a 3D puzzle platformer, centred around the ability to dig directly through the level and emerge on the other side with inverted gravity, as well as giving the player 4 plants, each with their own unique property that the player can plant at will. Undergrowth won the Best Game Award during the annual Falmouth Games Show.
This project had 3 designers including myself and we decided to make a level each and all contribute to the general design. I took responsibility for level one and the Hub.
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TRAILER
LEVEL 1
CREATION PROCESS
(Click Image For Analysis)
We went through many iterations of level layouts and sizes until we decided that large and open environments would be best suited for our characters expressive moveset, so started putting together large maps filled with places to explore and characters to meet. To plan out the layout, I drew out both the underground and aboveground of level 1 on graph paper, then proceded to build it in unity, starting with a whitebox then moving on to replace whitebox with the modular kit our artists provided.
I gathered a variety of game testers and ran them through the level while taking notes and recording feedback, I then acted upon the comments that I felt were well reasoned and observations that I had made. These changes improved the flow of the map and the visibility of the end point of the level. I added art assets as I went so I could show the team and the next batch of playtesters a general idea of what the final incarnation of the map will look like.
Once I was happy with the layout I Added all manner of plant life and structures to help differentiate each segment of the map, this way the player will easily be able to tell apart different areas as well as adding some more visual flair.
WHAT AND WHY
(Click Image For Analysis)
Although this map looks like a large chunk of land it is actually split into 2 segments with 3 different paths linking between them. Multiple routes mean that the player never feels that they are being forced down a specific route, which is a key part of making sure the player feels free to explore as they please.
I decided to use some of my past research on guiding forces, I chose to use a weene as a subtle way of drawing the player to the end of the level, I did this by creating a large mysterious tree that is almost always visible at any point aboveground, this will draw the player, naturally bringing them to the final puzzle. (for more on weenes and what they are, click here!)
I found that a lot of people had a hard time understanding where they were in relation to the bottom half of the level, so I put in some art assets that reflect what is on the underside onto the topside directly above them, for example, I put the beginnings of a mineshaft on the topside above the mining complex on the bottom side.
HUB
CREATION PROCESS
(Click Image For Analysis)
Although it was fairly rushed I planned out a hub layout on graph paper. The layout was simple, all I needed was 3 portals that the player could use to access each level and a tutorial. The tutorial served to introduce the player to the movement system, digging and planting. I built it in unity, trying to keep it as cubic as possible in order to make it easier to build with the modular kit thus saving a lot of time.
To set the portals apart from each other and spice up the environment a little, I surrounded each portal with art assets that reflect the environment from their respective levels, for example, I placed cherry trees and vibrant flowers around the entrance to the Cherry tree forest level. I decided to fill the rest of the Hub with more understated plant life, that way it didn't distract from the portals and other key points of interest.
WHAT AND WHY
(Click Image For Analysis)
Each portal is only accessible through proving that you as a player understand the mechanics that are available to you, this way there is no chance of the player being able to enter level 1 without knowledge of digging and planting. This approach might not be a particularly good tutorial, but it makes sure that they are prepared for the trials ahead.
In the limited time given to me, I decided to convey the tutorial mainly through leading the player with trails of pickups, text screens and a simple quest to find an object on the other side of a small assault course. In hindsight, It would have been a better Idea to have had an entirely different level devoted to teaching the player the mechanics before placing them in the hub, something along the lines of a linear path with each ability being introduced to the player one at a time. We didn't