Exploration project

Introduction

This game is one of my finest work. I made this game as part of my final project before obtaining my degree. I had about 3 months to design, program, build and polish. I had to work cleverly to achieve the goal I intended to reach: solid level design. To achieve this goal, I created multiple sketches, beating documents and prototypes, trying as much as possible to follow professional workflows, with the help of my mentors.

Since I felt and ambitious and wanted to learn new skills, I challenged myself with creating a much more open game using a wide-linear layout. We have to see this project as a whole tutorial for an bigger open world game.

More of my though process below!

Role(s)

Level designer

Level artist (no modeling)

Game designer

Programmer

Artist and technical artist (Textures)

Sound designer

Year

2025 - 4th semester

Deadline

3 months

DEMO REEL

Level Design

Tutorial

To make sure the scaling was good, I created references of my key components, such as my character height, and played the game almost as soon as I placed something to see how it fits in the world. I also used tools such as a blocking asset pack to create clear and detailed greybox.

Goal of this level

The tutorial is the first part of the game the player experiences. It is a linear path going trough a cave and was designed to tutorialize basic mecanics and movements to the player. This part of the game in cleverly lit by only using natural light from the sun and wholes in the ceiling.

Overall Design

The level starts off as a linear path going trough a cave, but as the player continues it’s journey, the cave gets bigger and requires the player to explore alternate paths in order to progress.

At this moment, I wanted to experiment with one of the common rule of level design : do not put your player in complete darkness. I made the next room extremely dark, and tried to guide the player only by using light cues. More on that lower.

Once they reach the final room of the cave, this one is completely open, giving the player the opportunity to explore and giving me the opportunity to teach them ‘‘open world’’ exploration in a smaller scale before revealing of the whole outside area.

This whole part is made to be simple, clear and teach the player how to play the game. But this goes further than controls and mechanics. I intended to teach them reflexes they’ll need to have while exploring and clearly explain the gameplay loop that awaits them.

Pacing was very important, that’s why during pre-production, I worked on a beating document. It indicates the target use, beating time and feeling I want to transmit of each sections of this level.

Sketch and beating of the level

Greybox

Overall view of the tutorial part

Dressed

Entrance

Key moments

of the tutorial level

(Section 2 in the skecth)

The dark area

The main path is much more visible to trick player this is the next step, but in reality they need to get the flashlight first in order to see the dangers.

While working on this project, I had the intention of experimenting level design priciples. One of the most important rule is to never fully put the player in complete darkness. I pushed that rule as far as I could. When the player gets to this area, they can’t see anything but the wall in front of them. I then used the darkness as a design tool, using it in order to stop the player from progressing and instead use another path. Although this path is less obvious at first, the second time, players usually understand where to go next.

Left

The final room

Final room

Front

This is the first thing the players sees when entering this part. The light is used as a reference for the player to understand which way they are looking. It is also directed at the main path.

Progressing with flashlight

(Section 3 in the skecth)

Right

This is where the player needs to go to find the flashlight. The goal is for the player to realise they need to go that way after one or two tries on the main path.

This is the final room of the tutorial, it is much more opened. This space is meant to tutorialize exploration and give a small taste of the gameplay loop of the game. To guide the player in this part, I mainly used light cues and sound cues for more important spots, increasing the player’s attention to those.

Inside

Level Art

Goal of the level art

Since our game is inspired by liminal spaces and gave it’s main focus to the mood and visuals, the level art was very important. My goal, going into this part of production, was to make environments that felt realistic and believable, yet they needed to feel deeply nostalgic and uncanny as part of the liminal codes.

Because our game is a walking simulator, I also had to make sure that the environments were creating storytelling and world-building and ensure that the player doesn’t get bored. I also tried to create recognizable environments since the player will need to come back in those levels to progress.

Level 1 | The subway

The subway is the starting level for the player and sets the game's mood. It's important to create the right atmosphere. Though I didn't design this level, I worked closely with the level designer to make sure his ideas were realized. He provided many references to help shape the environments.

To enhance the mood, I used mismatched and familiar tiles along with other elements to create a realistic setting. The contrasting colors and unusual lighting add an unsettling feeling.

The artwork also has a purpose; for instance, the entrance features wall textures that direct the player's attention to their next goal. To speed up the creation process, I reused some assets from the second level, adjusting them for the first level. This not only saved time but also helped create a unique look for our game.

Key moments in the subway level include:

Infinite Stairs: Here, careful alignment of assets and lighting was crucial to maintain the illusion of an endless ascent. Any misalignment would have made the teleportation back down obvious to the player.
The Ikea: This section presents an intriguing indoor course where the player must navigate twice to progress. After completing the first round, the player finds themselves stuck and must retrace their steps forward. On the second run, the environment takes on a more bizarre reality. The assets are poorly scaled, and the overall layout is intentionally chaotic, enhancing the surreal experience for the player.

Entrance

Refrence

Result

Waiting room

Refrence

Result

Ikea stage

1st run

2nd run

Infinite stairs

Sewers

Level 2 | The school

Since I’m also the designer of this level, it was much easier to achieve the vision I had in mind. Like the 1st level, I wanted to make the environment create nostalgia and uneasiness. A school setting was perfect for that.

The further you get in the level, the more oppressive it gets. There’s less light, details, and the walls become single colors with no taste. That’s to create a special atmosphere for what’s coming, the entity chase in the gym.

Like in the 1st level, I also used lighting and some assets to give instruction to the player, whether to interact with something or to give them directions.

Key Moments

The Pool: In the pool, I wanted to recreate the lighting of UV lights in bowling alleys. This type of lighting was perfect to set a mood because, in addition to being very nostalgic, it illuminates the room in a way that allows visibility while still maintaining a dark ambiance. This made the room distinct from the rest of the game and offered a refreshing change in environment while preserving the overall concept. I also incorporated classic public pool tiling textures to enhance relatability.

The Gym: The gym is a critical part of the game, as it is the only location where the entity will chase the player. Upon entering the room, it is enveloped in darkness; only when the lights turn on does the room reveal itself. I drew heavy inspiration from public school gymnasiums, evident through the iconic wooden floor, industrial ceiling, and brick walls. The room is designed to feel warmer than other areas of the game, achieved through both lighting and color palette choices, which contrasts with the tension of being pursued by the entity.

The Classroom: This room is entirely optional, and some players may miss it, but I designed it to reward those who explore. It serves to enhance world-building and immersion, suggesting that there is more to the experience than just the critical path. Similarly to the pool and gym, I utilized a washed-out color palette, but what sets this room apart is that the assets vary in size depending on the ceiling height, adding an additional layer of detail to the environment.