LOST ISLE
Lost Isle of Totenkai is an action adventure level that I designed in 1 week for the CGMA level design course. Lost Isle features some stealth sections, a puzzle, and an action set piece.
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Critical Path & Pacing
This project was designed to be a linear level, so I started by detailing the critical path, which distributes a variety of gameplay to keep the player engaged throughout the level. I tuned the level's pacing by creating an intensity chart to match the level's gameplay and story beats.
The player is introduced to the stealth mechanics, tasked with solving a puzzle in a stress-free environment, challenged with escaping the crumbling temple and caves, and finally tested with a combination of stealth and puzzle solving.
1: Crash Site
3: Temple Puzzle
2: Jungle Stealth
4: Temple Ruins
5: Cave Escape
6: Beach Stealth
Leading the Player
Players often move towards the brightest point on the screen, making lighting an effective way to direct the player.
During the beach stealth section, the player will enter the area from higher ground which allows them to survey the space and plan their route to sneak by the enemies.
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The two enemies on the left side are colored red to make sure the player is aware that they are blocking the left path.
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The path to the right is where I want the player to go, so I placed a bright lamp to illuminate the tent and placed red dynamite inside, using both light and color to draw the player's attention.
Puzzle Design
The temple exterior features a unique wall in front of the temple door that has 3 animal tiles and 3 corresponding pressure plates. The player must put the correct animals in the correct order to gain entry into the temple. There is an inscription above the animal tiles which can be read to provide the player with the riddle to help them solve the puzzle.
The riddle talks about a mother, warrior, and king. There are 3 unique statues in the area that fit the description: mother, warrior, and king. Once the player has found the statues, they must follow their gaze to see which guardian they pray to.
The mother points to a turtle tile tucked in the wall, which is lit up to help the player notice it. The warrior is gazing at a hole in the wall, which reveals a jaguar tile. The king is looking down at a tile which is half buried, which tests the player's pattern recognition. The player can cycle through the available animals and discover that the portion of the tile they can see is the monkey's tail.
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Finally, now that the player has discovered the animal guardians, they must put them in order. The riddle mentions the time of day to reveal which order to put the animals. Once the player has selected the correct order, the door opens.