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Unnamed Puzzle Game Level
A short puzzle showcaseAbout
- Role: Sole Designer
- Team Size: Myself
- Development Time: 1 week
- Platform: PC
This level was created as part of a design test, under several restrictions:
- Everything must be completed within 1 week.
- Use the provided assets, but you are allowed to add or modify any assets you deem necessary.
- The entire level must fit within the provided boundary
- The player must not be able to reach the exit without interacting with the various puzzle elements
Game Designer
For this level, I wanted to create as smooth of a player experience as possible. To accomplish this, I showed players how the laser passed through sensors to activate other components and how the box could be used to block the laser. I also created situations where the player's only option was to interact with the object that they needed to interact with when it was their first time encountering that particular puzzle element.
Easter Eggs
I also wanted to add a few easter eggs to the level, for players who wanted additional opportities to play with the shooting mechanic unlocked later in the level. For this, I added a break room for the tutorial characters, as well as a few more hidden targets which, when shot, revealed much larger versions of the characters.
Retrospective
What Went Well
- Pacing: The puzzles all introduce the necessary elements at a good pace, so that players don't feel overwhelmed with a sudden deluge of mechincs they need to learn.
- Scope Management: By carefully allocating my time, and limiting the number of features I added, I was able to complete the level well before the one-week deadline.
- Puzzle Skips: Early iterations allowed some puzzles to be skipped, but I was able to catch these flaws and use the provided assets to modify the puzzles so that they must be completed to continue.
What Went Wrong
- Linking Sliders: When the sliders are introduced, I feel like I could have done a better job showing players what object(s) the sliders controlled. Players can figure out which objects are controlled by which sliders, but this should be made more obvious.
- Explaining the Weapon: Similarly, once the player acquires the ability to fire projectiles, nothing explains to the player that they can now left click to do so. If players do not try to left click, they end up stuck in the weapn-unlock area, unable to progress.
What to Improve
- Backtracking: For newer players, the level layout could be a little confusing. Since players have to backtrack to the starting area, and repeatedly cross through the central intersection, there is an increased risk of newer players getting lost.
- Asthetics: Each room is visually similar to the others, so changing up the appearance of each room could help players keep better track of which room they are in.