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Level Design Project

The Mist - Concept

The Mist was one of the bigger projects I have worked on, spanning about 4 months worth of work. 

  • During month one, myself and four other classmates individually designed our own levels using Google Draw.  These levels were based on a set theme, but we were free to get creative with how we built upon it.

  • In month two, we worked in Unity to create a blockout of our levels, and get them to a functional state.  In order to keep our levels compatible, we were given the same character model, basic game mechanics, and user interface elements.

  • In month three, we were all introduced to each other, and worked on some unrelated assignments to get used to working as a team.

  • And finally, in month four, we were tasked with combining our levels into one large level.

Scraps Level Design
Initial Level Design

The initial level design took place using Google Draw.  I wanted to contrast the main post-apocalyptic theme with something a bit more lighthearted.  I also wanted to split this area up into diverse and distinct parts.  I decided upon having a trail, a small town, and then a fun little arcade to play around in.  I also added the bear to make the return trip play different than your first trip through, in order to prevent it from feeling like pointless backtracking.

To see the evolution of my original design, click this image.

Blockout
This is the initial blockout of the level using basic primitives and terrain.  I used this to determine whether or not it was fun, and to see what kind of adjustments I could make to create a more enjoyable experience.
Scraps Level Design
Master Map
This was the orientation we decided upon when bringing our maps together.  For a better look, click here.
Alpha Build
This was the initial build.  My primary focus for this build was to blend my level together as seamlessly as possible to the previous area, and the final area.
Beta Build
My main focus for this build was adding new art and audio assets.  This build also had the unintended side effect of introducing performance issues.
Gold Build
For this final build, my primary focus was to polish what we had.  My biggest concern was the performance issues, so I created a simple script that would de-spawn most game objects that were off screen.  This dramatically improved how well the game played, we were very pleased with how this build turned out.
Extras

 

For playtest data, reviews, and a postmortem, click here.

For those interested in playing a Windows build of the level themselves, it can be downloaded here.

(Please be aware that three other student areas must be played through before mine can be reached)

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