As previously mentioned, I worked on the narrative, puzzles and levels of this game. All three ended up evolving throughout the development of the game.
Below are images showing the work I did on each.
This is a screenshot from my narrative design document for this project. Before I even started designing the puzzles or writing the cutscenes I wanted to nail down what the world would be like and who would inhabit it.
This is a screenshot from the first cutscene. Once I understood who the player would meet, I wanted to consider how they would interact with one another. I only wish I could have written more for this project.
This is an example of one of the puzzles I designed. I wanted the player to have to set their lantern down, run to activate a lever, and then run back and grab their lantern before hopping on the moving platform. Many of the puzzles that I originally designed would end up being changed in some form as our programmers developed the code for the puzzle mechanisms.
This is a screenshot showing how the moving lantern puzzle ended up. As the game went through the development, it evolved to revolve around mechanisms that were activated by placing lanterns in specific spots. To complete this puzzle, the player must set the lantern in its designated spot to activate the moving platform mechanism to call it over, then pick the lantern back up and climb on the platform as it is sent back.
This is a bird’s eye view of the first whitebox I did of the first level. I wasn’t happy with how this turned out, so I taught myself how to use ProBuilder tools to improve the design of it. I would also go on to rearrange the puzzles for a more gradual buildup of the player’s skills.
This is how the first level looks in the current build(environmental art added by Arthur Dale). I redesigned the first level to feature a more gradual progression in the player’s knowledge of the game mechanics upon playtesting feedback. The first room in this level teaches them how to move, the second teaches them to use lanterns to open gates, the third teaches them to jump, and the final room has a sort of platforming element testing their ability to run and jump with the lantern.