FALL IN
CONCEPT
Project Set Up
The intention with this project was to learn Godot by altering a basic 3D platforming template and give it a unique gameplay mechanic that I then would create a level around.
Core Gameplay Mechanic
Fall in's Core Gameplay Mechanic is that you can teleport to the top of the level when you fall to your death as long as you land on a platform between each fall. This level was created to showcase how this mechanic can be exploited in a fun way.
DEVELOPMENT
Introducing the mechanic
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Mechanic is introduced by forcing the player to fail a jump.
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In case they miss it the first time, they're onboarded again with more obvious conditions.
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Coins are used to guide the player and reward them.
Affordances of platforms
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The distance between platforms communicates whether it's a single jump, double jump or fall.
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The height between platforms communicates if you should jump or fall
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The distance between platforms was calculated to make the player feel like they're flying through the level.
Challenging the Core Gameplay Mechanic
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Choose your own approach.
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Precision falling
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Timing
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Speed
Introducing exploration
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The platforms are barely visible while the reward remains secret.
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Getting the secret is easy.
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Getting back on track is also easy.
CONTRIBUTIONS
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Technical Level Design
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Scripted various platform features
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Level Blockout
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Implemented the falling and respawning mechanic into the level design.
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Paced the level to onboard new features and challenge old ones.
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Built the level with intention to give the player enough time to asses the situation while falling.
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Implemented an explorational aspect by including hidden platforms for bonus points.
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Gameplay
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Re-programmed the kill volume to switch between respawning the player at the top of the screen and killing the player.
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UX, Camera
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Implemented sounds for different actions and platforms.
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Changed the camera set up from 3D to 2D.
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Added "purple star" VFX to the player to indicate wether the player can respawn during their next fall.
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REFLECTION
I had a lot of fun working on this level. As soon as I had a mechanic in mind, I put a bunch of different challenges into one level and then tested out different things so I knew what to keep and what to archive. Once I knew what to keep, however, it wasn't that easy to put it all into one level without disrupting the pacing, so it turned out to be more of a challenge than I thought.
I would love to come back to this project in the future and expand it into a full game.