Super Unity Galaxy is a short prototype 3D platformer that aims to create an engaging open zone level as a proof of concept. 

When I designed this level I wanted to use the philosophy that Nintendo uses when introducing mechanics to the player. This meant that the level design needed to work closely with the mechanics of the game. 

The first thing that I figured out was the goal. Understanding what the player needed to do to win was a good place to start. I liked the idea of collecting “special coins” that would unlock the final secret goal for the level. This encouraged exploration of the level while keeping it simple. I wanted the design to feel alive. 

I aimed to solve this by creating lots of moving parts in the level, as well as making an appealing environment. This was accomplished through the various concepts added that included enemy variants, flowing waterfalls, moving platforms and coins, and a glowing underground section. 

From this, I sectioned the level into three layers. The middle layer will be where the player starts and learns the game. The upper layer is where the goal will be, and the lower layer will hold one of the coins and have optional exploration. 

I wanted to add little rewards for exploration. One of those concepts was the jump pads that sent the player up to the next layer. These were sparse and were not crucial to gameplay but added to the environment.

The first thing the player will see is these platforms, beckoning the player to approach them. This area will teach the player how to jump and dash in a safe environment. Following these moving platforms will also reward the player with their first special coin. It's from this that they can then choose which way to go around the mountain. Each way encompasses the same hazards with similar difficulty. 

The path of play is shown through the rock pathways the player could follow. This is completely optional to the player and they could avoid them if they’d like. But they act as a good starting point for the players' adventure. I added sub-paths the player could take as well. I wanted there to be many ways the player could approach the level to make it unique and engaging every time they return to an area. 

Another thing I kept in mind when building this level was rewarding players for mastering the mechanics. I put sections throughout the middle layer that allowed the player to expertly platform to hard-to-reach areas and even save time in reaching the upper layer. This was one of the ways the level design and mechanics worked together.

Post Mortem

The map came out very well, I think it feels very coherent and straightforward. I didn’t try to do anything out of scope. I kept it simple and I think it works because of that. The little secrets and areas not important to the main gameplay loop came out well. I was able to get what I wanted from this project.

One thing that went wrong was the player's feel. I don’t think the player exactly feels like they belong in this environment. Their movement needs to be tweaked or the level should have been adjusted to accommodate its faults. The same goes for the taller enemies. Their projectiles feel a little strange for this kind of level design but they worked for the concept.

Going forward I want to use the experience I gained from this to influence my decisions when designing levels going forward. I like how I set up the path of play and believe I can do a lot better with level designing using this philosophy thanks to this project.

Feel free to try out the game yourself on my itch page!