Super Unity Galaxy Design Process

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 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. 

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!