Assignment: What Happened Here?
After drawing from a random table of concepts, students will design a single space using level design layouts, blockouts and 3D assets to build an environment that tells a story. With a basic first-person controller, the player should be able to uncover the history, purpose and narrative of the space through sight and traversal.
This project has four parts:
- Prototype 0 - Level layouts: Create parti diagrams to show the flow of the space, then develop those partis into full floor plans.
- Prototype 1 - Blockouts: Using your floor plan as a base, place primitive shapes over the layout to translate the 2D plan into a 3D space. That space should be lit and scaled accordingly, and contain placeholders for interactable elements.
- Final Level - A fully playable version of the level. Any mechanics should be implemented and placeholder assets should be replaced by final elements if necessary. The narrrative and gameplay elements should be fully implemented.
Deliverables:
- A Google Drive folder containing the following:
- A 1-2 minute video walking through the level from start to finish
- Parti diagram(s) for the level
- Final floor plan
- 3 still images of the level’s blockout
- 3 still images of the final level
- 1-page (~300 words) design statement explaining the narrative of the level and gameplay elements used
- A published executable or WebGL file uploaded to the itch.io jam.
Challenges for Extra Credit:
Replace EVERY blockout element in your level!
Include a mechanic that ISN’T looking or walking!
Include a MOODBOARD for your level!
Make your level VERTICAL!
Give your level AUDIO!
Further Reading
Level Designers Talking About Level Design
Hitman: Level Design — Adam Ludwiczak | Game Designer
What Happened Here? Environmental Storytelling
Layout
Layout | The Level Design Book
How To Think Like An Architect: The Design Process - YouTube
Blockout
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