DetailsProject Type: Personal Project Role: Level Designer, Game Designer, System Designer, Programmer Engine: Unreal Engine 4 Development time: 2020 - ongoing Team: 2 persons Contributions: • Level Design • Game Design • System Design • Scripting |
Gameplay Trailer |
Description
Colore is a work in progress, first person puzzle platformer with match three mechanics. Solve puzzles by using the classic match three mechanic, but now in three dimensions. Build stairs and bridges, bring down walls, create elevators and much more. All by using this new take on the match three mechanic. |
Design Process
Design Pillars
No Death • Slow Paced • One Mechanic to Rule Them All
No Death • Slow Paced • One Mechanic to Rule Them All
Don't Reinvent the Wheel
• We agreed that Portal's formula would be perfect for our goal and scope. • Thus, we decided to take heavy inspiration from Portals formula in terms of navigation, progression and game/level design. • We simply replaced the portal mechanic with our own 3D Match Three mechanic. |
Brainstorming Session
To make sure there was enough depth to the core, we brainstormed
different puzzle concepts that could utilize the
3D Match Three mechanic. These are a few of the ideas
we initially discussed:
To make sure there was enough depth to the core, we brainstormed
different puzzle concepts that could utilize the
3D Match Three mechanic. These are a few of the ideas
we initially discussed:
Level Design
Level 3
Level Design Goals
• Teach the player that one Resetter can be connected to multiple box constellations • Utilize space by having the level loop back on it self multiple times |
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Level Overview
Coordination Issues
• During playtests it was discovered that it was difficult for players to navigate the level, and they often got a feeling of being lost, which was not desired. • To rectify this, I added big windows in various places to make the level feel more open, this also made the main room always visible as a reference point. • Future playtests proved that this solved the issue. |
Workflow
• First I decided what the goal would be, what puzzle components I wanted, and how they would fit together. • After finishing the puzzle, I started to rearrange the puzzle components and block out the environment around them. • I wanted the player to see the main puzzle components at all times, so I created a big and open main room, containing those components. |
Mechanics
What's a Good Mechanic?
• When designing new features, we made sure all of them worked in conjunction with the core mechanic. • Any major mechanic separating from the core, would not be allowed in the game. • For every mechanic idea, we had a jam session where we tried to design different puzzles with it, to see if it had enough depth. • If a mechanic was too one dimensional, it had to be cut. |
Turn Problems into Gameplay
• The Resetter was initially thought of as a safety, if the player failed to solve a box constellation. • To not make it exist only to solve a problem, we took the opportunity to create even more gameplay with it. • Standing on the puzzle while resetting will elevate you on top of the puzzle. • One Resetter can be connected to multiple constellations to add complexity. • Some box constellations need to be first solved and then reset in order to progress. |
Match Three System
When making the Match Three System we made sure to make it scalable. Adding new colours, box types or changing how many boxes in a row is needed for them to be destroyed is very easy. Box Movement
When making the movement for falling boxes I realized that physics-based movement would be very instable and difficult to control. Thus, I made all of the movement animated instead by lerping from position A to position B. |
Other systems I've worked with for this project includes:
• Reset box constellations
• Rewind Steps
• Interaction System
• Box Swapping
• Reset box constellations
• Rewind Steps
• Interaction System
• Box Swapping
Collaboration
Being only two developers on this project have enabled a very connected workflow.
Me and Theo both have our fingerprints all over the project. Every design choice, mechanic and feature has been discussed between the two of us. Most importantly, we have learned a lot from each other and this project. Check out Theos portfolio! |