THE ELD

MAIN ROLE

Level Designer

Designed and blocked out the first level in the game - "Outside Factory".

Designed, blocked out, coded, lit and textured the second level in the game - "Inside Factory".

ADDITIONAL ROLES

Character Concept Artist, 3D Modeller & Texture Artist

DESCRIPTION

A PS1-style multi-perspective horror game that allows you to control two characters - Detective Hoffman and The Sheriff. Discover the secrets of an abandoned factory through both the past and present.

YEAR

2024

GENRE

Horror

SOFTWARE

Unreal Engine 5, Photoshop & Blender

FULL WALKTHROUGH - LEVEL 1 & 2

VIEW HERE

LEVEL DESIGN PROCESS

REASON FOR PROJECT

The ELD was a group project for my final year of University.

As this was our final project, a brief wasn't set and we were free to choose any game to make. All 4 team members had at least some passion for horror, and so we decided to create a game in this genre.

As a group, we chose to create the game in Unreal Engine 5, as it is widely considered to be the industry standard.

PROJECT GOALS

Aimed to design interesting horror levels through the use of a unique mechanic, with the goal of both scaring and engaging the player.

LEVEL GOALS

The main focus of the first level was to introduce the CCTV mechanic to the player through an easy puzzle.

Level 1 also aimed to be a major contrast to the second level. For example, the first level is set outside in a bright and open environment. The opposite can be said for level 2, which is inside a dark abandoned factory.

The idea was that this design choice would emphasise the second levels oppressive interior, by creating a false sense of security and then ripping it away from the player.

Resident Evil 7 utilises a similar technique, with the opening of the game set in a bright environment.

INITIAL PLAN

I started the project by thinking of unique horror gameplay mechanics that could influence my level design in an interesting way.

Eventually, I settled on a CCTV mechanic that would act like the one in Five Nights At Freddy's. The key difference being the person in the security footage could also be controlled by the player.

After bringing this idea to my team, the mechanic was tweaked slightly, but the main idea stayed the same.

With the core gameplay decided, I bullet pointed the goals and ideas for the first level - including what the best way to introduce the mechanic was.

These bullet points helped me create a rough top-down sketch of the level.

The ELD Mechanic Ideas

The ELD Level 1 Goals

The ELD Level 1 Sketch

The ELD Mechanic Ideas

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LANDMARK

As this was a more open level, I decided to include a landmark that would aid in guiding the player in the right direction.

The large abandoned factory in the distance was carefully framed through playtesting to make it unmissable for the player.

This landmark gives the player a goal for them to work towards.

If I were to go back and redo this level, I would make it slightly longer. This would allow me to show the factory at a few different points throughout the level, as the player got closer - emphasising its importance whilst helping to orient the player.

Factory landmark during blockout phase

MECHANIC INTRO

Began by creating a few top-down sketch ideas of puzzles to introduce the mechanic.

Eventually, I settled on a locker that was locked in the present day (first-person view) but open in the past (CCTV view).

The puzzle needed to be extremally simple, so the player could focus solely on understanding what the CCTV mechanic is and how it works.

After blocking out the level and designing the puzzle, I handed the level off to one of my teammates to code the puzzle - as work on level 2 needed to begin.

The ELD Level 1 Puzzle Idea

First idea for initial CCTV puzzle. Player finds the CCTV tablet and safe code in the present, however the safe is only accessible through past CCTV footage.

The ELD Level 1 Puzzle Idea 02

Simplified the puzzle further as I felt the first iteration was too complex and may confuse some players. The locker is locked in the present but open and contains a keycard in CCTV mode. The keycard is in the player's possession once they collect it and exit CCTV mode - allowing them to progress past the gatehouse.

The ELD Level 1 Puzzle Idea

First idea for initial CCTV puzzle. Player finds the CCTV tablet and safe code in the present, however the safe is only accessible through past CCTV footage.

1/2

DEVELOPMENT SCREENSHOTS

Click images for descriptions

Teammates added CCTV mechanic and textures. Key level design techniques stayed the same throughout development e.g. leading lines subtly directs the player towards the gatehouse.

LEVEL GOALS

The main focus of the second level was to utilise the CCTV mechanic in harder and more interesting puzzles.

Another priority was to make the level itself a puzzle in its layout.

INITIAL PLAN

Much like the first level, I started by bullet pointing the goals and ideas.

To fit with the idea of contrasting the first level, verticality was to be a large aspect of the factory's design.

I created a top-down sketch of both the ground and first floor, alongside a couple ways the level itself could be a puzzle to the player.

One idea that we sadly didn't have the time to implement fully was to have parts of the factory that are inaccessible to the first-person detective in the present. By using past CCTV footage, the player could enter those areas and find codes, switches, items etc.

This concept did make its way into one puzzle, however it would have made the level feel more expansive and less linear if optional CCTV areas were scattered around the factory.

The ELD Level 2 Goals

The ELD Level 2 Ground Floor Plan

The ELD Level 2 First Floor Plan

The ELD Level 2 Goals

1/3

KEYCARD DOORS

The entire design of the level is centred around locked keycard doors temporarily blocking the player's progress to certain areas.

Once the player enters the large storage room, the only place to go is through a hole on the first floor. When they drop down, they can no longer access the initial part of the factory - as it is locked by a level 3 keycard door.

This affords to the player that they need to find a level 3 keycard to open the door (giving them an end goal), as well as helping to break a relatively big level into manageable chunks.

Level 3 keycard door blocks backtracking once the player drops down

PUZZLE DESIGN

There are two main puzzles in the factory - the first being kickstarted by a scripted event.

POWER OUTAGE PUZZLE

Once the player acquires the level 2 keycard, the factory's power suddenly cuts out. They are then prompted to access the CCTV footage, where they can control the Sheriff and turn the power back on.

The concept of inaccessible areas being accessed on CCTV was used here, as the Detective is blocked from entering the electrical room.

This section took a lot of playtesting to create tension whilst also nudging the player in the right direction. Originally, I wanted the player to figure out on their own to use the CCTV mechanic. However, most playtesters were confused when the lights went out and had no idea how to progress - which is why the prompt was added.

Some may feel like the prompts are holding their hand too much and detracting from the overall experience, therefore if I were to continue working on this game I would add a setting to disable / enable CCTV prompts.

SAFE PUZZLE

Although the safe took a lot of time to code, the puzzle itself is relatively simple.

The player finds a code throughout the level and then inputs it to gain the level 2 keycard. If I were to make changes to this aspect of the level, I would have parts of the code be found throughout various CCTV sections.

PACING

Player collects level 2 keycard. Power then goes off and a CCTV notification appears

Player controls the Sheriff through CCTV to turn the power back on

Throughout the development of this level, I kept track of the level's flow and pacing.

As this is a horror game, too many cheap jump scares would desensitise the player and detract from the tension of the level.

Instead, the highest point of tension was designed to be the power outage - which is around 75% through the level. Up until that point, the levels focus was on creating a tense atmosphere to heighten that scare.

In order to keep the player's attention up until the climax, I made sure they had clear goals, e.g. acquire the level 2 & 3 keycards.

Interest curve of level (click image to enlarge)

DEVELOPMENT SCREENSHOTS

Click images for descriptions

Designed and coded both the power off and safe puzzles.

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