LEVEL DESIGN IN UNITY 3D
“Zombies in the Desert”
A simple, open-ended collect-a-thon project that I made at triOS College during our game design program’s unit about development in Unity 3D. The objective is to navigate a desert and collect the fifteen gemstones strewn about, while avoiding jittery zombies on the hunt for flesh. Starting at the star-shaped sand dune, the player gets an immediate panoramic view of their surroundings and may choose where to go from there. In the center of the map are also several tall dunes and mountains, which the player can use to coordinate where specific monuments are located – such as a sphinx and a canyon – in relation to one another.
“Rabbit Racing”
For the final project of our course in Unity 3D, I assisted in making a racing game designed for younger kids, where I created one level map and coded in the game’s mini-map system. With the target audience in mind, I designed the game’s first racetrack as something simple to navigate, with a few twists and turns. I added some minor difficulty near the end of the track by including a few patches of trees that serve to hinder the player’s vision, or worse – leading them into a giant panda that could block their way! Additionally, I included a tight, thin passage that can be used by more experienced players as a shortcut should they navigate through it cleanly.
LEVEL DESIGN IN PORTAL 2
“Get Dunked”
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1318464000
A simple level where your goal is to dunk a sphere into a hole in the back wall in order to unlock the exit door – but getting there is half the puzzle! The level is divided into halves, marked by two raised platforms with pedestal buttons and a streak of speed gel. With careful observation, the player will notice that these buttons affect devices on their respective half of the room, including fizzlers and flipping panels… but what can you do with these?
“Laser Blocking 101”
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1325911526
Block the laser receivers with buttons and carefully-placed blocks! This level is structured into three individual sections that require manipulation of the player’s momentum, and acute attention to detail. Can you use the cleansing gel to your advantage…?
“Fourth-Dimensional Thinking”
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1324698981
A massive puzzle gauntlet! In this level, the player will find themselves angling the ground and launching themselves, placing a sphere to deactivate traps, and truly thinking outside the box in order to get behind a wall of lasers and destroy an army of looming turrets. I organized this map symmetrically, with the raised centerpiece containing the sphere being the first thing that draws the player’s attention; from there, they can become aware of its spatial relation to all the individual puzzle rooms surrounding it, allowing for an easier time navigating this otherwise complicated level.
Alex Rochon 