Game Jam Winner Game Design (Save Her)

LINK TO GAME:

https://juicedlc.itch.io/save-her

As a director of the game jam I had in mind a lot of things. If the core concept of the game is liminal spaces (levels), then I instantly put a lot of my focus on level and environment design. My objective was to create a level that resembles some sort of orphanage/school, but with unsettling and uncomfortable architecture. It was inspired by images such as liminal spaces or the backrooms, but with more personality and design.

I drew the level and its details in my sketchbook. I designed it in a way that there is a main big danger room, with a few smaller rooms around, where the objectives will be found. The objective I had in mind was for the player to explore around and find these rooms. I wanted the player to feel lost, but at the same time make it easy to find each room. Doing this required to carefully place pillars and walls around that feel like a maze, but at the same time having easily viewable landmarks. Even if the main room felt like a maze, the player would identify important places from afar.

Sketch and Final Version:

Gameplay from a content creator that played our game, you can skim through the video to see the general atmosphere and design in-game:

Level Design and Environment -
Creative Process

Level Design Process:

My process of designing levels start in brainstorming what I want the player to feel and how to achieve it accompanied by level design concepts such as breadcrumbs, landmarks, guiding lines, color/shape language, etc.

I start by sketching the general base layout of the level and adding where details are going to be. I add some notes to the side to keep in mind while designing it.

Then, I open Unreal Engine and blockmesh the general base level and some details. Keep in mind that some of the layouts and rooms change from the sketch to the blockmesh process after testing it in-game and getting a feeling for it.

After blocking out and adding details, I found a stylized asset pack, and organized the level in such a way that even a stylized art style looks creepy.

I keep testing the level and if I feel that something is very challenging or not easy to see, I try to make a “clue” by putting assets organized like breadcrumbs, leading lines, landmarks, and even lighting.

Environment Design Process (Lighting, Assets, Particles, Post Processing Visual Effects).

After blocking out the level and having a good base to work with, I decide to add assets, post processing visual effects, particle systems, lighting. Depending on what I want the player to feel, I put different effects in the rooms.

The main room had a lot of pillars and weird looking architecture. There is a post processing effect that puts light grain on the screen at all times, and it also highlights shadows more. The rooms also have particles representing dust, moving slowly through the room, almost like stars. This way there’s always some sort of light movement going on, making the game feel alive and flow correctly.

In these dark environments, I used a lot of light to indicate the important paths without making it too obvious or easy. The mechanic (a note) is also introduced in the first room right in front of the player.

After that, the next door leads you to an open area, where you now know that you need to find the rest of the notes. The end goal, a bright red door, is visible from the beginning of the game. If the player approaches it, the door says LOCKED, which they know it will open after completing the objectives.

Secondary Level Design and Rooms:

With the main room done, I decided to create a few rooms for the player to explore and find notes, which would turn into the main objective.

I created a flooded basement, a lightless library, a cold dinning room, a hell meat room, a second floor with rooms full of candles, and the final mind twisting room.

Here I created quick secondary experiences, because I wanted the player to do different things in each room without strafing too far from the main core gameplay mechanics.

Keep in mind these levels were created with the intention of making liminal spaces and uneasy/uncomfortable architecture.

Pixelated 2.5D Levels

When the player finds a note, they enter into these sidescroller 2.5D Pixel levels. These were made with the intention of giving both a change of pace, and a break from the intense moments in the main level. These also complement the lore of the game, giving more reason for the player to collect these notes and see the story.

The aesthetics chosen for these levels are based on a theater, as in we are telling a story to an audience. Post processing effects were also added, with a static filter like we are watching an old tv show.

These levels are fairly simple: Player starts on the left side, they see the content on the middle, and then they reach the end on the right side.

Each level have a different demon design, the sketches for both the levels and their corresponding demons can be seen in the images.

Character Art by Lee J. Reyes