MSc Final Project DevLog #5: Tutorial and Level Design

The project's final stage involved creating levels to teach players how to use the game's primary mechanics, culminating in a complex puzzle-filled level. The tutorial consisted of five short levels, each focusing on a specific mechanic. The design aimed to prevent overwhelming players with too much new information at once. The tutorial levels employed a "tell then show" approach, where mechanics were first explained through text on walls and then demonstrated through gameplay.

Following the tutorial, players encountered a single level containing three main areas. Each area presented a series of puzzles that required the use of the mechanics taught throughout the tutorial. The puzzles increased in complexity as the player progressed, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the game's mechanics.

Designing the puzzles in the final level posed a challenge. Low-frequency signals could potentially allow players to shortcut through puzzles. To counteract this, the level was designed with absorptive surfaces and multi-pane glass walls to block low-frequency signals, ensuring players had to complete puzzles the "hard way."

The game's progression mechanic primarily revolves around opening and moving through doors. Four types of doors were developed, each with unique triggers. Activation-linked doors open in response to an Activate command, NPC-locked doors require nearby robots, pressure plate-linked doors open with changes in pressure plate status, and switch-linked doors open when a switch object in the environment receives an Activate command. Decorators near each door visually indicate its type, guiding players on how to progress.