OXYGEN PROTOCOL
GDJ GAME JAM 3.0 PUZZLE GAME - 2ND PLACE
Oxygen Protocol is a puzzle game set onboard a space station. You race against the clock to restore the oxygen supply to your station after a power failure. You must complete a series of puzzles that relate to the steps taken to produce oxygen in space to survive. My role included level design, gameplay implementation (Blueprints), and lighting.
1-Week Project | Unreal Engine | Team Size - 2
PROJECT GOALS
> During the pre-production phase of this level's development, I decided on a theme and a general layout of how the level would play. The initial layout shows the first iteration of the mining facility. The outside mining area isn't seen here, as that was a later addition to the level. I designed the layout with a mix of open and tighter areas to create variety in gameplay.
> I also spent time playing and studying Prodeus' campaign levels to take notes on common themes of layout and why they have been made that way. I found that there is never just one way to approach an area of the level or combat encounter. And there are always secrets to uncover and areas to explore that will reward the player. I took these points and applied them to my design to better align it with the game's core mechanics and gameplay pace
> Key Design Decisions:
> A mix of tight and open combat areas for gameplay variety.
> Maximum 10 minutes of gameplay to align with project scope.
> Exploration should reward the player.
> Multiple ways to navigate the level and combat encounters.
LEVEL FLOW
> I designed the level to descend in height progressively. This not only applies to the theme of the level, being a mining facility with a boss lurking underneath, but it also tells the player that they are making progress. It also makes the level more interesting and allows for verticality as a factor in combat, which, in turn, creates more varied encounters and gives the player different choices in how to approach them.
> The level is deliberately designed to provide a clear and readable open path, which is the fastest way to progress. But exploring the tighter and more difficult areas to navigate will reward the player with more ammo/health or powerful gear. I communicate these options clearly to the player with affordances, such as locked doors, lighting, and visible keys. This allows the player to choose how they want to play through the level.
> Key Design Decisions
> Clear visual affordances encourage playstyles and choices.
> Level descends in height to communicate progression.
> Deliberate verticality provides variety in gameplay as well
as an advantage to the player if used against melee enemies.
COMBAT - PACING - PROGRESSION
> My goal with the combat element of this level was to have a constant flow of enemies. I soon realised that this caused the entire level to feel linear in difficulty rather than progressive. I also noticed that players would only focus on combat rather than exploration, as it was too intense and couldn't be ignored without the player dying. The fix for this was to allow space between combat for the player to explore.
> I was now focused on having the level increase in difficulty as the player progressed through the level. I did this by increasing the enemy count, adding new and more powerful enemy types, and removing the breathing space in between combat that the player had in earlier sections of the level. In the main elevator room, I used respawning enemies to both increase difficulty and ensure the player doesn't become bored and remains in a flow state. This area contains a lot of loops and exploration, so keeping the player fighting helps to solve this issue.
> Key Design Decisions
> Progressive difficulty to maintain flow state and pacing.
> Leaving breathing room in combat to encourage exploration.