High Level Concept
Caught within an alienating and monotonous job, you now embark on a journey to flee this labyrinthine office tower adorned with drab colors.
Your goal: to rediscover the spark of your childhood dreams amidst the mundane. As the yearning for adventure beckons, you find solace in the prospect of breaking free from the ordinary.
Constraints
1. Create a navigation challenge for the player through the architecture and blocky design.
2. Maximum of 3 words within the entire experience.
3. Must be made in Unreal Engine 5.
4. Should have more than one narrative layers expressed only with the space, environment design, objects and architecture.
Design Process
Origin : Textual Game
My design journey began with a textual game titled "Et si..." before evolving into the "Non-Euclidean Office Cubicle." The concept stemmed from a character stuck in a mundane job, yearning to escape to his dream career by delving into childhood memories.
This project went beyond non-linearity, introducing timed gameplay where precise word clicks determine outcomes. Multiple endings, both positive and negative, hinge on player choices. A humorous twist lay in favoring distractions over work, leading deeper into an absurd job, increasing the risk of losing.
The goal was to craft vivid mental images, creating a navigable video game-like space that immersed players in a captivating narrative.
This project went beyond non-linearity, introducing timed gameplay where precise word clicks determine outcomes. Multiple endings, both positive and negative, hinge on player choices. A humorous twist lay in favoring distractions over work, leading deeper into an absurd job, increasing the risk of losing.
The goal was to craft vivid mental images, creating a navigable video game-like space that immersed players in a captivating narrative.
Twine original game (click on the bottom-right fullscreen button to play & ESC to go back)
Top Down Methodology : Idea and Concept
In an architectural level design exercise using Unreal Engine 5, I crafted a navigation challenge that hinged on the principles of level design language. Through deliberate framing, distinctive lighting cues, and spatial manipulation.
I orchestrated an environment that guided players intuitively. Intriguingly, I embraced a constraint—limiting communication to a mere three words maximum—to reimagine my previous concept, "Et si.." if the latter just used words this one will use as little as possible.
Transcending navigation, I designed an engaging gameplay dynamic into the act of traversal itself. The design aimed to render exploration not only enjoyable but also gameplay-driven. Inspirations from games like Stanley Parable, Antichamber, and Superliminal resonated throughout, steering the creation of an immersive experience where space itself whispered the narrative to players.
I orchestrated an environment that guided players intuitively. Intriguingly, I embraced a constraint—limiting communication to a mere three words maximum—to reimagine my previous concept, "Et si.." if the latter just used words this one will use as little as possible.
Transcending navigation, I designed an engaging gameplay dynamic into the act of traversal itself. The design aimed to render exploration not only enjoyable but also gameplay-driven. Inspirations from games like Stanley Parable, Antichamber, and Superliminal resonated throughout, steering the creation of an immersive experience where space itself whispered the narrative to players.
Non-Euclidean Office Cubicle Two Pagers LDD
Technical Approach
My design process was systematic and intricate. I initiated each level with schematics to map out navigation puzzle logic, serving as the plan for environment design in Unreal. Utilizing the BSP tool, I shaped the surroundings, except for toys and the dream job level.
Trigger volumes and Blueprint scripting propelled gameplay development, synergizing elements to create an immersive experience that merged storyline and challenge seamlessly. This synthesis encapsulates how logic, environment, and mechanics converged to bring the vision to life.
Trigger volumes and Blueprint scripting propelled gameplay development, synergizing elements to create an immersive experience that merged storyline and challenge seamlessly. This synthesis encapsulates how logic, environment, and mechanics converged to bring the vision to life.
Boring Office 1
Boring Office 2
Boring Office 3
Childhood Memories Floating Island 1
Boring Office 4
Boring Office 5
Childhood Memories Floating Island 2
Childhood Memories Floating Island 3
Boring Office 6
Childhood Memories Floating Island 4
Childhood Memories Floating Island 5
Childhood Memories Floating Island 6
Level Description
OFFICE 1
1.
Two clues : poster for what to do, chips bag for orientation or direction. Colorful cues amidst drab surroundings.
2.
Player stuck in infinite loop if they head toward the printer direction.
3.
Colorful bags in the vending machine calls the attention of the player, it is the right way.
4.
Player returns to cubicle, finds glowing toy, and is instantly teleported to another office, possibly a different variant.
OFFICE 2
1.
The glowing toy becomes real, it is a toy representing a horse.
2.
Now the clue is a coffee.
3.
The coffee machineis the right direction.
4.
All around the cubicle are furnitures and office artefacts.
5.
Again a glowing toy that leads to another office.
OFFICE 3
1.
The toy stops glowing and become real it is a sheep.
2.
Two clues: a glass of water and a coffee.
3.
The player must do a full circle in the direction of the water distributor and then another one in the direction of the coffee machine.
4.
Then a glowing portal appears.
CHILD MEMORIES ISLAND 1
1.
Player teleported on odd floating island with floating and giant toys, games, and childhood furniture, all in dominant red color scheme.
2.
One serious furniture in yellow stands out from the rest with a specific word. This is a clue.
3.
Three portals, the yellow one is the good one.
OFFICE 4
1.
Three clues : one coffee, one chips bag and another chips bag.
So the player must do a full circle in the direction of the coffee machine and two full circles in the direction of the vending machine.
So the player must do a full circle in the direction of the coffee machine and two full circles in the direction of the vending machine.
2.
Then a glowing toy appear.
OFFICE 5
1.
The toy stops glowing it is a little pig.
2.
The clue is a glass of water. So the player must do a circle around the cubicle in the direction of the water distributor.
3.
But now during this circle it opens up a second cubicle.
4.
The clue of that cubicle is the chips, bag so a circle in the vending machine direction.
5.
A glowing portal appears.
CHILD MEMORIES ISLAND 2
1.
Player teleported on odd floating island with floating and giant toys, games, and childhood furniture, all in dominant purple color scheme.
2.
One serious object a diploma in green stands out from the rest with a specific word. This is a clue.
3.
Three portals, the green one is the good one.
CHILD MEMORIES ISLAND 3
1.
Player teleported on odd floating island with floating and giant toys, games, and childhood furniture, all in dominant yellow color scheme.
2.
Two serious objects two diplomas one in blue the other in red stands out from the rest with a specific word. This is a clue. Blue plus red.
3.
Three portals, the purple one is the good one.
OFFICE 6
1.
One clue a coffee, one full cirle in the direction of the coffee machine.
2.
It opens up to a second cubicle.
3.
The second cubicle clue is a chips bag, so full circle in the vending machine direction.
4.
It opens up to a third cubicle.
5.
The third cubicle clue is a chips bag, so full circle in the vending machine direction.
6.
A glowing portal appears.
CHILD MEMORIES ISLAND 4
1.
Player teleported on odd floating island with floating and giant toys, games, and childhood furniture, all in dominant green color scheme.
2.
Two serious objects two office workers in ties mannequin one in red the other in yellow stands out from the rest with a specific word. This is a clue. Red plus yellow.
3.
Three portals, the orange one is the good one.
CHILD MEMORIES ISLAND 5
1.
Player teleported on odd floating island with floating and giant toys, games, and childhood furniture, all in dominant orange color scheme.
2.
Two serious objects two office workers in ties mannequin one in green the other in yellow stands out from the rest with a specific word. This is a clue. Green minus yellow.
3.
Three portals, the blue one is the good one.
CHILD MEMORIES ISLAND 6
1.
Player teleported on odd floating island with floating and giant toys, games, and childhood furniture, all in dominant blue color scheme.
2.
Three serious objects three office workers in ties mannequin one in red the second one in green and the last one in blue stands out from the rest with a specific word. This is a clue. Red plus green plus blue.
3.
Three portals, the white one is the good one.
It leads to the dream job of the character an animal caretaker in an animal refuge.
It leads to the dream job of the character an animal caretaker in an animal refuge.
Improvements, Additions and Feedback
1.
Visual Storytelling : Eliminate all text and instead convey the character's backstory through visual imagery, incorporating more objects from their past to enrich the narrative.
2.
Clarify the Theme : While the concept of an adult reconnecting with their inner child is compelling, make this intention more evident by reducing abstraction and ensuring players grasp the core theme.
3.
Polish the End Game : Dedicate more attention to enhancing the end game experience. Revisit the final level, optimize it thoroughly, and refine its design to ensure it meets the desired quality standards and doesn't get cut during video editing. It will have been possible with a better time management.
Developer :
Campus ADN
Year :
2023
# People Team :
Solo
Platform/Engine:
Unreal Engine 5
Client:
Campus ADN
Genre(s):
First Person/Puzzle
My Role:
Level Designer/Blueprint