Elementa: Level Design Process

This is way old now, but it was either let it sit forever, delete it, or publish it.  The first two seemed cruel.  It was a good set of design meetings.  In the end we built out the pieces of the level but set them aside to try an easier level.

For the first level of Elementa, we decided to build the Air Challenge.  I focused my initial design on the concept of air movement and how the elemental aspect of the level would tie in with the game as a whole.  I considered keywords such as weathered rocks, floating, flying, being high above the clouds, canyons, and anything seemed breezy or blowing.

Draft I

Summary: An angry god of air roamed these cliff sides for years, gouging a narrow circular path.  But now, he's bound at the pinnacle.  You must defeat his guardians to summon him down.  When he arrives, he'll continue to roam the paths of the canyon, tearing down boulders and elemental shards that you'll have to avoid while you attack him.

Brainstorm: The team wants to move away from bosses.

Solution: Take out the boss element.  Since there was no reason for the canyons with him gone, I tried a different system, one that would require fewer objects, since the walls of the canyon would have been a lot of work to build and texture.

Draft II

Summary: On top of a pinnacle, the elemental creatures are tearing down four Sigils protecting the cliffs.  They have already destroyed one.  Each sigil is being attacked by a giant.

Brainstorm: Make the areas fit within the camera.  You don't get much chance to see the ground below.  Also, why are you doing the same thing three times?


Solution:  Separated the pinnacles into four separate mountains

Draft III

Summary: On top of four pinnacles, the elemental creatures are tearing down four Sigils protecting the cliffs.  They have already destroyed one.  Each pinnacle has a different challenge [in progress].  You start at the northwest tip so you can see the base of the cliff far below.

Brainstorm:  What if the mountains are floating islands (then the concept artist drew chains holding them to the ground and I was struck by inspiration).  Why is each challenge the same? Also, why are there Sigils?

Draft IV

Summary: On top of four floating islands chained to the earth, elemental creatures are tearing down the four Sigils that anchor the islands.  One has been destroyed and the island is floating off.  You start there.  Each sigil is being attack by different monsters.  The first sigil is being attacked by small creatures, the second by a giant, and the third by a mix of giants and critters.  If the monsters destroy any of the sigils, the story changes.  If you die, you start over at the beginning of that individual isle.

Brainstorm: Let's build this!