Let's Get Out: Level Design Discussion

Throughout the process of making this game, we had to use the level design concepts that we learned in our CS4700.02 class at Cal Poly Pomona. One of the biggest challenges was ensuring that each level was unique from the previous one. We had to use as much creativity as possible to fit the theme of our game, which relates to an  "inception" or "dream state".  All the various details of each level had to be very visible or pop out to the player. For example, the houses that we designed all served a purpose. Secondly, we had to ensure that players are as curious as possible at the initial start of the game. We did not want to give any clues at all, which is why we had to limit the difficulty for the players to figure out where to go or what to do. In addition to this, we had to include weenies like the key in the game. Players are instantly drawn to the fact that they cannot retrieve it, which gets them to explore other areas that lead to the area that it is at. In addition to this,  we had to make sure that there was plenty of room for the player to move around.  The amount of whitespace that we included at some levels like the house levels: "hell room" or "fantasy land" makes players want to navigate throughout there and explore what it has to offer. Overall, we knew that we had to include consequences and multiple endings so that players are more aware of their choices in the game.  Each level definitely has its own mood, and some of the ones we designed are very dreamy and unrealistic, which is the whole point. For the music, we choose to add a mixture of music and sounds based on what best suits the environment. For example, the rain that comes on or the police sirens is what makes the game a lot more engaging. This comes to shows that audio makes a big difference with the gaming experience.