TLDR

Hi all, here I present you the level design blockout of a sewer level I created! This level is not for a commercial product but for a game prototype I am currently working on. The game is intended to be a story-driven first person exploration/adventure game. I drew lots of inspiration from works of the 1990s, be it games like System Shock and Half Life or TV-Shows like X-Files or The Outer Limits, but also from more recent works like Tacoma and SOMA.

I was using Unity 2019.4.15f1 and Autodesk Maya LT 2020.

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Game design & story

Your sister, a reporter, went missing while investigating a secret compound in the mountains, and you follow her tracks through the sewers to find her. On your way, you find out more about the compound and the events that led to your sister disappearing.

The game design is intended to be very simple, with basic first person movement controls, jumping, crouching, simple interaction-items like doors or terminals and ladders for vertical traversal. Story is told by notes which can be found scattered in the level as well as some environmental storytelling. To access the notes after finding them, the player also has to have a journal.

If you are interested in more details about game design and story, you can continue reading here: Sewer Level: Story & Game Design

Level design

The level resembles a sewer-system in the mountains, starting from a low entry point progressing upwards until the player reaches the exit to the compound. The idea was to play with the sizes of the corridors and rooms, having the player start in small, narrow corridors before sending him in larger corridors and rooms as he progresses. To keep the contrast in size throughout the level, I mixed narrow and wide passages from time to time.

The level is designed to be semi-open, meaning there is always one definitive way to solve a problem and finally reach the exit, but there are often different paths the player can explore. Exploration is rewarded with lots of notes scattered throughout the level and also with some environmental storytelling.

To challenge the player on his way to the exit, the level features three puzzles which need to be solved, all revolving around an obstacle blocking the way but each with increasing difficulty.

To guide the player through the level, I sticked to common level design principles like framing, leading lines and attraction with light. I sometimes also tried to keep the correct way hidden from the player to encourage exploration.

For more information on the process of creating this level, from the first draft to the final iteration, please keep on reading here: Sewer Level: Level Design