Ghibli Style “Strand Type” Flying Game
中国大陆点此观看 link for mainland china
Level, Narrative, Sound Designer
In a world that had been flooded,
humanity survived in trains,
alone and divided.
This place has no end, no time, and no life.
In this game, you will:
Play as Hermes, the Psychopomp, tasked with collecting letters left around the ruins and delivering them to trains running across the vast ocean.
Fly, Glide & Explore Forgotten Ruins:
Glide across waters and weave through towering, enigmatic structures, relics of a world lost to time.
Dreamland:
Immerse yourself in a surreal world, accompanied by a dynamic soundtrack that responds to your exploration.
Credit
Me: Level Design/Narrative Design/Sound Design
Cunxi Gao: Environmental Art/Level Design
Samuel Fletcher: Character Art
Aman kapoor: Programming
Antonio Andrade: Programming
Create a level that evokes a strong sense of freedom while providing clear guidance to direct the player.
Challenege
In a game centered on flying and gliding, the player has the freedom to explore in multiple directions, which can lead to deviation from the intended path.
Solution 1 - Broader Border
Design a broad boundary that makes the player feel within a defined area, encouraging them to stay within the main gameplay zone. While the player can fly beyond this border, its large form naturally inclines them to remain inside.
Solution 2 - Decentralized & Symmetrical Layout
To prevent players from flying to an unintended area and needing to backtrack, the level is decentralized and symmetrical, while ensuring the map feels like a well-organized structure.
Monumental spaces are placed centrally to provide visual landmarks, offering a reference point, so when players see the monuments, they can easily gauge their position.
Rails and bridges create linear paths that guide players. Much like in the real world, when players are lost, following the railway will lead them to bridges and help them find their way.
Solution 4 - Scale of the Destination
To make objectives more noticeable, the train is scaled significantly larger than the character model, ensuring it's almost always visible when passing by. It also creates a contrasty visual effect that make the game more stylized.
Objectives are crucial for guiding players. At any given time, three objectives are visible across the map for the player to collect. Once collected, a new set of three spawns. This ensures a constant but manageable number of objectives.
Metroidvania Influence
Inspired by Metroidvania games, some objectives are temporarily unreachable, enticing players to learn and master game mechanics as they strive to reach them.
1. Initial Guide
Place a collectible near the player spawn location to immediately guide players. When they collide with this object, they receive a letter, introducing the main goal of the game.
2. Long-Term Goal
Position an object on the highest point of the game world to capture the player's attention and set a long-term objective.
- Visual Reinforcement: When the player reaches the other side of the map, they’ll see this high objective again, but now with a visible route leading to it. An additional objective on this path reinforces that it’s the correct way.
3. Introducing Secondary Objectives
Place objectives within the holes of buildings, encouraging players to fly through them.
When they do, sound effects provide feedback, linking this secondary gameplay method with the objectives, nudging players to explore similar areas, signaling possible objectives.
In our game, assets are designed to be more than just aesthetic elements — they serve multiple functions:
- For instance, bridges are crafted to create negative spaces for players to fly through and also provide surfaces that guide navigation.
- By placing multiple bridges together, we create numerous paths, allowing for varied navigation through the same area.
The buildings in our game are designed as interactive elements with multiple small and large negative spaces for players to fly through and climb.
These negative spaces are naturally appealing, and by placing objectives within or visible through them, players are encouraged to explore while maintaining clear guidance and a freestyle of gameplay.
The levels are designed like a skatepark, offering clear paths but also encouraging creative interaction.
While there is an obvious way to navigate, players have the freedom to explore alternative approaches, making the levels engaging and replayable.
2D Masocore Platformmer
中国大陆点此观看 link for mainland china
Level Designer, Programmer
There are many types of 'I Wannas,' and I view mine similarly to a Dark Souls game: the designer creates traps to challenge the players, and the players find enjoyment in overcoming these obstacles."
Level Layout and Difficulty Curve Design
I designed the level layout, difficulty curve, and potential speedrun routes based on jump parameters. I also guided players to gradually familiarize themselves with the trap distribution, enhancing their skills and making the game feel both challenging and rewarding.
Incorporating ACG Culture and Creating a Humorous Atmosphere
I integrated popular memes from ACG (Animation, Comics, and Games) culture into the level design, such as Genshin Impact icons, a photo of Hidetaka Miyazaki, and quotes from classic anime series. I combined these elements with humorous sound design to create a playful atmosphere.
Credit
Me: Game Design/Level Design/Programming/Art
Yuting Dong: Sound Design/Audio
Design a platformer level that is very difficult but will keep players interested in challenging the game and entertained.
General Procedure
Step 1. Design basic level layout based on ideal player path.
Step 2. Add basic spikes as input and dexterity challenge.
Step 3. Place traps and distribute them into the level.
Step 4. Place obstacles to prevent players deviate from the standard path, and create a more difficult speedrun path.
Step 5. Combine and test different types of traps to play with player expectation.
Step 6. Refine details through playtesting, looking for potential bugs. Adding art and sound effects for final results.
Step 7. Level complete.
The key to the entire level design is subverting common perceptions of traditional designs.
For example:
1. When the game begins, the player will instinctively try to jump over the first spike, expecting it to be stationary.
2. However, the spike suddenly moves and kills the player.
3. This moment shifts the player's perception from "spikes are stationary" to "spikes can move."
4. As a result, the level’s vibe evolves from being about simply jumping over spikes to being about how to outsmart these tricky and unorthodox traps.
5. Player learned about this through the first trap of the level.
There are 7 crystals distributed throughout the level, each designed to trick the player in a different way. When the first crystal flies in from outside the game frame, players learn:
- Crystals are harmful.
- They need to be cautious of other crystals.
2 crystals are partially visible at the bottom, like a hidden surprise. The player wonders:
- Will these behave like the first one?
- I need to be more cautious.
The bottom crystals don’t move, but a crystal from above falls and kills the player, accompanied by the sound “Genshin.”
This sound effect is the first half of a famous meme from the Genshin Impact community. The complete quote is “Genshin, Start!”
Players familiar with the context will anticipate that the second half, “Start,” will soon follow, adding an extra layer of tension and humor.
The player anticipates the next crystal, but its speed doubles, catching them off guard. Players often forget this trap, even after experiencing it multiple times.
The player is now unsure if the crystals will move.
This time, it stays still, creating mental pressure.
A crystal appears while the player is being chased by a slow enemy. It doesn’t move, but signals danger, making the player anxious.
A combination of a static crystal and a tiny spike creates a medium difficulty challenge.
It serves to balance the more gimmicky traps with straightforward obstacles, keeping the gameplay engaging without overwhelming the player with constant surprises.
Near the end of the level,
the crystal’s sprite shakes slowly, drawing the player’s attention as they near the goal.
However, it doesn’t actually do anything. Instead, while the player is focused on the crystal, another trap suddenly appears, surprising the player in an unexpected way
By using the same object in various ways, I created different gameplay experiences.
When the player finally beats this level, they’ll feel a strong sense of achievement, having improved their skills and understanding of the game throughout the process.
Items are typically useful, but in this game, they bait the player into checking what's inside, only to trigger a trap instead. This subverts the player's expectations and keeps them on their toes.
Chasing Threat
A slow-moving enemy chases the player, creating a sense of urgency. The slow speed is deceptive, making the player nervous and more prone to making mistakes.
Scarce Save Points
With only one save point throughout the level, tension builds as the player progresses. As they get closer to the end, their anxiety increases, making every move feel more critical.
To avoid overwhelming the player, the platforming elements, like jumping over spikes, are challenging but not overly difficult, keeping the level entertaining and engaging, giving the player confidence to succeed.
Non-Damaging Jump Scares
Some traps are designed to scare the player without causing any actual damage. These jump scares often lead them to panic and make mistakes on their own, effectively outplaying them without direct harm.
Proper Usage of Memes
Selected appropriate memes to match the game's funny vibe, enhancing the overall atmosphere and adding to the humor.
Techno-philosophical Detective Walking Sim
Level, Narrative, Sound Designer, Programming, Art
The game explores techno-philosophical topics such as Artificial Intelligence, consciousness, free will, post-humanism, technological determinism, simulation theory, surveillance systems, and more.
I was the creator of the project, serving as its producer, designer, system designer, narrative designer, level designer, writer, lighting artist, and developer.
My duties include:
- Designed enclosed level layouts, game pacing, and cinematic effects to enhance the dramatic tension within levels.
- Assimilated and blended contemporary and classical art elements into 3D spatial designs using UE5’s Lumen feature
- Collaborated with character designer to conceptualize characters
- Curated sound effects and music from multiple genres to establish a unique atmosphere that is futuristic and ambient
Me: Level/Narrative/Sound Design/Environment Art/Programming
Jingyuan Zhang: Character Design
I believe that space itself is a powerful tool for storytelling and constructing specific feelings. I incorporate the art I've seen in museums into games to create connections between reality and the constructed experiences within the game.
The Dark Room
- I placed two of René Magritte's paintings on the wall, as his work aligns with the game's theme of questioning the boundaries between reality and representation.
- The 'Menaced Assassin' painting positioned on the left sets the surreal tone of the game and implies that the story revolves around a murder.
- The 'False Mirror' gazes at the player, creating a sense of being under surveillance.
- The table reflects the eye, further intensifying the mysterious ambiance.
The Church-like Office
- I think technology influences the world like a religion, so I decided to create a scene based on a church. This was inspired by Tadao Ando's Church of the Light.
- I defamiliarize it by making it an office, transforming the characters within these offices into figures resembling clergies.
- The use of concrete material makes the scene feel rational and cold.
- The spiral staircase is designed as a double helix, mirroring the structure of DNA, serving as a metaphor suggesting that human beings are evolving into a digital form of existence.
- How will people interact with each other fifty years later?
- The headsets will enable people to live in a cyberspace that is almost like a second real world. People will go to Internet cafes more oftenas a means to escape from reality.
The Hallway
- I designed it to resemble prisons of the future, where people are alienating themselves from reality and others.
- The light in the tunnel turns white after the player discovers the corpse. Prior to this, it resembled club lighting, designed to make the space ‘a space of otherness’.
- Inspired by American artist James Turrell’s art work and the film Blade Runner 2049.
- I placed Magritte’s 'Golconda' on the wall to lend a surreal and mysterious feeling.
- The absence of windows in this room further contributes to its resemblance to a modern cell.
- The orange light contributes to a gloomy and meditative ambiance.
- The texture of the furniture and concrete materials makes the room feel cold, and the orange light and blood make the room warm.
- The room is cold and warm at the same time, creating a very special space of otherness.
In my approach to an AI assistant, I diverged from the common trend of highly personifying AI in creative works. Instead, I chose a more machine-like approach. This choice adds a meta aspect to the game, revealing a potential future of a society shaped by Artificial Intelligence.
Oli - The Future Tech Elite Man
Choosing to make him a powerful black man serves as a form of resistance against the white supremacy prevalent in many industries.
Engineer - The Dead Man
Inspired by the crucifixion and death of Jesus. This religious iconography not only proposes a metaphor of technology elites, it also proposes a question about the duality of these figures and technology: are they good or evil to human beings and our world?
Jiang - The Camp Artist
I intend to design a character who will unveil the secrets of the contemporary art world, exposing the power dynamics and predatory culture in high society.
Ronaldo - Omnipresent
In this future, gender is no longer a defining factor. I intend to create a powerful character who makes players forget traditional concepts of gender.
I intend to create new and uniqueexperiences that will stay with players for a long time.I draw inspiration from various forms of media, transforming them into content no one has seen before.
Wolrdview Design
Find a big idea or theme and construct the world based on it. God, Human, Animal, Machine inspired me to think about what will our world really be like in 50 years and make the game Spiritual Machine.
Characters as means to tell stories
Characters serve as a visual representation of refined ideas. Their interactions reveal the conflicts between differing ideologies. I enjoy the process of researching and determining the semiotics and symbols that define these characters.
Story Design
To pique players' curiosity about the story, I focused on constantly creating tension. It's a process of building up and then releasing tension to maintain player engagement.
Music
I enjoy blending diverse music genres, ranging from metal and experimental to classical and jazz, to create juxtapositions that serve as powerful tools for storytelling.
I love blending the aesthetics and techniques from film, literature, and animation into game development. By combining these elements with experimental music, I strive to create unique and immersive atmospheres that captivate and engage players in unexpected ways.
Favorite Games:
Death Stranding (PS), Metal Gear Solid V (PS), Dark Souls Series (PS), Control (PS), God of War 3 & 2018 (PS), Nier: Automata (PS), Persona 4&5 (PS), League of Legends (PC), Paradise Killer (PC)
Contact: zy1472@nyu.edu