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.