The project began during the one-month jam “A Matter of Perspective.” The first step was to ideate a game concept that fit the theme. After several deliberations, we decided to go with two characters: one big and the other small. The idea was to represent the lives of two different tribes that differed not only in size but also in the way they lived.

General Gameplay/setup:

The players must switch back and forth between controlling the larger and stronger character and the smaller but much more agile and maneuverable character to solve puzzles and make their way through the levels. Players will control big characters most of the time but can throw at any moment the much smaller character when he needs to move to the next section.

Pillar

Master of Two Worlds: two playable characters who feel unique and distinct from each other and who complete each other’s skills. Players learn to master both skill sets and learn when, where, and how to use each character to progress through encounters.

The first mechanic to develop was the interchange between the big and small characters. We decided that the interchange would occur only when necessary—specifically when the small character was thrown and spawned into the world. This approach streamlined the gameplay, making it feel more fluid and preventing it from feeling like a constant game of catch between the two characters. Some other game design considerations were:

Small Guy

• Moves quickly
• It fits into small openings
• Can jump, can platform
• Can die
• Can pull small levers to open grate doors
• Is riding on Big Guy’s helmet when not deployed
• It is deployed when thrown
• Can teleport back to Big Guy on command
• Respawns at Big Guy when killed

After establishing the primary mechanics for the characters, we focused on developing support mechanics to create environmental puzzles. The goal was to implement a soft blocker that required players to switch between both characters to advance. Consequently, we decided to create two types of mechanics

Doors

These served as obstacles for the player, requiring them to navigate the level to find the mechanism to open each one. Two types of doors were created:

• Big Golden Doors: Operated by pressure plates, these doors could only be opened by the larger character, who was heavy enough to activate the mechanism.
• Metallic Grate Doors: With a rusted appearance, these doors could only be opened by small levers scattered around the levels, which could only be operated by the smaller character.

The decision to make these doors visually distinct was intentional, allowing players to easily associate each door with its corresponding mechanism and the character needed to open it.

Pressure Plates & Levers 

These mechanisms supported the door system, enabling progression. The larger character could only activate the pressure plate, while the lever was designed for the smaller character. This setup encouraged the strategic use and exploration of both characters.

After establishing what felt like solid-core gameplay, playtesting revealed it quickly became repetitive. To address this, we decided to introduce a new character with unique characteristics to add more variety to the levels.

Arcana, The Spirit Wolf, is the third and final character to join the game. With her introduction, we also added Magic Barriers—magical doors that only she could destroy. As with the previous doors, these magic barriers were given a distinctive graphic design, allowing players to easily identify the corresponding mechanic and the character needed to open them. Some of the characteristics of this new character were:

Arcana, The Spirit Wolf

• She is used to destroy magic barriers and open up pathways
• She can only be called from a summon circle by Big Guy
• She moves like a rocket, and she cannot stop moving until she collides with something
• If she hits an obstacle, she is destroyed and must be re-summoned
• If she hits a magic barrier she destroys it

With the main mechanics in place, I focused on the game’s UI to effectively communicate information to the player. The project involved three key elements: the main menu, the pause menu, and the HUD.

I quickly created a mood board in Figma and developed the menu flow and a few visual iterations for initial sketches. After finalizing the general idea, I designed icons for characters and interactable objects. Once we agreed on a solid approach, I implemented it in the engine.   

The UI was designed to be simple enough to maintain immersion while providing sufficient information for the player. Many interactions are contextual cues that appear when the player is near an interactable item. Visual effects (VFX) and strategically placed lights guided the player to levers and pressure plates to enhance the user experience.

I worked as well in the VFX of the game, including elements such as particle systems, materials, and lighting. I aimed to integrate the VFX with the game’s UX, enhancing the player’s understanding of in-game events and drawing their attention to specific objects and locations during gameplay.

Working on this project was not only fun but also an invaluable experience in game scoping and managing pressure. We made most of our decisions based on the limited development time, focusing on achieving more by doing less. By designing the mechanics to be as modular as possible, we could mix and match elements to create diverse experiences using the same core components.

Teamwork was another highlight of this project. Each team member had specific tasks, often in different areas of the game, but we maintained constant communication and collaboration. This iterative process helped us identify bugs, implement enhancements, conduct playtests, and ensure overall game consistency.

NewFoundSons

Role

Game Designer, Level Designer & Gameplay Programmer

About

This was a school project by a team of 5. We decided on a first-person psychological horror game that emphasizes puzzle-solving and exploration as its core design principles. 

Living in

Montréal, Canada

Email

sfb199762@gmail.com