Team Size: 6
Project Duration: 2 Months
Role: System Designer, Level Designer and Manager
Game Link: https://brianlb.itch.io/illume
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llume is a atmospheric, side-scrolling puzzle platformer where objects only appear when you illuminate them.
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On this project I designed the core mechanics and did the puzzle and level design. I was also the project manager of the team. I designed 10 puzzles for the game all of which were iterated on over the 2month duration.
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The project was also showcased at Xbox Game Camp Sweden, and we were mentored by Mark Craigie and Mathias Develtere from machine games.
Design Work
Concept
In Illume the world is only revealed when the player llluminates it. The source of the light is a flower that the player carries. The player can drop the flower and pick it up from anywhere in the game and the light emitting from the flower makes trees that sprout platforms grow. Finally, If the player stays without a light for too long they will disperse(die) and return to the last checkpoint.
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The most challenging part of developing the game was the level design. Considering that the entire game is dark it was hard to guide the player properly. To solve this I decided to add checkpoints that would emit a small amount of light and were visible even when not lit up. These flowers would open up when the player illuminates them to inform the player that they have reached the checkpoint. This provided the players with guidance and a goal within each level.
In order to create 3D blockouts of the puzzles for the game I would use a spheres and platforms and color code them to indicate how tree roots will grow. This helps show the positions of all the platforms and roots relative to each other and help the artists with modelling the branches and better understand the design.
In the puzzles trees would grow from the root to form a platform. These platforms were not just used in puzzles but also in timing challenges.
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Timing challenges were indicated by creating spiral roots at the end of the tree's branch. My reasoning behind this was that the longer fuse will give the players more time to jump from platform to another, but it is also there to indicate what type of challenge is required from the puzzle. I wanted this to be a part of the way we communicate with he player which type of challenge is expected for each puzzle/area.
