Designed each level with the users learning in mind for an interactive narrative video game.
Game Designer
Game Developer
2 Weeks - November 2023
GameMaker
Figma
Jenise Cheung
Alex Grant
Anneke Kluft
The Argon Chalice is an interactive narrative game for an academic course called Foundations of Game Design. The game follows the player, who is cursed to smell disgusting. The player has to make a variety of choices and fight enemies throughout the game to remove their curse. I was responsible for designing a portion of the game design, specifically the level design, as well as developing the game. In this process, I focus on my work on the level design.
I focused on developing the player's learning experience for the game's fighting mechanics. The goal was to ensure players acquired the necessary skills to defeat the final boss, which is the Spider. The final encounter requires the player to be able to use sword attacks, jumping attacks, and dodging bullets by platforming.
To help the player learn sword attacks, I created a stress-free environment without enemy interference. By placing a bush and a tree to block the path, players are required to strike their weapons to progress, allowing them to learn and practice the command without worrying about enemies depleting their health.
Player destroys the bush and finds a secret path.
Player chose the Axe Route and cuts down the tree.
To teach jump attacks, I placed the player in a cave with slow-moving slimes. The reduced speed allows the player to practice the prediction of the slime's movement, in order to jump on them easily. Moreover, with the low damage caused by the slimes, the player is given more chances due to their health depleting slower.
Player jump attacks on the Slimes.
With the basics covered, I combined the actions learnt in the fight against the dungeon's final boss, the Spider. As the Spider's health decreases, the difficulty gradually increases by using two phases that reinforce previously learnt skills.
Spider is in Phase One difficulty.
In the first phase, the Spider remains stationary while shooting bullets at the player. This allows the player to focus on jump attacks with minimal need to predict the Spider's movements. The Player also learns how to dodge bullets using platforms and jumping, as the stationary Spider makes it easier to predict the bullets trajectory.
Spider is in Phase Two difficulty.
In the second phase, the Spider moves left and right while continuously shooting bullets. This increases the difficulty of executing jump attacks, requiring the player to use their sword attacks and platforms to dodge. Timing jump attacks becomes crucial as players must strike the Spider while it moves.
Looking back, one of the key things I learned is the importance of the player's ability to learn specific commands. To maintain player engagement, it is essential to gradually increase the difficulty, ensuring they possess the necessary skills to face increasingly challenging enemies. As observed during playtesting, if the difficulty ramps up too quickly, players may become frustrated and lose interest due to a lack of preparedness. By effectively teaching the player, even beginners who are new to video games, can enjoy the excitement and experience of the game without frustration.
In the future, I would incorporate an enemy that teaches the player how to dodge bullets before they encounter the Spider. Currently, players are introduced to bullet attacks during the Spider battle, forcing them to quickly adapt while using their newly acquired abilities. Introducing an enemy that fires bullets in a less stressful environment earlier in the game would give players the time needed to learn this new mechanic effectively.