'Cthulhu Wants Me!' Development Update - Level Design + Blocktober

It has been a week since we last announced 'Cthulhu Wants Me!'. We are getting close to the Pre-Launch Phase of our Production Workflow. 

To celebrate Blocktober, I will share my finished Level Design Blockouts and provide you with a snippet of what you expect to see. 

As usual, all work shown here is still a work of progress and will be subject to change. The assets used to build the scene are only for concept demonstration purposes and will not be in the final version. 

Synty Store: https://syntystore.com/en-gb/collections/polygon-series

Blockouts

Without spoiling you too much, here is the level where you can expect to play throughout the game. As our game will focus on hack-and-slash combat, the environment needs to have enough spacing with Mac, the character you will play. 

Our Game/Level Design Theory

Lanes

Props' placement should provide directional lane choices of both risk and safe factors. Each room will have its distinctive theme that should be recognisable but endure a different atmosphere feel to the experience.

Enemy AI

Enemies will be varied, so level design in indoor spacing will play a massive role in how the AI Pathing direct themselves, avoiding potential issues such as dead-end zones, cramped lanes, and disruptive collisions. 

The Door Problem

Narrow doors can be problematic in games, and the tight spacing wouldn't serve the gameplay well. Instead, the Unlockable Access will covered by phase-through walls that help keep the game's theme but provide enough playable space for the Player Character.

Top Down Layout - Mac's Home

Overlay Layout - Mac's Layout