Wildman adventure

Game Overview

Wildman Adventures, a 3D Platformer in Unreal Engine 5, draws inspiration from classic games like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Mario. In this final year project for my Masters, players control the 'Wildman,' navigating levels filled with puzzles and traps while collecting loot. Following the Nintendo Design philosophy, I crafted the game to introduce mechanics organically, with a twist before mastery. The highly modular project showcases my design, blueprinting, and level design skills, allowing easy expansion without code changes. A comprehensive Design Document outlines my design choices, technical details, and includes level and puzzle designs. The current level exemplifies Nintendo's approach to gradual mastery

Role

Game Design, Level Design,

Technical Design

Year

2023

Software

Unreal Engine 5, Git, Adope

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Design DOcument

I aimed to replicate the camera system of Mario Galaxy in my game, necessitating a locked position that consistently follows the player from a third-person perspective. However, the game incorporates various camera events that alter the camera's location, rotation, and height. To address this, I developed a camera component consolidating all relevant code pertaining to player camera events and transitions. Given the game's single-player platformer nature, concerns about split screens or multiple player viewports were unnecessary. Creating a camera component proved logical, as it streamlined the process for potential transitions to a two-player game – a simple addition of the camera component to the second player character.

Below showcases a custom event chain designed for seamlessly switching between any camera actor or event in the game. This chain operates through a single, easily accessible function housed within a component. Additionally, a separate function allows for resetting the camera position to the player character when desired. This implementation facilitates dynamic camera swapping within the game, contributing to the desired Mario Galaxy aesthetic.

I structured the project's foundation to be highly modular and design-friendly, prioritizing technical efficiency while facilitating the creation and implementation of mechanics, levels, and systems. This deliberate choice aimed to elevate the project not only from a conceptual standpoint but also from a technical perspective. When initiating the project, I meticulously documented and flow-mapped every aspect, envisioning its functionality within the game engine. This comprehensive planning process allowed for a seamless transition from conceptualization to practical implementation.

The accompanying flow chart illustrates the pre-production stage, showcasing how I systematically laid out and planned the essential mechanics and systems for the game. This visual representation provided a valuable roadmap, serving as a strategic guide for the subsequent phases of development. By strategically organizing and planning during the pre-production stage, I gained a significant advantage in implementing these elements in the game engine, ensuring a smoother and more efficient game creation process.

Using the setup I designed, I was then able to create an initialization chain suited for my game that is modular, design-friendly, and efficient for memory and data handling. I designed it to be modular so that I can use it in multiple levels, ensuring compatibility with various events that each level might present. The 'managers' I created all stem from a base manager class, each having its own unique initialization codes and chain. This allows them to execute specific setup processes for the game in a coordinated order.

Using similar practices of decoupling code components and maintaining simplicity and cleanliness, I divided the various sections of the player character into distinct components. Each component operates its own system independently, ensuring a clean and easily comprehensible code structure for anyone inspecting it. This segmentation enables me to manage and organize the code seamlessly, facilitating the smooth transfer of data across components without introducing bugs. The player character consistently maintains 'access' to the necessary components, ensuring the efficient execution of functions.

Below, I've outlined the components that are bound to the player character and/or other actors in the game, catering to specific data or component requirements. This modular approach enhances the overall readability, maintenance, and flexibility of the codebase.

One of the main parts of Wildman are the different puzzles and mechanics in the game. I designed to all start and run off an initialization function but the actual look and gameplay of them area different. I approach the mechanics with the Nintendo mind set of 'showing the player' rather than 'telling the player' how to mechanics worked and what they do. This allowed for player mastery of each mechanic as well as a ram-up in difficulty. Using this method also meant I dont need to include a tutorial level or text to actively tell the player what to do, this all feeds into my level design philosophy of the game. The puzzles include:

Jump Pads
2D Sections
Falling/timed Pads
Explosion Turrets
Floating Platforms
Roller Beams
End Boulder Chase

For example, the jump block in my 3D platformer game serves a dual purpose as both a tutorial tool and a gameplay mechanic. Placed strategically at the game's outset, the block subtly guides players on the fundamental skill of jumping. Its visual prominence and intuitive placement encourage players to interact, fostering a learn-by-doing approach. Mechanically, the jump block showcases the character's jumping capabilities, offering a controlled environment to grasp jump height and distance. This intentional integration ensures a seamless learning curve, allowing players to organically acquire jumping skills while setting the tone for the game's platforming challenges.

*Detailed reading of the mechanics can be found in the Design Document for the game.*

The level design played a pivotal role in the game, as my goal was to create a playable level that was not only enjoyable but also intriguing, utilizing the mechanics developed for the game. Drawing inspiration from Mario Galaxy, I embraced the Nintendo approach to level design, which involves gradually introducing a mechanic and incrementally increasing its complexity, ultimately adding a surprising twist. To execute this strategy, I divided the map into distinct sections, each dedicated to a specific mechanic for players to learn and master. Upon completing each stage, the intention was for players to acquire proficiency in that particular mechanic, progress to the next one, and retain a comprehensive understanding of the previously learned mechanics. This way, players could navigate subsequent challenges seamlessly, relying on their acquired knowledge without explicit instructions. The overall aim was to create a dynamic and engaging gameplay experience by skillfully implementing a progression system aligned with Nintendo's proven method of level design.

I began with a design sketch on paper, I laid the foundation for my vision, conceptualizing key elements such as layout, focal points, and potential challenges. This initial phase allowed me to experiment freely and refine my ideas before transitioning to the digital realm.

Moving forward, I transitioned to a blockout stage, where I translated my paper sketch into a basic, three-dimensional representation within a game engine. This crucial step involved establishing the overall spatial relationships, testing proportions, and fine-tuning the flow of the level. The blockout served as a skeletal framework, enabling me to identify potential gameplay issues and iterate on the design efficiently.

As the blockout evolved, I gradually incorporated more intricate details, refining the aesthetics and enhancing the overall player experience. This iterative process involved continuous testing and feedback, ensuring a seamless blend of visual appeal and functional gameplay. The transition from a paper sketch to a detailed 3D game level was a transformative journey, requiring a balance between artistic vision and practical implementation. Each stage contributed to the refinement of the level, culminating in a dynamic and immersive gaming environment that seamlessly combined artistic intent with interactive engagement.

Below you can see some before and after images of the initial blockout/placement stages of primitive blocks and small detail to the fully finished 3d Level currently in game with lighting, reflections and meshing complete.

Wildman adventure

Game Overview

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