The Dark Flight
Description
The Dark Flight is a 2D platformer following the journey of an injured bat on a quest to reach the heart of a mysterious cave system known as the Once-Flooded. This project was developed in Unity and consisted of two 4-month production periods. The Solution Cave level was designed from January to April 2021 and the Ice Cave level was built between May and August 2021. The playtesting build for the Ice Cave level can be downloaded from the link below.
My Responsibilities
Game Design
Jointly developed the initial game concept
Designed the player and environmental mechanics
Level Design
Designed level challenges based on the player and environmental mechanics
Implemented and pieced together the challenges in the Unity game editor
Narrative Design
Developed several side characters (including Professor Konnelly and Alfred) and their backstories
Wrote scripts for side character interactions in the level
Production
Managed the game’s progress by creating and assigning tasks to team members
Conducted playtesting and revised game and level designs based on playtesting results
Gameplay Trailer
Game Design
Concept Development
Initial Idea
The Dark Flight began as a game concept based on the key word “draft”
The initial idea was a game about an injured bird gliding over drafts of wind
Revised Concept
The bird was changed to bat to allow for more interesting mechanics: echolocation and climbing
The narrative goal of searching for a mystical healing power at the heart of a cave system was developed
Game Environments
I researched different naturally forming cave environments on Earth
Cave environments include: wind (eolian), talus, sea, ice, solution, lava, sandstone
Reduced Scope
Given the project’s limited timeline, the scope was reduced to the Solution Cave level which was first developed from January to April 2021
From May to August 2021, we developed the Ice Cave level which would act as the opening and introductory level to the game
Initial Echolocation Diagram
Gameplay Mechanics
Player Mechanics
The player mechanics were based off the unique actions that bats can perform such as echolocating and climbing upside down
These mechanics were designed to be responsive in order to give the player more freedom in their actions
Ice Cave Environment Mechanics
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The core environment mechanics were derived from hazards that naturally form in ice caves such as falling icicles, slippery surfaces and unstable surfaces
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These mechanics were designed to be very intuitive so that the player can understand how they work and how to navigate past them very easily
Falling Icicle Diagram
Level Design
Solution Cave Design
Design Methodology
Begin with mapping out the large sections of the level such as the tutorial and open area
Define the design goals of each section such as introducing certain mechanics
Design the sequence of challenges in each area and connect them together
Development Issues
The pacing was too quick which didn’t give players enough time to learn each mechanic
Many of the challenges were too difficult, especially near the start of the level
Solution Cave Open Area Section Diagram
Ice Cave Design
Design Methodology
Learning from the Solution Cave, the Ice Cave design began with ordering the different mechanics based on when they should be introduced
Narrative breaks and art set pieces were inserted into the list to break up the more intense gameplay
Individual challenge rooms were designed for each mechanic of varying difficulty
Challenge rooms and narrative scenes were pieced together based on difficulty and pacing
The challenge rooms were frequently updated based on playtesting feedback
Climb Challenge Initial Design vs in the Editor
