Game Art & Design Performance Based Measurement

Screen Recording 2026-03-06 155103.mp4

Floating Training Level - Module 4

Introduction

This is the floating training level that I built. It houses a lot of interesting gameplay mechanics like collecting coins, power ups, gems, opening doors, platforming, hidden coins and gems, and a HUD to serve as a kind of guide for the player. The HUD tells how many gems and coins the player has collected out of how many are in the whole level.

Looking back

My original idea was just following the guide, doing as they instructed and not straying very far from what they put. As I was working I had a life changing conversation with a buddy of mine during study hall that completely changed the way I was going about not just the Module, but the rest of my career as a game designer/developer. I realized that to stand out and truly do well I need to figure out one question, "What type of games do you enjoy?". After thinking for days on this one question i realized the games I enjoy are the creative ones that build something unforgettable.

I took that answer to heart and started to brainstorm more than ever about what I can do to be creative. I decided to start out with adding small changes here and there like where to add gems. I added some behind a wall that seems unreachable but totally was. I was super super proud of that one. It was also super fun to make because of how much creative freedom I felt. Creating the power ups and the parkour in the beginning was really fun to create as well.

There were a couple tools I found very useful, but the most important was by far the move tool. with out it I wouldn't really be able to create anything at all. There was also a very useful technique I used when creating the coins. Using alt with the movement too created copies and it helps so much when doing something like placing coins or something in a line. Another shortcut that helped a lot was ctrl + B to find the exact location of a model or blueprint in the content directory. It's such a quality of life feature when needing to grab something from the directory just like that.

Looking back there is a lot Improve on too. For example I could've done a lot better on the pathway to the big gem. It just looks so rough and honestly, pretty bad. I could also really use some improvement on animation. Sure the floating islands worked fine but there was so much more detail that could've been added like a slight rumble before it moved to show weight.

The Valley - module 5

Reflection

I expanded a lot of the world compared to what I started with, most prominently being the castle. It started off with it just being a small castle, but i changed it to become a castle with a town. Plus with all the details I added within the castle it really makes the world feel alive.

There were a couple tools that were especially useful to me when i was building my world. For landscapes the sculpt, smooth, flatten, and noise tools all helped so much when it came to shaping my world. In the foliage tab the min and maz size on the z axis was the most usefull by far. Using it the trees felt dynamic and not as if they were only one model. When building the castle, atl + drag was the most important part of the process considering how many assets I needed to copy and paste so many times.

I am most proud of the way my landscape looks. I wanted to make a world different from the one showcased and it turned out amazing. The volcano is my favorite part of the whole build and the way the mountains feel so overpowering compared to the player is great. It really feels like I'm small compared to the big world. It also feels so much different considering I made everything myself. This world wasn't pre-made for me to play around in I just made it. This world just feels so much more personal to me.

There is so much I want to improve. The texures and the way they're streched is one thing and I'd also love to work on the optimasation a bit mroe so it could run better. I'd also like to get the world feeling a bit more alive and have a couple other systems working like spline tunnels I was trying to create. Other than that I'd say my world is pretty alright for my first try.

Introduction

The Valley is a small kingdom located in the mountains. There used to be 2 towns. One was the castle town that is still standing and the other is a village that was overtaken by some bandits. It was left abandoned. I added a lot of new features to this landscape. I added lots of lush foliage (grass, plants, trees) and different places to bring life into the world. I also added a couple of mini outposts/places to explore. Some are places to buy and rest, others are work places for gathering resources. This world is very interesting to explore for may reasons. There is a lot of variety which what is packed in. There are also secrets hidden throughout the world that add fun secrets. There are also a lot of collectables to collect and trying to collect them all adds a lot replayability.

Challanges - Module 6

Introduction

Now that the hazards are live, The Valley feels alive and reactive. In Unit 5, the environment was static, beautiful, but indifferent to the player's presence. Now, it feels like an antagonist. The Vally is no longer just platforms; they are tactical zones. The silence of the abandoned village is now punctuated by burning of buildings the mechanical hum of sweepers and the heavy rumble of falling boulders.

To transform the level, several distinct types of "mechanical friction" were added to test the player’s skills. Sweepers & Pendulums force the player to master timing. The Sweeper Arm acts as a gatekeeper that requires the player to jump or duck at the exact right moment. These Boulders introduce unpredictability. Unlike the pendulum, which follows a set path, boulders react to gravity and collision, forcing the player to make split-second decisions. Guarded Market & Gates shift the pace. Instead of pure reflexes, the player must use patience and observation to bypass guards or find the triggers to open heavy gates. The Turrets add a layer of spatial awareness. Players can no longer just look at their feet; they have to keep an eye on the horizon to avoid incoming projectiles.

The shift from Unit 5 to now is primarily about Engagement and Agency. Adding these hazards highlights the importance of Hit Boxes. It’s one thing for a boulder to look cool, it’s another for it to actually kill you. This stage of development is where the game finally gets its meaty gameplay mechanics.

Reflection

While physics objects like the sweeper arm are tricky, the Guarded Market Place took the most work. Unlike a pendulum that follows a predictable path, guards require AI logic. I have to set up Navigation Meshes (NavMesh), vision cones, and patrol paths. Balancing the guard's perception, making sure they don't see you through a solid wall but do catch you if you’re sprinting right behind them, is a delicate dance of tweaking variables in the AI Controller.

To keep these challenges from becoming frustrating, I used Predictability and Safety Windows. For the Sweeper Arm and Pendulum, the player needs to see the rhythm before they commit. By making the movement constant and predictable, the player blames their own timing rather than the game's unfairness if they get hit. You might have adjusted the collision boxes (hitboxes) to be slightly smaller than the actual 3D model. This gives the player a "near miss" feeling, which is exciting, rather than a "I wasn't even touching that!" feeling, which is frustrating.

There is something uniquely satisfying about a Physics-based Boulder system. Using Simulate Physics and creates a chaotic, unscripted element. No two runs are exactly the same. In the context of The Valley, boulders are used as a defense so or a trap so it plays into an ancient or decaying theme. Plus it kind of reinforces the theme of an Abandoned Village, nature is reclaiming the land, and the very earth is turning against the intruder. It makes the player feel like a small survivor in a massive, unstable environment.

If time weren't an issue, a Vertical Wind Tunnel or Low-Gravity Zone would be a fantastic addition. I mean given my Sky Island and Valley aesthetic, playing with verticality fits perfectly. A challenge where the player has to navigate floating debris while a constant upward force (wind) changes their jump physics would tie the platforming mechanics and the environment together into one seamless experience. Too bad I don't quite got the skill to do that yet.

UI and Cutscenes

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