As the game begins, you take control of the playable character after they've woken up inside a cave. With no context or indication of who or where you are, you exit the cave to find out. The first thing that's revealed to the player is a towering, foreboding statue embedded into a mountain in the distance. This remains visible at various intervals throughout the level, constantly beckoning the player towards it and establishing a sense of excitement for finding out what's over there.

Throughout the level, the player may spot different runes hidden in the environment. Some are shown as patterns of stone embedded into walls, whilst others are more subtle, such as logs arranged on the ground. These symbols are derived from Nordic runes, and if you decipher them, they allude to a greater story being told, explaining what happened to this surreal world. This all comes together in the third quarter of the level, where the player falls into a deep chasm and discovers an abandoned underground civilization. The nature of this world is revealed through imposing set-pieces in the background, before the player advances to the conclusion of the level where they finally find themselves at the foot of the statue, ready to ascend it.

I have a passion for games like this and wanted to make my own, but I primarily set out to demonstrate the design techniques I learned through my research in my prototype. I outlined seven major design methods in my dissertation:

1) With the statue, I showed a good use of focal points in the environment.

2) Then, I ensured the player's attention remained on the statue with the use of vantage points at key moments.

3) The level has a specific structure: It's divided into four parts, each with their own themes and objectives. For instance, the first part focuses on introducing the player to the world and the game's mechanics, before you board a platform to the second island, where the stakes are raised. Each part is discernible by transitions and noticeable changes in the environment.

4) The level also features a 4-beat scenario that compliments the level's structure. With the use of an Emotion Chart which outlined the specific story beats and expected emotions and reactions from players at each moment of the level, I was able to orchestrate an appropriate flow of emotional and narrative involvement with the level.

5) The environment reacts to the player. Passing in front of miniature statues lights them up, and if you die, you respawn in front of one, establishing them as checkpoints. They also hint at a plot twist that happens at the end of the level.

6) I used the concept of "architectural weenies" outlined by Totten (2019) as well as the idea of 'breadcrumbing' to guide the player forwards, or towards something they'd have otherwise missed.

7) Finally, as previously mentioned, I signposted important information through micro-tableaux in the environment, with the main example being the runes echoing a larger narrative. Another example is arranging the background props to inform the player of what to do next, due to the deliberate lack of text and tutorial.

Shortly after submission, I showcased the game at my own booth at the ADGS (Abertay Digital Graduate Show) in May 2022, where many people tried out the game and provided me with helpful feedback. Additionally, this has laid the foundation for my own 2.5D platformer game going forwards.