The Lost Village is a SinglePlayer Walkthrough game, where the player can explore an abandoned medieval village, and discover the secrets hidden beyond the door
Engine: Unity 3D
Platform: Windows/PC
Team size: 1
Tools used: Unity (Terrain editor, Asset store)
Itch.io: Check it out here!
This project was created for my Game Design II class to enhance my world-building and terrain editing skills.
I was tasked to develop both an interior and an exterior scene for this assignment.
I used Unity 3D and free assets from the asset store to design an interior and exterior location. Additionally, I used the terrain editor to shape the world.
I also tested my programming skills by working with character controllers, collisions and triggers, a sound manager, and lighting.
First I tested around with the terrain editor, pushing and pulling mountains and testing the different shaped brushes.
Eventually, I came up with an outside layout that I liked. Afterward, I used the terrain editing tools, painted textures, and painted trees to create grass, roads, mountains, and some basic foliage.
I used a free Medieval Village asset package I found on the Unity asset store. I made the spawn location at the highest point of the world so that when the player spawns for the first time they can look down onto the village.
I had a great time planning and placing where buildings should go, making areas that the player can imply who may have lived there.
I imported a separate wall package I thought fit well with the medieval theme. The roof, however, I created by using cubes and adding a free texture to them.
Since there were windows, I added just enough trees and foliage so that it gave the illusion that the world existed outside of the house
For the interior, I wanted to make use of the smaller details that weren’t as prevalent in the open outdoors. I imported a free food package to create a large feast on the table, implying that there was an event happening before the great disappearance.
I also wanted to add various tools and items in the room, implying that whoever lived here may have been wealthy. I think this was my favorite part because I love filling in space and making each asset meaningful to the player
I used a skybox and directional light to test around with the lighting of the village. I took inspiration from Dark Souls as they have a bright sky for such a gloomy world. I also added a linear fog to a darker mood, and let the player know something may have gone wrong.
For the indoors, I added a spotlight above the found to make it look like the sun was shining through the grates. I wanted players to wonder if there is a reason behind the fountain being lit up like that. The torches and candles in the indoor room have an emission light, and the rest of the room is filled shadows made by the directional light outside. The yellow seen outside of the windows is the skybox.
To complete all the lighting for the build, I made sure to generate all the lighting and test for any odd bugs.
To combine both scenes, I created a script that would change the scenes when the player enters a trigger. The player also needs to be able to move around, so I created a PlayerMove script and also added a character controller component to my 3D capsule. Since the game is first person, I did not worry about making a player character.
I also quickly programmed a UI scene to start the game, just so the player is not immediately launched into the world, which can be jarring. I lastly programmed a sound manager for the game and was able to add music for the menu, the atmosphere, and the player’s steps.
I believe this project is what got me the most into level design. I LOVE environmental storytelling, and I want to create more worlds that do just that. I ended up doing a lot of environmental storytelling in my other project Jo’s Nightmare, and I'm currently working on a personal and team project to continue that passion!