TEMPLE OF YUCAHÚ

// BLOCKMESH + GAMEPLAY SCRIPTING

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WALKTHROUGH VIDEO

OVERVIEW

PROJECT DETAILS

INTRODUCTION

Temple of Yucahú is a solo blockmesh project I worked on using Unreal Engine 5 during my time at Full Sail University. Throughout my design process, I took inspiration from the dungeon design in The Legend of Zelda series and the puzzle design in Portal 2. I incorporated these elements into a third-person adventure-style level where the player must use the level mechanic for puzzle-solving, exploration, and traversal.

GOAL

Prototype one main level mechanic and blockmesh a level with a linear progression that will utilize the mechanic, following the IPM Model (Introduce, Practice, Master). The level mechanic must be used to explore and solve environmental puzzles.

BREAKDOWN

Engine: Unreal Engine 5
Language: Blueprints
Version Control: Perforce
Duration: 4 Weeks
Team Size: 1

DESIGN PROCESS

RESEARCH & PLANING

I started by designing and establishing how the level mechanic would synergize with my future level. I wanted something simple but expandable that could be used primarily for puzzle-solving, as well as traversal and exploration. I researched games from the Uncharted and Tomb Raider series for inspiration on exploratory spaces and level puzzles. After some brainstorming, I came up with a statue with rotating arms, where the hands act as platforms that the player can stand on.

SKETCHES

I sketched out my ideas for how the statue could work and what kind of puzzles I would be able to create with it. Specifically, the elevation and orientation of the hands. At this stage, I also thought about having a rotating body independent from the hands. This would allow me to create areas around the statue that can only be reached by rotating and positioning the statue in certain ways.

STORYBOARD

My initial idea was for the player to interact with an actor that would serve as the activator. Once activated, the statue would rotate its arms in a certain way. The hands then act as platforms that the player can use to cross gaps, avoid hazards, find secrets, or get to otherwise unreachable areas.

While working on the sketches, I used lava as a potential hazard. This combination sparked an idea about creating a level where the player must make use of a giant statue to navigate a dungeon and access different rooms over lava. After some more brainstorming, the idea of having a temple inside a volcano seemed cool. So I decided to set my level on a tropical island. This way, I could use a tropical jungle environment for introducing the mechanic and have a lava temple as the mastery action block.

MOOD BOARD

PROTOTYPING

With my sketches and mood board set, I began prototyping the main statue mechanic. I made 3 variations of the main mechanic: Base Statue (2 Arms, 1 Body, 2 Levers), Base Statue Variation (2 Arms, 1 Body, 3 Levers), and Giant Multi-Layered Statue (4 Arms, 2 Bodies, 2 Levers). I also created 3 secondary mechanics for platforming over lava to complement my statues. Then, I built a quick example level to test my mechanic. Here is a short video showing everything I did during the prototyping phase.

LEVEL PACING FLOWCHART

After prototyping the main statue mechanic and using my mood board, I started designing the pacing for how I wanted the level to flow. I made sure to incorporate gates and valves on each action block. For example, making sure that the player cannot leave the introduction action block until they successfully interact and conquer the mechanic. I also started establishing areas where the mechanic itself would work as a lock and key; manipulating the statues in specific ways to complete areas.

Additionally, I identified areas where potential events could exist. At this stage, I was mostly thinking about level sequences for completing important things in the level. I also tried to imagine the environment in each area and gave them basic descriptions based on the image references from the mood board.

TOP-DOWN MAP LAYOUT

This was the first complete layout I designed for the level. The numbers represent the order of the main path the player must take to complete the level.

Initially, I wanted the player to travel from a beach onto a valley where they would encounter 1 statue for the first time. Then, they would reach a lava river where they would need to manipulate 2-3 statues to find a path to cross and open the door into the temple.

Entering the temple door leads to the inside of a volcano with 1 giant statue in the middle. The temple's walkable platforms would be around the walls of the volcano and the player must configure the giant statue to cross the lava and reach different rooms in the dungeon.

Using the initial example level I made during my prototyping phase I completed the level start and introduction action block. However, after a quick playtest, I realized that having 3 statues with multiple branching paths in the practice action block was not only going a significant jump in difficulty for the player but also time-consuming for me as a designer with a time limit.

So I went back and redesigned a smaller practice action block with only 2 statues and 1 main branching path. At this point, I also decided to NOT use the variation of the statue that required 3 levers instead of 2.

I figured that having a third lever would make the puzzle more complicated. At the same time, I have not given the player enough practice with just 2 levers. So I kept the original 2-lever statue and instead had 2 statues rotating in opposite directions.

I also took the time to rework the temple layout; having the giant statue be the centerpiece of the dungeon and designing the paths and rooms around it.

I decided to have the giant statue rise from the lava after finding an activator; allowing the player to access the second floor of the dungeon.

BLOCKMESH & DESIGN TECHNIQUES

The level is designed around the previously mentioned IPM Model (Introduce, Practice, Master). This is the level sequence:

Level Start (Tropical Beach, Jungle Path, Rock Climbing)
Introduce (Small Jungle Valley, Ocean Cliffside, 1 Statue)
Transition 1 (Overgrown Cave)
Practice (Medium Jungle Valley, Lava River Platforming, 2 Statues)
Transition 2 (Temple Entrance)
Master (Temple Inside Volcano, Puzzle Solving, 1 Giant Statue)
Level End (Jungle Garden)

LEVEL START

The level begins on a beach shore with a path leading into the island's jungle. The beach is an open space while the jungle path is more narrow. The arc-shaped structures create guiding lines to funnel the player into going forward. Additionally, the distinct shapes and colors of the structures make them stand out from the rest of the environment; promoting curiosity and foreshadowing the temple.

Introducing ledge climbing.

Framing the first statue.

A valve prevents the player from going back.

INTRODUCE

The player is presented with the main mechanic for the first time. From this position, the player can see multiple inaccessible paths and a cave opening in the top-right of the screen. I used a unique shape for the opening and lighting coming from the inside to call the attention of the player and suggest a short-term goal. To reach it, the player must interact with the statue and understand how it works. This area will teach the player that statues are used as environmental puzzles and traversal.

This section requires the player to perform a max-range jump. I use the planks to create leading lines; leading the player to practice their jump timing while reassuring them that they are on the correct path.

From this POV, the player can also spot a secondary path they cannot reach yet; encouraging curiosity and exploration. To reach this alternate path, the player must utilize the statue.

If the player finds a way to reach it, they will presented with a collectible. The collectible is framed, showing that it cannot be reached easily.

The player must conquer a more difficult climbing section to reach it. This becomes a new secondary goal; a test that rewards exploration and execution.

TRANSITION 1

An overgrown cave with more structures and lit by torches. I wanted to enclose the player before revealing the entrance to the temple. Up to this point, the player has seen structures with the same colors without knowing what they are or who made them. In terms of storytelling and environment art, this is where I would add props that show the story of the place.

PRACTICE

The player is presented with 2 statues over a small pond of lava, and on the other side, is the entrance to the temple. The player cannot reach the temple's entrance without interacting with the statues and figuring out the correct configurations. In this action block, the entrance itself is a gate the player must find a way to open.The figure on top of the entrance serves as a small-scale landmark. For this level, while it cannot be seen from all areas, its purpose here is to 'wow' the player, call their attention, and reinforce the main goal of the level.In terms of storytelling, the player may infer that the temple's figure represents Yucahú themselves. The 'petal shapes' around the temple's figure match those around the doorways; this is to draw a direct connection from the environment to the temple itself. I also used the torches in front of the doorways to lead the player from afar to different paths.

The environment, structures, and player goals are based on a fictional interpretation of the real Taíno religion from my homeland, Puerto Rico. 'Yucahú', is a reference to Yocahú-Bagua-Maorocoti, the god of yucca that the Taíno people believed in. The doorways and the figure above the temple are based on the Taíno sun.

Observant players will spot a distinct flower bush covering a small cave entrance with light emitting from the inside. The player can choose to pursue the flower bush, enter the door behind them, or interact with the lever to reach the temple's entrance.

The temple's entrance is locked and must be opened with a switch NOT found in this area. If the player reaches this area prematurely, they must go back and find a way to open it. I used the environment to create guiding lines to show the returning path.

Entering the door will lead to a platforming section. This section introduces a new secondary mechanic, the moving platform.

After completing this section, the player will find the switch. Stepping on it will play a level sequence showing the temple's door opening.

TRANSITION 2

A tunnel that leads inside the volcano. The player must jump across a gap over lava. Additionally, the gap becomes a valve after crossing; locking the player from stepping outside the temple.

MASTER

Inside the temple, the player is presented with an overview of the area from a high angle. To the left, is a door that can only be opened from one side. To the right, is a locked door that requires a key collectible to open. Across the lava, is a giant statue and other unreachable areas and floors.

The temple's layout is designed around the current direction in which the statue's body rotates. Activating the lever will rotate the statue's body clockwise, allowing the player to cross the lava and reach the leftmost room.

This room presents the player with a framed Emerald collectible that is inaccessible from this position. The player is then introduced to a new secondary mechanic, the sinking platforms.

After crossing the sinking platforms, the player will drop down a small valve and find the Pink Emerald collectible, which also acts as the key to open the locked door that leads into the tomb room.

The tomb room depicts a petroglyph of the giant statue in its raised state; foreshadowing the progression of the level.

Behind the petroglyph is a hidden switch that activates a level sequence showing the giant statue being raised.

In its raised state, the giant statue has 2 bodies. The top body rotates clockwise (same as before) and the bottom body rotates counter-clockwise.

From the tomb room, the player is challenged with platforming using the sinking platforms. The path to the left is short and leads to the exit. The one around the pillar is longer but contains a hidden collectible; rewarding those who take the harder challenge.

Exiting this room leads the player back into the central room. This position has 2 levers that the player must interact with to configure the giant statue and reach the backside of the temple.

If the player reaches the 2 levers in the central room without raising the giant statue, the statue will rotate clockwise and drop the player back to the temple's entrance. This path becomes a loop until the statue is raised.

The backside has a room that introduces a new secondary mechanic, the geyser platforms. These platforms animate up to a maximum height and have specified delay timers.

The player must traverse some platforming challenges using the geyser platforms to reach the second floor. Additionally, the player can find the framed Emerald that was visible from the previous bottom floor.

The player is dropped back into the central room, but this time from the top floor. The player gets a complete overview of the whole temple. From this POV, the player may spot an Emerald collectible located on the middle platform of the giant statue. Its location suggests that, just like in the introduce action block, the statues can be used to find secrets.The player can then choose to interact with the levers to find a way to reach the collectible or continue the main path by finding a way to cross to the altar room on the other side.

The altar room holds the Heart of Yucahú, the main goal of the level.

The player is asked to interact with the giant statue one last time before using the Heart of Yucahú to open the last door to exit the temple.

LEVEL END

The player exits the temple through a back tunnel leading back outside into the jungle. This area is a garden that is part of the temple's structure and serves as a relief point for the player.

POSTMORTEM

WHAT WENT RIGHT +

I've always wanted to design a Zelda-inspired dungeon level. While this project was not meant to be it, I was able to incorporate some of the dungeon design philosophies from the Zelda series into my level. I am a fan of Zelda games and I do know a lot from just playing the games, but I also took time to research the level design of some of Zelda's best and worst dungeons.

LEVEL DESIGN

I utilized noclip.website, a digital museum of video game levels. This website allows you to view video game levels directly from your browser.

I used this to examine some of Zelda's dungeons to analyze their level designs. For this project, I took a lot of inspiration from the Earth Temple from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

I also watched the entire Dungeon Design in Zelda YouTube series from CaptBurgerson. In this series, CaptBurguerson goes over each dungeon in every Zelda game, talking about the design itself, dungeon-specific mechanics, level routing, and other topics. He explains why certain things work and others don't. I am very proud of what I created and his series was a big help when designing the temple for my level.

LEVEL MECHANIC

When it comes to the design of my level mechanic, I wanted its impact to be felt throughout each area the mechanic was in. For this, I researched the Uncharted and Tomb Raider series.

The initial idea of a statue with rotating arms came from the giant Shiva statue puzzle found in Chapter 7 of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.

The idea of having a giant statue in the middle of the volcano and designing the temple around it came directly from how Zelda games utilize a central room or dungeon mechanic that manipulates the navigation of the dungeon. I learned this from CaptBurgerson's series. I highly recommend giving it a watch.

A good example is the spinning staircase in the central room of Lakebed Temple from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

LEARNINGS & EXPERIENCE

While working on this project, I exercised the process of designing a level from idea to blockmesh while following a creative vision and adapting to stay within established design constraints. I also practiced using sound as audio feedback for the player when interacting with specific actors.

Additionally, I learned and worked on scripting blueprint communication through event dispatchers, animation using timelines, and cutscenes using level sequences.

WHAT WENT WRONG -

Like any other designer, I had some challenges and wasn't able to overcome all of them. In most cases, I often had to step back and adapt my designs. I believe my biggest enemies were time and my own ambition.

CUT CONTENT

While working on the practice action block, I realized that my original design for branching paths might've been a bit too ambitious for the amount of time that I had. I didn't want to rush an area and end up with something mediocre. At this point, I had yet to begin working on the volcano area, let alone the temple itself.From the beginning, I really wanted to design a big temple structure with multiple floors and I didn't want to cut content from it. So after a bit of brainstorming, I decided to trim down the branching paths from the introduce and practice action blocks. This way, I could accelerate the process of finishing the first action blocks and spend the rest of my time focused on creating the temple.

Originally, this door was meant to be locked and required a Blue Emerald to open. The emerald was only obtainable if the player found the secret area during the introduce action block.

This path was meant to be a platforming section through a jungle trail and a mountain cliff. It would've been a harder version of the cliffside platforming section where the Blue Emerald was originally found.

In terms of storytelling, the player would've been rewarded with a different type of collectible regarding the story of the level. I also wanted to include structures that suggested a connection to the temple. In the end, this optional path proved to be out of scope and was ultimately cut from the level.

Similarly, the backside of the temple was planned to include a locked door to the right that would require all 7 Emeralds to open.

This optional path was meant to include a longer and harder platforming section with all 3 versions of the lava platform secondary mechanics. However, this was not part of my original level flowchart, so it didn't hurt to cut it.

Another optional path that had to be cut was around the 'in-between-floors' of the temple. In my original sketch, I wanted to include an optional path to cross from one side of the temple to the other.

This path would've been accessed by dropping down to the same level as the ring in the middle of the statue from a secret opening. The path would've allowed the player to access the ring with ease and reach the other side without manipulating the giant statue.

IMAGINATION VS REFERENCES

After I finished the blockmesh, I went back to look for things I might've missed and to run some playtests. During this time I noticed that the cliffside secret area was significantly smaller than the rest of the level. Especially in comparison with the openness and platforming inside the temple.

When I started the blockmesh, I was feeling a bit nervous and had not found my own workflow. I was still trying to make sense of my idea and my blockmesh process was slow.

By the time I reached the temple, I had a better idea of the space and I was editing my blockmeshes significantly faster than at the beginning of the month. However, due to limited time, I wasn't able to rework this area without making significant layout changes.

In retrospect, I think that a big reason why this area turned out small and weird is due to my lack of references for this specific area. Looking at my mood board, I had references for the jungle and the temple, but I never added cliffside references. I realize now that I built this area out of imagination and memory alone, which is a mistake. However, seeing the impact that references have in a blockmesh is a lesson that I can learn from. Comparing this cliffside section to my other well-researched areas, I can see where the flaws are. Now, I have a better understanding of the importance of planning and research before the blockmesh.

CONCLUSION

This was one of the most fun projects I've worked on alone. I am happy with what I created in such a short amount of time and, while not perfect, I learned a lot through it. I practiced my blockmesh skills while following a specific creative vision with various project limitations. I fulfilled my vision of a temple inside a volcano through careful research and planning, incorporated elements of my Puerto Rican culture into the level's story and environment, and applied level design techniques into the blockmesh to create structure and pacing. From idea to reality, the design process of this level was a great learning experience and I enjoyed every second of it.

THANK YOU FOR READING!

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