Lux - Level Design

Project Lux is a puzzle game revolving around the manipulation of light.  The initial level design was based around a large 'negative' Lighthouse.  The majority of the game was planned to be inside the lighthouse, however since the game employs various unique mechanics, I felt there needed to be a staged tutorial area which would introduce each basic mechanic one after the other.

It became clear mid way through the project that this tutorial area would, in fact, be the bulk of the game, much to my disappointment.  With an engine being created from scratch and being forced to use the legacy code of .x file format to export models and animations, the six week development time frame didn't afford much additional content.  I honestly believe, that if we had another months development time, the game could have been 10 times longer, due to the ground work being laid.

Below is the design for the tutorial area, which is currently the only area in the playable game.

(note: Many of these designs were drawn on A3, if parts are illegible click the image to few a larger version)

A substantial amount of additional level and puzzle design was done, some only early concepts, but others were planned out and effectively ready for implementation.

Below is the proposed 'Level 1' of the Lighthouse.  This would be the level that immediately follows the end of the Prototype demo.  It is designed as a hub level, with 3 subsection puzzles which would all need completing in order to progress to a higher level.

Here is an example of one of the branching subsection puzzle.

 

The Shadow Puzzle

One of my favourite designs of the project, also unfortunately not in the demo, is the shadow puzzle.  Shadow manipulation was a mechanic I was keen to include in the Light based game.

I probably spent more time on this one puzzle than all the others combined.  The development of it can be seen in these drawings.

                             

The current state is an elaborate, two stage, 'zelda esque' block puzzle.  Here's the mock up made in Max.

This room contains a mechanism on one wall connected to a closed door, but missing a cog.  In the center of the room is a recessed square containing various blocks with various shapes mounted on top of them.  A light is shining across the room onto the wall bearing the mechanism.  The player is represented by the green stick figure.  First, the player must push the blocks into the correct position blocking the light and creating a shadow of a cog in the mechanism when this is complete, the shadow come to life, rotating and moving the other cogs as if it were real.  This opens the door which reveals another close door behind it requiring two light receptors to be activated in order to open.  In front of the door is a white light shining down onto an empty prism holder.  Inscribed on the second door is a riddle:

"In seeing this, you are

but half way there.

Return to the chamber of shade now

Create what you need with light

and not shadow."

A symbol appears on the door below the riddle.  It is the symbolic representation of a light prism.  The player must return to the main chamber.  The light source which was cast against the mechanism is no longer active.  A new light source now casts against a bare wall.  The player must use the same block pieces to create a shadow outline of the prism object.  Once correctly aligned the symbol illuminates brightly and a prism rises from the ground on a platter.  The player must then pick up the prism and place it in the empty prism holder, splitting the white light into red, green and blue allowing the player to activate the receptors on the door, opening it and thus solving the puzzle.

This would only be the first stage of shadow puzzle, with the concept of 'physicalised' shadows opening a flood gate of interesting puzzle ideas.  Stay tuned, Lux development may have slowed but the determination a potential is still alive. :)

BACK TO TOP