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Unity

CONTEXT & FRAMEWORK

Game Overview

This game is a 3D single-player platformer with a third-person perspective, where you play as a flying squirrel, the hero of the adventure. It is primarily inspired by Spyro and It Takes Two.

The Pitch

"Play as a cunning flying squirrel who, while searching for food in the forest, finds himself trapped in the enormous lair of a taxidermist Ogre. To survive and escape, you must master both agility and intellect, navigating treacherous environments and outsmarting your captor."

Walkthrough " Dans La Peau D'un Polatouche"

GAMEPLAY MECHANICS

Action-Platformer

The character, a small flying squirrel, uses abilities like gliding, climbing, jumping, and sprinting to escape the giant ogre's house. Levels feature obstacles and challenges that exploit these abilities for navigation and escape.

"Alkatraz" ,The remnants of a destroyed cage

As the character evolved throughout the project, my greatest challenge was to continuously adapt the levels to align with the character's development.

DEVELOPMENT INSIGHTS

1.Tools

Throughout this journey, I utilized various tools to communicate my ideas and collaborate with my colleagues:

Miro was particularly useful for consolidating all our references and exchanging viewpoints.

Miro - Brainstorming

It was essential to create a possibility matrix that analyzed all the potential verb combinations in the game.

Possibility Matrix

This allowed me to sketch out numerous drafts, design various scenarios, assess the difficulty of executing mechanics, and gain an overview of the overall flow, which later helped me to refine the gameplay and enhance the level design.

Layout "Push Flow"

Level Sketching

2.References

I researched how different games utilize dynamic level design and mobility mechanics to enhance gameplay and exploration.

First version of the moodboard for the Level Design section

SPYRO was an obvious reference during my research, as its mobility and exploration mechanics perfectly aligned with the vision for my game.

Spyro, Reignited Trilogy

IT TAKES TWO was a natural choice as a reference due to its innovative use of dynamic level design, which strongly influenced the direction of my game.

It Takes Two

3.Project Progression

The project underwent numerous major changes, so I had to adapt and completely redesign the levels.

This graph provided a visual representation of the mechanical intensity throughout the level as the player progressed. This greatly helped us shape the final version of the game.

Mechanical Intensity Graph

"As the player advanced, the ogre's threat became more palpable, the game took on more of a runner style, the player gained more skill, and consequently, the difficulty increased.

"To create engaging levels, I searched for inspiration everywhere—everywhere! I look at an image, then I put myself in the shoes of the Little Polatouche and imagine exploring the place or object depicted in the image."

To create engaging levels, I sought inspiration everywhere. I examine an image and then imagine the Little Polatouche exploring the place or object in it.

Then, I sketch over the images to get a concrete idea of the design...Everything around us can represent a real challenge for such a small being.

Blockout of The Giant Snake V2

4. Player Skill Progression

To equip the player with all the necessary skills and challenges, the game introduces a progression from basic abilities to complex interactions, culminating in a thrilling escape from a giant ogre.

Blockout of The Giant Snake v1

Early Gameplay: The character, a small flying squirrel, quickly learns to sprint, glide, jump, and climb.

Intermediate Challenges: The player must then quickly chain multiple jumps and glides.

Advanced Skills: The character learns to dodge obstacles.

Giant Ogre Mechanic: Later, the player faces a giant ogre who, by hammering ore in his forge, makes the player jump twice as high. The player must adapt to avoid falling in the attic area.

Final Challenge: After overcoming this, the player must combine all skills to escape from the ogre during a fast-paced chase. The game concludes at this point.

Design Breackdown of the Tutorial "Dans La Peau D'un Polatouche"

GUIDED NAVIGATION

1. Visual Design and Player Perspective

I structured the visuals to guide the player. The ivy serves as a natural guide, with its vibrant color drawing attention and directing movement.

Screenshot_3_SAIS_Ou_IL_Va_Attérir_Et_Ce_QUIVADEVOIRFAIREPOUR.png

The Tutorial

Additionally, fireflies act as collectibles, providing breadcrumbing while challenging the player to explore and push their limits.

An earlier version of the table blockout

For each major plan, it was necessary to consider the player's perspective. I employed vanishing points to naturally guide the player's view and movement through the environment.

2. Lighting

Color temperature set the mood: the tutorial features a cold atmosphere with broken cages, while the later phase is colorful and inviting with abundant vegetation and diffused sunlight.