Type: Solo
Project Length: 1 Month
Skills:
Tools:
What was the goal?
Using a 2D platformer kit in Unity, we were tasked to create a platformer that was around 10 minutes in playtime and effectively taught, tested, and challenged the player with the mechanics.
What was the output?
The construction of the map was entirely tileset based, and it allowed for easy design iteration. I created a fairly linear map, akin to an early 2D Mario level, where the player is simply tasked with going right until they reach their goal. Along the way, the player encounters enemies, moving platforms, and of course, pineapples to collect!
I iterated a lot through playtesting sessions, and while nothing with the mechanics especially changes, I increased the difficulty of them over time based on how I saw testers react. At the start, the player will be rather safely traversing over moving platforms with enemies and pineapples over solid ground. By the end of the map, the player is barely on any solid ground and is platforming their way over moving platforms with enemies on top, challenged with collecting pineapples in much more difficult locations.
Takeaways
This was a fun exercise in level design! It also taught me a lot about playtesting and utilizing feedback to iterate on designs. Thanks to the map being created entirely with tilesets, I was able to do multiple iterations easily and settled on a level many players found both challenging and enjoyable.
