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Hidden Room
Advanture - Puzzling levels



Role : Level Design

Tech Detail:  Unreal Engine, C++, Blueprint, Blender

Timeframe : 1 Months, December 2022
Overview

If stuck in a looping room, would you listen to the game’s instructions?
A self-contained level using an optical illusion to generate a looping room effect.




Main Concept





The level creates a set of inter-connected hallways which are slightly varied in elevation such that players would be walking up/downstairs without acknowleding the fact.



To create the illusion that the floors are flat, an optical trick is used.


Floor slightly elevated at end
Floor slightly declined at end

For floors going upstairs, the walls are push each other further apart, such that the end of corridor would appear closer than it really is to counter the optical effect of a inclining hallway.
For floor going downstairs, the walls are closer together at the end to make the end appear further than it really is.








Interaction Mechanics 








 

  • Lamp as an indication of player position and directionality.
  • When player touches lamp, it will be on for 30 seconds, with an indication of ticking sounds.
  • Temporary activation -> Temporary knowledge of location
  • Lamps are placed on the corners of the rooms for the player to reference the floor they currently occupies and can inform the players whether they are circulating on the same floor



Map 





Front

Back


Normal Floor Scheme




Reversed Floor Scheme


The level intend to use player’s known knowledge build up in the game as a puzzle.

  • Top three floors are all following the same order: the outer two routes(1 and 4) are connected and forms a loop while the middle two routes(2 and 3) will take players to the upper(left route)/lower(right route).
  • The situation changes on the fourth floor where the previous relation is inversed. Now using the middle two routes (2 and 3) will only take player in circle on the same floor.






Objectives



The level ends with the player finding an exit to the 3D maze. The player will discover two exits that have similar routes to get to. The exists will lead to two endings.
  • Ending 1: the player will drop from the roof to the ground when walked out the exit and restart the game. 
  • Ending 2: the player will find themselves on the roof and get an overview of the map then successfully escape from the maze.

In both endings player will step on an elevator after entering the ending routes:


Ending1

Ending 2