A Greybox Version of One of Our Minigames: "The Back".
Greetings Everyone! This is Brooke, here to talk to you about Level Design!
Despite being something that might not immediately come to mind when discussing the strengths of a video game, Level Design is an integral part of the gaming experience.
Very Early Sketch of the Main Grocery Store Level's Interior.
Starting off, we create concept drawings of what the level might look like. How will players walk through the space? What can they interact with? It's in this stage that we start to breathe a bit of life into our game by considering how a human might interact with it.
An Early Greybox of "The Back" with Sketched Concepting
Next, levels are put through what is know as greyboxing, where the general idea of the level is laid out so that we can playtest in the scene and figure out what is working and what isn't. This stage also allows us to see if the layout is fun on its own, or if it needs to be reworked. A good layout doesn't need much in it to be successful.
The Break Room, Where Final Models Have Begun to be Placed.
The next stage is when we begin to build the real version of the level with finalized assets. It's where it all comes together, and at this point there are typically only minor tweaks. For us, this stage is still ongoing but making steady progress!
Footage of Playtesting the Main Store Interior.
In the end, the most important aspect for us to remember is: Is it fun? When designing this game, it's something we always want to consider. It is our job to create a space where funny and wacky scenarios can happen. If we can give our players the tools to have an enjoyable time, our level design will be truly successful.
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