I worked as the Lead Designer for this project managing three other designers and coordinating with programmers and artists. This gave me a great opportunity to work on my soft skills in communication, time management, and project management
Once of my main tasks was to design the first level for our game.
To view the full LDD, click the button below
Below is a video of the gameplay from Through Their Eyes.
In Through Their Eyes you take on the role an abandoned cat in a large city, left to fend for herself. The first level begins in a rooftop maintenance shed that the player leaves to find a more peaceful and natural home.
The level's focus was to teach the player the core mechanics of the game - movement, jumping, and Cat-Vision.
The Shed
The player must use the jumping mechanic to leave the shed by a space near the ceiling. The player can jump on many different surfaces and must use problem solving to reach the escape. I designed this space to be challenging enough for the player but ensuring that the risk factor was low enough that the player wasn't punished for a mistake.
The image opposite shows the different elements that the player can interact with, with number 10 being the original escape route. The design evolved as development progressed in the game but instead of updating the documentation for this level for every small change I decided to focus more on managing the other designers on the team.
The Rooftop
The second area of the first level introduces the player to greater city. The shed is a small enclosed area whereas on the rooftop the player can see far into the distance. The city is a towering area that is an intimidating area so having this rooftop allowed the player to adjust to the vastness of impending levels.
Again this area encourages the player to explore and use problem solving to figure out where to go next. Number 9 is where the player must reach before they can progress and trigger the title sequence.
The Fire Escape
The final area of level 1 is a fire escape. The player must jump between AC units and vents to make their way to the alley below. This area allows the player to practice jumping with precision. This will become very important in level 2 as there is more risk to those jumps and falls.
Below is a compilation of the three different routes that the player can take to reach the ground.
One of the more interesting mechanics in our game is the Cat-Vision. This mechanic was developed to make jumping and navigation easier for the player. When activated the player can see which surfaces are jumpable; the player can near hear directional audio sources; and a trail of particles is now visible which leads the player to their destination.
The voice talent of our game gave it a play too! As you can see by his reactions he loves it.
Thanks to owner Marianne Pritchard for filming Pierre whilst he played.