Lost Frequency
GOALS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Create a complete game in 10 weeks with the theme ''The spectacle''. Done in the context of the Ubisoft 2019 Gamelab.
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10 minutes of gameplay as lifespan
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Total of 22 levels
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Work as Level Designer and Game Designer
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Accessible
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Balanced difficulty curve
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Add Twitch to the core experience as a technical challenge
RESUME:
Musical/action game where the player has to perform actions on the beat. The design revolves around the Synth Wave aesthetic of the 80s
DESIGN FOCUS ON:
- Navigation -
- Flow & Pacing -
- Tutorial -
- Player's timing -
- Positioning of the player -
ONE MECANIC, MULTIPLES EFFECTS:
By restricting the game to a single mechanic, it gives emphasis and forcing the mastery of the game, and reinforces the impact it gives to the player
BY DASHING ON RYTHM, THE PLAYER CAN...
BECOME INVINCIBLE...
...In order to pass through pits and obstacles
COLLECTING GROOVE...
...And so complete the levels
DESTROY ENNEMIES...
...In order to accumulate a phenomenal score to impress everyone!
HOW DO WE LEARN?
TUTORIAL
Step 1
Step 2
Establishment of the visual universe for the player
Obligation to succeed 4 consecutive dash in order to open the door to the next zone
Step 3
Establishment of a dash functionality: Pass over the pits delimited by the purple bands
Step 4
Distance exercise with the dash and blinking walls, ending on the next mechanic, the groove
Step 5
Appearance of the groove: With the dash, the player must collect the groove to open the door to the next level
Step 6
First appearance of enemies; The player goes into their fire to understand that the dash makes him invincible
WHY THIS RESULT?
- To be core to the mechanics of the dash, the whole tutorial had to require you to be on the beat
- Accessible (Had to be simple and interventionist for those who are not used to rhythm games)
- Garish colors to have a clear readability with the speed of the dash
- Make navigation easier
- Less frustrating (Dashs weren't unlimited before)
BEFORE
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AFTER
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CHALLENGES
1. Objective, the reason to move forward
- The players were trying to escape at all costs by rushing through the door
- Despite the constant overlay requiring 4 consecutive dashs, the players did not take into account their succession of dashs
Solution
Despite the large room, the players were glued to the door. By putting a successive dash counter made by the player above the door, it allowed to see the count and to accustom the player to the groove later.
2. Navigation and game handling
- Frequent and repetitive falls (frustrating)
- Some difficulty to correctly targeting enemies
Solution
- Wider platforms
- Addition of an autoguiding system with a 15 degree clearance
- Placement of enemies and groove on narrower platforms in order to have better control (Attacking an enemy stop the player at the position of his last impact)
- Adding an arrow to the circle around the character
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3. Impact of player and spectator on the game
- Special attack that completely changes the vision of the levels (Remove any difficulty)
- Make interesting in various levels a mechanic which requires constantly pressing the same button
Solution
- Level creation that does not favor special attack; like level 15 and 16 which play on the difficult access of certain platforms (By walls or a lot of pits)
- Create the levels so that the player can collect the groove without ever stopping with several different paths
- Placement of enemies and groove nearby in order to favor the visual impact of the player on the dash and to favor certain levels with the special attack and the feeling of power
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LEVEL 8
- Last level of tutorial
- Introduction of the special attack (In 3 steps)
- 1st step: Force the player to call the players and trigger the Twitch app
- 2nd step: Give the spectators time to play on the app and for the player to accumulate the energy of the special attack with a small level
- 3rd step: The proximity of enemies and groove is close enough to allow better control
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- 3rd step: The proximity of enemies and groove is close enough to allow better control
LEVEL 15
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Changing the level style for long and narrow level
- Create the illusion of difficulty with a lot of narrow platform
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LEVEL 16
- Changing level style, several small arenas separated from each
- Small central platform with sources of healing for the player
- Renewal of a first concept of the game map
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- Resumption of a rejected concept from a general game map
- Rejected for being to hard and creating an unfair difficulty curve despite for some and too slow for others
- Rejected for moments of inaction, exploration and frustrating backtracking
- Too short (Requirement of 10 minutes minimum of play)
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LEVEL 17
- Increased difficulty with the introduction of homing turret
- Transition point between medium to high difficulty
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LEVEL 21
- Introduction of the idea of a 'bullet hell' in the first section (Ideal for special attack)
- Few safe areas. Forces the player to always move
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- Typical example of illusion of difficulty: Enought space to pass, but the player is surrounded by enemy fire
- In reality, the difficulty of the game comes from the positioning of the player. This is why the more the game progresses, the less safe places are present
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LEVEL 23
- Intention to create a 'bullet hell' inspired by Japanese Shump.
- Final level of the game
- Cannot be completed entirely with the special attack
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EXAMPLE OF A BULLET HELL
Mushihimesama HD
ADDITIONAL GALLERY
INSPIRATIONS
In the examples above, all have in common that the performance of the player depends on his positioning. If a player is not aware of his surroundings and does not pay attention to his position, he risks losing quickly.