Wormhole
ROLE
Game/Level Designer & Project Manager
DESCRIPTION:
Wormhole is a fast-paced precision platformer. With the combination of a jump and dash, you'll leap across the landscape, avoiding portals and other hazards, on a journey across space in a race against time to save the world. The portals below will send you further back and erase your hard-earned progress, but those with a keen eye may be able to use some portals to their advantage...
YEAR
2022
GENRE
Precision Platformer, Adventure, Indie
PLATFORM
PC/Steam
Official Trailer
Gameplay Trailer
Level Design
Start to finish
My role in the creation of the game was both management and level design. Working closely with our artists, we created tile sets like the ones you see on the left and right. After placing invisible walls I was able to use these tile sets to cover and create terrain. Using them I made both the gameplay and visuals simultaneously. Making unique jumps that belong in the environments.
Level Showcase
As you jump through the game you find yourself in an ever-changing environment. From the luscious forest to cool ice. It was important that each biome would have its own identity. This meant that testing the game was going to be extremely important. We gathered about 100 playtesters and got them to play the demo. After they were asked to fill out a survey. As a team, we iterated on the platforms until playtests ran smoothly. Here are some screenshots from the game showing the results.
Character/Collection
Our artist created a character spreadsheet for each skin, with matching animations. The image directly below is a screenshot of one of our game menus, a place we named "The Collection". This is where players could change their character skins as they play and unlock them. There are also stats and dog tags to track player achievements. To unlock them players would have to find hidden walls where some of their fallen comrades reside.
Management
As we were an indie company we all had many hats to fill. Other than level design my other major role was managing the individuals on the team. I would be responsible for many different behind-the-scenes aspects of making the game. Outlining milestones as you can see on the right. Following Agile methodologies creating a clear roadmap, which includes daily standups and backlog grooming.
I ensured everyone on the team had clear goals and understood their tasks. Being a small team feedback between members was crucial. It was my job to make sure each person's voice was heard, and that the best decisions for the game were being made by facilitating bi-weekly 1 on 1's.
Game Run-through
On the right is one example of how I kept the team on track. I created a game run-through in which we could all see the most general aspects of the game. The team would work towards this plan with every change, making sure the game is in its optimal state.
