The Hollow Bloom (WIP)
An exploratory project as a means for me to experiment with level design concepts and build a vertical slice.
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In this project, my goal is to communicate a story through the environment and visuals.
Planning
The story I want to communicate in this vertical slice is the transition from Reverance, to Melancholy, to Grief, to Longing and -- finally -- to Peace. I will do this by creating seperate spaces for each emotion, with transition phases in between.
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I do this by mapping out the emotions in a visual chart and asking follow-up questions to help guide the design of the level.
Papermaps are the next step. Here is the example of the first area: Reverance.
For this room, the goal is to convey to the player that this is a sacred place. This will be communicated with the symmetry of the room, the large walls, and the large pillar in the center of the room.
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The symmetry is broken only by a large tree having broken through one of the windows. This also acts as a barrier to force the player to take another route to the exit.
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The player is guided to the exit around the room by light which enters through the south windows and is angled to the west of the room.
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The large walls, paired with the large central pillar, forces the player to look upwards towards the ceiling, creating a sense of smallness.
