The Hollow Bloom (WIP)
An exploratory project as a means for me to experiment with level design concepts and build a vertical slice.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The large walls, paired with the large central pillar, forces the player to look upwards towards the ceiling, creating a sense of smallness.
