Island of Echo and Time
Unravel a Fallen City in the Sky.
Level and System Design Focused Project
Project Pitch.
Experience Goals:
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Create an interactive device that impacts the level layout
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Design a puzzle mechanic incorporating symbols, colors, and sounds.
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Emphasize funs of exploring level space
At the end of the level, the player can rotate the tower by pushing this wheel. This allows the player to explore hidden areas and create quick backtrack to the star point
The core gameplay of this level is puzzle-solving based on memorizing sound and shape. The player will use bell game objects to unlock gates and paths.
After defeating the final boss and releasing the captured soul, the soul revives the crystal core, powering the whole island. This gives the player a sense of accomplishment and world impact.
At the end of the level, the player can rotate the tower by pushing this wheel. This allows the player to explore hidden areas and create quick backtrack to the star point
Key Responsibilities:
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Designed and built the level blockout
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Planned and scripted the player controller, AI behavior tree, and level interactive objects.
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Carried out the level lighting pass
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Directed and implemented level sequences for Wow moments
Project Information.
Island of Echo and Time is a linear level featuring sound-based solve puzzles that block the player’s way. The player will hear a mysterious and magical sound that asks for help. It is actually a princess’s soul captured in an enchanted gem. The player’s mission is to release the captured soul by smashing down all the enemies guarding the gem.
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This level emphasizes exploration, sound-based puzzle-solving, and using puzzle elements mechanics to assist combat. Narrative-wise, the level would include a limited amount of direct storytelling with massive indirect storytelling. These narrative pieces will eventually allow the player to come up with his/her interpretation of the space island’s backstory.
Engine: Unreal 5
Play in: Unreal Executable
Work Time: Feb 4, 2025 - April 1, 2025
Team Size: Individual
Play Time: 15 - 25 minutes
Features:
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Sound-based puzzles
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A sandbox level with dynamic layout emphasizing exploration
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Wow moments incorporating narrative
Design Process.
This is the level map I created in the preproduction stage. My initial idea came from when I was staring at my watch dial. I created a level layout with two bridges symbolizing hour and minute hands.
The whitebox milestone is divided into several iterations. In this iteration, I blocked out the level with BSP and polygons to quickly test out the level scale.
In this final pass in the Whitebox milestone, I implemented level objects, combats, level sequences, and lights to the level to make it fully playable. I also carried out the surround world to enhance the immersive experience.
This is the level map I created in the preproduction stage. My initial idea came from when I was staring at my watch dial. I created a level layout with two bridges symbolizing hour and minute hands.
#1 Landmark & Weenie.
Giant landmark & weenie giving the player clear objectives
The giant landmark is highly visible anywhere in most spots in the level.
Island Core - The Island of Echo and Time was powered by a magical crystal core in the center of the level. This crystal is covered by a lofty tree. The player can use it as a landmark for navigation at every spot in the level.
Weenies helping the player navigate in the level
Small Weenies - I also designed several weenies along the critical path to further help players find their position in the level. They include:
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Chapel Ruins
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Great Library
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Collapsed Castle Wall
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Dial Tower
#2 Engaging Level Beats.
Fluctuating level beats keeps pushing the player forward.
Beat sheet - In the pre-production stage, I created this beat sheet to help me visualize my beat plan. Referring to what God of War and Elden Ring did, I designed a boss fight as the level's first beat. Moreover, referring to the three-act narrative structure, I assigned two climaxes for the level ending.
In the middle part, I alternated the following level events to keep the player engaging in the level beats:
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Grab hook traversal challenges (This is a design challenge my stakeholder gave me in an iteration pass)
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Combat
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Puzzles
Pinching pillars at the start point to highlight the landmark.
Conveyances - To maintain the player's objective, I strategically implemented the following conveyances in the level to highlight elements that the player should pay attention to:
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Pinching
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Frraming
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Foreshadowing
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Light Contrasting
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Leading Line
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Breadcrumb
#3 Wowments & Gameplay.
Manipulate layout to unlock exploration changes.
Cutscene 1: Activating the hour-hand bridge
Player Impact - Impact on the game world is an essential element that gives the player a sense of progression. I designed and implemented two cinematic cutscenes by level sequences to deliver the player a strong sense of success.
Rotating the minute hand bridge to get access to exploration areas
Pivot Device - Inspired by the Shores of Nine in God of War 2018, I designed a similar giant device allowing the player to unlock a quick shortcut for backtracking to the start point and extra exploration chances.
Echo Bells provides puzzle-solving based on sound and shape experiences.
Gameplay Objects - To allow the player to have diverse level experience, I designed and scripted two gameplay objects with experience purposes:
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Echo Bells for puzzle-solving based on sound and shape.
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Grabhook bars for grabhook locomotive challenges.
Postmortem.
What Went Well?
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Beat sheets
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The beat sheet I made in preproduction helped me a lot with planning the level pacing, especially the three-act narrative structure.
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Level Pivot and Ideation
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The idea of the level layout came from my watch dial. I took it as the design pivot of this level.​​
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Wow moments
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I successfully created a playable wheel, allowing the player to to fit the desire for exploration.
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The two cutscenes do a good job of giving a sense of narrative, achievement, and progression.
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What Went
Wrong?
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Optional Paths
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I cut several optional traversal paths because they messed up the player's direction and made the pacing off.
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I initially included a few looping structures to give the player more excitement in exploring the game world. Still, they messed up the player's direction.
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Boss fights
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I ran out of time to implement the boss fight mechanics and boss fight arena structures.
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The boss fight arena feels less structured.
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What I
Learned?
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Alternative sprinting and walking while measuring the level scale
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Only walking while testing the level scale results in a busy level space. On the other hand, too much sprinting results in an over-scale level of space.
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Teaching tools before introducing puzzles
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The playtesters commented that my puzzle would be good if they got the idea and logic. I solved this issue by teaching the player that they can use the puzzle tool as the switch for other game objects.
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Gallery.
