Level & Design Philosophy
One of the core design philosophies of this project was to gradually teach the player new skills and encourage them to use those skills in combination. Each mechanic is introduced in a controlled context, then reinforced and expanded on through later challenges.
I wanted players to feel excited to explore and make meaningful choices in how they move through the level. Whenever there is a clear way forward, there is usually an alternative route available. All paths ultimately lead to the same goal, but they vary in difficulty and focus.
This approach was inspired by classic Mario-level design, where a single level can offer multiple routes with different challenges. One path may emphasize more demanding platforming, while another focuses on tougher combat encounters.
Exploration is actively rewarded through optional pickups such as bonus health and additional gold, reinforcing curiosity without blocking progression.
Each level is designed to present a new problem, then allow the player to hone that skill over time as difficulty gradually escalates. The overall experience focuses on a balance between platforming and combat, with progression built around increasing challenge rather than sudden difficulty spikes.
Level Design
I focused on encouraging exploration while guiding players forward through the use of pickups, enemy placement, and platforms that foreshadow the intended path. Levels were designed to clearly communicate progression while still allowing players to discover alternative routes. Core platforming mechanics such as dashing, wall sliding, and jumping were introduced and combined to unlock new areas and traversal options.
To ensure engaging gameplay, I balanced the different routes so they offered comparable overall challenge while emphasizing different playstyles. One path might focus more on platforming, another on combat, while a third combines both.
All paths ultimately merge, supporting replayability and encouraging players to return to explore missed routes, collect additional coins, or defeat enemies to obtain bonus items such as health pickups and gold.
Throughout development, I continuously evaluated player flow, sightlines, and spatial readability to ensure players could quickly understand their options while still feeling free to experiment. This was validated through playtesting with players of varying experience levels, allowing adjustments to be made based on real player behavior rather than assumptions.
Game Design
The goal of this project was to create an experience that is approachable for new players while still offering depth and satisfaction for more experienced ones. To achieve this, I designed levels using a Mario-inspired design approach, where each level offers two to three distinct paths with varying difficulty and focus.
One path typically emphasizes more intense combat and precise platforming, while the main route offers a more accessible way forward. Mechanics were designed to be easy to understand but difficult to master. For example, the dagger throw is simple to use but requires precision to hit consistently, while melee combat was tuned with more forgiving enemy collision to feel intuitive rather than overly precise.
The game was intentionally designed to be completable without engaging in combat at all, allowing players to finish the game through platforming alone. This route is more challenging in terms of execution but appeals to players interested in speedrunning and mastery. Players who choose combat are rewarded with additional loot, while platform-focused players can earn similar rewards through exploration, such as finding hidden areas with potions or gold.
Throughout development, UI and UX were designed to remain clear and readable, following familiar conventions of the 2D genre, particularly in how player health and feedback are communicated.
Technical skills & Problem solving
This project marked my first time working in a full game engine such as Unreal or Unity, which led to several valuable learning experiences early on. One of the most important lessons was the necessity of proper version control, both for safeguarding work and enabling smoother collaboration and iteration.
Throughout development, I significantly improved my ability to build and iterate on 2D levels in Unreal while strengthening my problem-solving approach to balancing, level design, game design, and systemic design. Rather than introducing numerous disconnected systems, I focused on expanding and deepening existing mechanics to create meaningful interactions and reuse.
Examples of this include evolving the dagger throw and sword mechanics into traversal tools, allowing weapons to become temporary platforms, as well as expanding the loot system to support exploration and player choice through potions and gold rewards. I also implemented checkpoint systems inspired by Soulslike campfires, reinforcing progression and risk management.
In addition, I gained experience working with enemy pathing, state-based behavior, and creating depth through parallax environments using 2D sprites. These challenges helped me develop a structured, iterative approach to problem solving rooted in testing, observation, and refinement.