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Moth to a Flame
Moth to a Flame is a 3D, side-scrolling platformer about a child that has fallen down a well and is imagining exploring an underground world as a moth while clinging to life. They can’t remember who they are or how they got there, just that they must find their way out and keep moving towards the light. Players can uncover the story by collecting memory fragments and battling their way through this mysterious underground world.
I worked as a designer on a team of six. I was responsible for the level design, user interface design, gameplay design, post-processing, lighting, and VFX. This was a semester-long project and part of my postgraduate studies at Abertay University during the Fall of 2021.
Platform: Windows/PC | Engine: Unity
Information
Moth to a Flame Trailer
Gameplay Design
The core of the gameplay is to make it to the next checkpoint without running out of courage. If you stop moving or take damage from enemies or obstacles, you lose courage. Lamps sprinkled throughout the levels restore your courage and serve as checkpoints. Defeating bosses at the end of each level unlocks new abilities and we had planned for five but only implemented one in the slice.
Level Design
Since this was my first time creating levels for a 2D platformer, I followed a process found in Dev.Mag from Diorgo Jonkers called "How to Design Levels for a Platformer." Not every step is pictured here, but I found the exercise quite helpful and added structure to the process. I also read about a process that Koichi Hayashida, Director of Super Mario 3D Land, uses called "kishōtenketsu." Originally used in four-panel comics and manga, the process essentially involves introducing the player to a mechanic, increasing the difficulty, adding a twist, then letting them demonstrate their mastery of it. Kishōtenketsu was instrumental in helping me conceptualize and plan the player experience in well-defined stages while designing the levels.
User Interface
When designing the UI, we decided that we wanted something clean and minimal. I chose to use golden gradients to represent courage and carried that through to the eyes of the main character and the color of the lamps that represented safety. The game didn't have any NPCs to talk to, but we needed a way to display the narrative from memory fragment collectibles. I would have preferred short cutscenes with hand-drawn stills, but our artist didn't have time for that, so we just used a simple dialogue system at the bottom of the screen. The stamina bar under the health would have been needed for future ability unlocks, but we didn't get that far in the slice.
Moth to a Flame Trailer
Gameplay Design
The core of the gameplay is to make it to the next checkpoint without running out of courage. If you stop moving or take damage from enemies or obstacles, you lose courage. Lamps sprinkled throughout the levels restore your courage and serve as checkpoints. Defeating bosses at the end of each level unlocks new abilities and we had planned for five but only implemented one in the slice.
Level Design
Since this was my first time creating levels for a 2D platformer, I followed a process found in Dev.Mag from Diorgo Jonkers called "How to Design Levels for a Platformer." Not every step is pictured here, but I found the exercise quite helpful and added structure to the process. I also read about a process that Koichi Hayashida, Director of Super Mario 3D Land, uses called "kishōtenketsu." Originally used in four-panel comics and manga, the process essentially involves introducing the player to a mechanic, increasing the difficulty, adding a twist, then letting them demonstrate their mastery of it. Kishōtenketsu was instrumental in helping me conceptualize and plan the player experience in well-defined stages while designing the levels.
User Interface
When designing the UI, we decided that we wanted something clean and minimal. I chose to use golden gradients to represent courage and carried that through to the eyes of the main character and the color of the lamps that represented safety. The game didn't have any NPCs to talk to, but we needed a way to display the narrative from memory fragment collectibles. I would have preferred short cutscenes with hand-drawn stills, but our artist didn't have time for that, so we just used a simple dialogue system at the bottom of the screen. The stamina bar under the health would have been needed for future ability unlocks, but we didn't get that far in the slice.
Moth to a Flame Trailer
Gameplay Design
The core of the gameplay is to make it to the next checkpoint without running out of courage. If you stop moving or take damage from enemies or obstacles, you lose courage. Lamps sprinkled throughout the levels restore your courage and serve as checkpoints. Defeating bosses at the end of each level unlocks new abilities and we had planned for five but only implemented one in the slice.
Level Design
Since this was my first time creating levels for a 2D platformer, I followed a process found in Dev.Mag from Diorgo Jonkers called "How to Design Levels for a Platformer." Not every step is pictured here, but I found the exercise quite helpful and added structure to the process. I also read about a process that Koichi Hayashida, Director of Super Mario 3D Land, uses called "kishōtenketsu." Originally used in four-panel comics and manga, the process essentially involves introducing the player to a mechanic, increasing the difficulty, adding a twist, then letting them demonstrate their mastery of it. Kishōtenketsu was instrumental in helping me conceptualize and plan the player experience in well-defined stages while designing the levels.
User Interface
When designing the UI, we decided that we wanted something clean and minimal. I chose to use golden gradients to represent courage and carried that through to the eyes of the main character and the color of the lamps that represented safety. The game didn't have any NPCs to talk to, but we needed a way to display the narrative from memory fragment collectibles. I would have preferred short cutscenes with hand-drawn stills, but our artist didn't have time for that, so we just used a simple dialogue system at the bottom of the screen. The stamina bar under the health would have been needed for future ability unlocks, but we didn't get that far in the slice.
Moth to a Flame Trailer
Gameplay Design
The core of the gameplay is to make it to the next checkpoint without running out of courage. If you stop moving or take damage from enemies or obstacles, you lose courage. Lamps sprinkled throughout the levels restore your courage and serve as checkpoints. Defeating bosses at the end of each level unlocks new abilities and we had planned for five but only implemented one in the slice.
Level Design
Since this was my first time creating levels for a 2D platformer, I followed a process found in Dev.Mag from Diorgo Jonkers called "How to Design Levels for a Platformer." Not every step is pictured here, but I found the exercise quite helpful and added structure to the process. I also read about a process that Koichi Hayashida, Director of Super Mario 3D Land, uses called "kishōtenketsu." Originally used in four-panel comics and manga, the process essentially involves introducing the player to a mechanic, increasing the difficulty, adding a twist, then letting them demonstrate their mastery of it. Kishōtenketsu was instrumental in helping me conceptualize and plan the player experience in well-defined stages while designing the levels.
User Interface
When designing the UI, we decided that we wanted something clean and minimal. I chose to use golden gradients to represent courage and carried that through to the eyes of the main character and the color of the lamps that represented safety. The game didn't have any NPCs to talk to, but we needed a way to display the narrative from memory fragment collectibles. I would have preferred short cutscenes with hand-drawn stills, but our artist didn't have time for that, so we just used a simple dialogue system at the bottom of the screen. The stamina bar under the health would have been needed for future ability unlocks, but we didn't get that far in the slice.
Moth to a Flame Trailer
Gameplay Design
The core of the gameplay is to make it to the next checkpoint without running out of courage. If you stop moving or take damage from enemies or obstacles, you lose courage. Lamps sprinkled throughout the levels restore your courage and serve as checkpoints. Defeating bosses at the end of each level unlocks new abilities and we had planned for five but only implemented one in the slice.
Level Design
Since this was my first time creating levels for a 2D platformer, I followed a process found in Dev.Mag from Diorgo Jonkers called "How to Design Levels for a Platformer." Not every step is pictured here, but I found the exercise quite helpful and added structure to the process. I also read about a process that Koichi Hayashida, Director of Super Mario 3D Land, uses called "kishōtenketsu." Originally used in four-panel comics and manga, the process essentially involves introducing the player to a mechanic, increasing the difficulty, adding a twist, then letting them demonstrate their mastery of it. Kishōtenketsu was instrumental in helping me conceptualize and plan the player experience in well-defined stages while designing the levels.
User Interface
When designing the UI, we decided that we wanted something clean and minimal. I chose to use golden gradients to represent courage and carried that through to the eyes of the main character and the color of the lamps that represented safety. The game didn't have any NPCs to talk to, but we needed a way to display the narrative from memory fragment collectibles. I would have preferred short cutscenes with hand-drawn stills, but our artist didn't have time for that, so we just used a simple dialogue system at the bottom of the screen. The stamina bar under the health would have been needed for future ability unlocks, but we didn't get that far in the slice.
Moth to a Flame Trailer
Gameplay Design
The core of the gameplay is to make it to the next checkpoint without running out of courage. If you stop moving or take damage from enemies or obstacles, you lose courage. Lamps sprinkled throughout the levels restore your courage and serve as checkpoints. Defeating bosses at the end of each level unlocks new abilities and we had planned for five but only implemented one in the slice.
Level Design
Since this was my first time creating levels for a 2D platformer, I followed a process found in Dev.Mag from Diorgo Jonkers called "How to Design Levels for a Platformer." Not every step is pictured here, but I found the exercise quite helpful and added structure to the process. I also read about a process that Koichi Hayashida, Director of Super Mario 3D Land, uses called "kishōtenketsu." Originally used in four-panel comics and manga, the process essentially involves introducing the player to a mechanic, increasing the difficulty, adding a twist, then letting them demonstrate their mastery of it. Kishōtenketsu was instrumental in helping me conceptualize and plan the player experience in well-defined stages while designing the levels.
User Interface
When designing the UI, we decided that we wanted something clean and minimal. I chose to use golden gradients to represent courage and carried that through to the eyes of the main character and the color of the lamps that represented safety. The game didn't have any NPCs to talk to, but we needed a way to display the narrative from memory fragment collectibles. I would have preferred short cutscenes with hand-drawn stills, but our artist didn't have time for that, so we just used a simple dialogue system at the bottom of the screen. The stamina bar under the health would have been needed for future ability unlocks, but we didn't get that far in the slice.
Moth to a Flame Trailer
Gameplay Design
The core of the gameplay is to make it to the next checkpoint without running out of courage. If you stop moving or take damage from enemies or obstacles, you lose courage. Lamps sprinkled throughout the levels restore your courage and serve as checkpoints. Defeating bosses at the end of each level unlocks new abilities and we had planned for five but only implemented one in the slice.
Level Design
Since this was my first time creating levels for a 2D platformer, I followed a process found in Dev.Mag from Diorgo Jonkers called "How to Design Levels for a Platformer." Not every step is pictured here, but I found the exercise quite helpful and added structure to the process. I also read about a process that Koichi Hayashida, Director of Super Mario 3D Land, uses called "kishōtenketsu." Originally used in four-panel comics and manga, the process essentially involves introducing the player to a mechanic, increasing the difficulty, adding a twist, then letting them demonstrate their mastery of it. Kishōtenketsu was instrumental in helping me conceptualize and plan the player experience in well-defined stages while designing the levels.
User Interface
When designing the UI, we decided that we wanted something clean and minimal. I chose to use golden gradients to represent courage and carried that through to the eyes of the main character and the color of the lamps that represented safety. The game didn't have any NPCs to talk to, but we needed a way to display the narrative from memory fragment collectibles. I would have preferred short cutscenes with hand-drawn stills, but our artist didn't have time for that, so we just used a simple dialogue system at the bottom of the screen. The stamina bar under the health would have been needed for future ability unlocks, but we didn't get that far in the slice.
Moth to a Flame Trailer
Gameplay Design
The core of the gameplay is to make it to the next checkpoint without running out of courage. If you stop moving or take damage from enemies or obstacles, you lose courage. Lamps sprinkled throughout the levels restore your courage and serve as checkpoints. Defeating bosses at the end of each level unlocks new abilities and we had planned for five but only implemented one in the slice.
Level Design
Since this was my first time creating levels for a 2D platformer, I followed a process found in Dev.Mag from Diorgo Jonkers called "How to Design Levels for a Platformer." Not every step is pictured here, but I found the exercise quite helpful and added structure to the process. I also read about a process that Koichi Hayashida, Director of Super Mario 3D Land, uses called "kishōtenketsu." Originally used in four-panel comics and manga, the process essentially involves introducing the player to a mechanic, increasing the difficulty, adding a twist, then letting them demonstrate their mastery of it. Kishōtenketsu was instrumental in helping me conceptualize and plan the player experience in well-defined stages while designing the levels.
User Interface
When designing the UI, we decided that we wanted something clean and minimal. I chose to use golden gradients to represent courage and carried that through to the eyes of the main character and the color of the lamps that represented safety. The game didn't have any NPCs to talk to, but we needed a way to display the narrative from memory fragment collectibles. I would have preferred short cutscenes with hand-drawn stills, but our artist didn't have time for that, so we just used a simple dialogue system at the bottom of the screen. The stamina bar under the health would have been needed for future ability unlocks, but we didn't get that far in the slice.
Gallery
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