Tethered
Tethered is an atomospheric puzzle exploration game where players use their hiking tethers to anchor themselves within a cave.
In a team of 9, we created a narrative cave diving exploration game. The project was worked on for a single semester, and was built using the Unreal Engine
Roles on Project: Lead Game Designer and Lead Level Designer
"Ariadne descends into an ethereal and perilous cave to save the one she loves. Utilized your tether to rewind back to anchor points to help Ariadne solve puzzles and navigate a subterranean world"
Using an anchor system, we designed the puzzles to be about being pulled back to where your tether was placed. Jumps, heavy objects, obstacles were all unable to be traveresed without the help of your tethered anchor.
Level & Game Design
Indicative of wanting to fulfill player fantasy, the Treasure Map missions leaned into exploration and the desire for loot
This game contained a lot of overlap between these 2 disciplines in the sense that in order for the tether to be effectively used and the player be required to use it on intended puzzles, specific parameters needed to be set.
A Gymnasium was required to create defined heights, widths, lentgh distances, as well as placing jump distances with heavy-to-carry objects. Each of the 3 levels had a pillar in which ther player would have it "collapse" and could use this as a bridge. Each level consisted of tether anchors, as well as a key to unlock the door to progress forward. Throughoutt he levels small notes would be bread-crumbed for narrative exposition.
As the sole Level designer, and primary mechanic impelementer in addition to white boxxing and implementing mechanics related to each level, I set up logic for level completion and progression to the next level. Keeping in mind map state for if players returned back to pick up missed notes.