A Druid's Marble
This is the very first demo I've developed in UE4, using some assets from the Epic Games marketplace.
The idea was to make a demo that showcases possible level design elements for a ball rolling game.
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You can download the game from HERE
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Design Overview
The Beginning
First area has no traps or obstacles. Game introduces the crystals right away and once you collect 3 of them, a subtitle explains the only mechanic of the game:
"Press Space to immediately stop and illuminate."
Setting the Tone
After the first bridge, there is a sneaky hole right in the middle of the area that punishes players for rolling carelessly. Player understands that being careful and scouting with the dim light (or bright, if you have enough crystals) is the intended way to play this game.
Playing Tactical
There are two purposes of this area:
1- Challenge the balance of the player.
2- Show that you do not have to collect every crystal and you can use them as a light source to understand the lay of the land instead.
Mid "Boss"
This is the ultimate bridge balance challange. Therefore it has a save orb both before and right after. There are 4 fake exits and 2 of them kills you if you are not careful. You have to take the narrowest road, balancing by leaning on the left wall.
A Change of Pace
After the area that needs a lot of focus and patience, I needed players to relax and have a little bit action. This area provides covers, and needs you to go "all in" navigating between them. Or you can depend on you luck and just go for it.
Masterful Moves
Being the last area that needs balance, it had to be a feisty one. Unlike the tricky mid boss area, this area has the good old falling rocks. So you have to balance and be fast enough to maneuver without falling.
The end of this area also had to bee dramatic enough to feel rewarding. Hence the long falling bridge...
Light Shows The Way
The last area is a labyrinth. It uses the same mechanic of light and falling rocks, but in a different way. Crystals are small hints to show you where to go and the skulls you see if you "illuminate" show the dead-ends (literally). You have to fall willingly to start over if you are stuck because of a falling rock and face the inevitable.
The Ending
Exiting the labyrinth you came across with a long falling bridge. Its just there to provide a dramatic ending by finally giving the ability to just roll for your life without any care in the world.