Optimizing a closed hearing plot

Early on during the development of Deathly Anthology, we've decided to set it up into a closed hearing plot. Not only a small closed environnement would be suitable for an anxiety inducing mood, but it also would be way cheaper and easier to make, especially since we had only 18 months of experience when the project started.

However, since our space is really limited, no waste was allowed. We had to make the level design really efficient and condensed. In the following, I will expose a few principles we've applied during the process.

Strong space semiology

In order to optimize space, we needed really sharp transitions between areas. We achieved it by giving a strong identity to each area, through the concept of space semiology.

The idea is to give a meaning to areas through many feedbacks conveying intuitive signs.

The stage : Warm colors, chill music, comfy, bright --> Safe
Backstages : Cold colors, muffled noises, messed up, dark --> Unsafe

Moreover, since these two areas meanings are very contrasted, at the very moment you step outside the stage, you instantly know you're going somewhere forbidden and dangerous.

Flowing navigation

We've iterated a lot on making the navigation smooth. It's been a long back and forth between game design and level design to refine the player's walkthrough in space and time. The player used to have to go in the backtages seven times. How tedious ! Now it consists of a single smooth one.

Quick summary :

The player starts on the stage. They can interact with Visionnary and find two locked doors. Eventually they move the shelf and get to access the backstages.
The backstages start with a corridor. It passes by the third locked door and leads to the key room.
The key room features a stealth puzzle and ends with a one way door, so the players dont have to do the puzzle backwards.
On the way back to the stage, the locked door in the corridor opens, inviting the player to explore it.
All locked areas feature deadly sceneries, but hold interesting secrets.
Back on the stage, Visionnary is angry, and the stage is now a stealth puzzle. However, the player knows where the locked doors are and may try to reach them.

The map with a typical path to the dormitory

On the way, we've used several techniques to make our plan effective :

Affordancy : Locked doors are meant to be open. The player will go for them as soon as they've got a key.
Foreshadowing : The player may see doors before the key, reinforcing the affordancy effet.
Salience : Important elements such as locks or deadly cameras are bright and set in dark areas to stand out.
Directive lines : Many lines guide the player in the level. They may be wall carvings, cables on the ground or dropped spotligths.
Directionality : Enven though the player technically back and forths in the backstages, the path is essentially one way, thanks the one way door and the context change brought by the key.

The corridor leading to the key room