HAPPY HUSK FARM
Happy Husk Farm was created for Steve Lee's Level Design Jam 9. It's a level blockout for a first-person action-adventure narrative game. The level features light puzzles, a minigame, multi-use items, and blocked out encounters.
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Level Designer
3 Weeks
Half time
Solo
Summary
Happy Husk Farm is a level blockout for a first-person action-adventure narrative puzzle game that focuses on multi-path exploration in a dark and unsettling atmosphere.
Core Gameplay
UTILITY
You have multiple tools at your disposal that help you unlock the path forward.
COMBAT
Your tools can be used to engage with enemies in different ways. Pulling the trigger and swinging an axe have very different outcomes.
PUZZLES
Happy Husk Farm features a few light puzzles that are embedded in the design of the level. Solving them opens up new paths for the player.
Project Role
Level Designer
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Created multiple level blockout iterations.
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Scheduled playtests and recorded feedback.
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Implemented all level features and mechanics using blueprint scripting.
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Added a light pass to convey mood and atmosphere.
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Designed pacing and player experience.
PREPRODUCTION
I started by doing research based on three criteria. I chose this criteria in response to styles and themes my past levels do not have. My goal was to strengthen my potential blindspots. The level should:
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Be rooted in the Halloween tradition (A clear theme should be present).
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Take place outdoors, closer to night time (Encourage a deeper understanding of lighting).
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Appear to be a normally welcoming environment that becomes uninviting (Subversion of expectations through level narrative).
Moodboard
I used a variety of sources including pumpkin patches, video games, corn mazes, and park maps. From aesthetics to structure, I relied heavily on these visuals to guide me early on.
Level outline
I wrote a document outlining the player journey from beginning to end. At certain points, describing certain level beats was difficult. If I was unable to clearly articulate my design, I had to create a solution through iteration until I could express it.
Early Blockout: The Corn Maze
The corn maze plays a huge role in the American tradition of Halloween. I spent some time in the beginning testing light and corn densities to develop a corn maze for my level.
However, as the blockout grew into other areas, and the core gameplay was clearly defined, the level flow strongly suggested a new setting for the player journey.
Therefore, I removed the corn maze and focused less on a single encounter in favor of multiple smaller engagements in a larger space.
THE FINAL LEVEL
Level Flow
TENSION GRAPH
DESIGN TECHNIQUES
Level Loops
I wanted to tackle the challenge of creating a linear level with multiple unique paths for compelling moments of discovery.
At the level start, I show the player a path to the left that is currently blocked. I wanted to suggest to the player that this path would accessible at a later point.
After progressing through the level, the player has two new tools. The blue destructible actors have been onboarded earlier, so returning to this familiar area opens up new path opportunities.
For the next gameplay beat, the player discovers that they need to find a missing item. However, I wanted to avoid forcing the player to backtrack.
I solved this by leveraging the space of barn to create a new path back from the roof.
Onboarding
In order to avoid using text boxes to onboard the player I chose to lean heavily into the level narrative and utilize existing level elements to encourage the player to discover the mechanics on their own.
For example, the rifle is initially used to complete a shooting minigame. Playtesters were naturally compelled to shoot the rifle considering the context in which it was placed in.
Furthermore, I wanted to form a connection between the minigame targets and the enemies. Therefore, the enemies are wearing pumpkin masks and are immediately recognized as targets to shoot.
The axe was more challenging. Several playtesters wanted to test the limits of the axe and spent time swinging it against non-destructible objects.
I solved this by using a consistent color and shape language to express which level elements were destructible.
ENCOUNTER DESIGN
The encounters for Happy Husk Farm are focused on simple arcade shooting rather than complex tactics.
While each encounter has specific intentions, they are all connected by common goals:
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The player should have the opportunity to utilize the space to their advantage (cover elements, verticality for example).
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Completing an encounter rewards the player through resources and story.
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Sell an emotion through discovering something new about the map.
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Emotions such as: Surprise, intrigue, or trepidation. I have found these to be fantastic motivators in narrative-driven action experiences.
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Encounter One: Cult of the Jack-o'-lantern
At this point, player's have learned how to use the rifle in a safe environment. However:
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They have not learned how the enemies move.
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It's unclear how they can leverage the space and the rifle to their advantage.
Therefore, I blocked out the first encounter to reveal that moving around objects and gaining verticality will provide the player with advantages.
For example, since enemies are melee-based, they must get close to the player to deal any damage. Therefore, to maximize defensive play, the player will discover that forcing enemies to take roundabout paths will grant them more time to react.
This hidden third enemy helps me deliver on surprising the player.
By separating it from the main encounter space:
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I keep players on their toes
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A thought begins to emerge: "Enemies could be anywhere."
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Encounter Two: The Farmstead
By the second encounter, it has been established that:
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The rifle is the fastest way to destroy enemies
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The axe excels at removing certain barriers
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Narratively, a larger mystery has started to reveal itself
I've framed a group of barrels here, intending to encourage the player to explore their purpose.
The most ideal scenario here is having enough ammo to clear the encounter.
Question: What if the player has no ammo when they reach this spot? How can I offer them meaningful options forward that enhance or deepen already established mechanics and narrative?
Answer: I brought the axe back into play, but this time, I put a twist on it. By utilizing the axe once again to destroy a barrier, I leverage familiarity. When the player realizes this can sometimes indirectly kill enemies, I offer them surprise.
Finally, encounter designing around a tool rather than a weapon provided an interesting design challenge. It forced me to think more deeply about weapons and tools, and how they can be used in games.
PROTOTYPING
In an effort to help myself identify how to evoke the intended emotions in the level, I tried different things. For example, one of those explorations was a corn maze.
While exploring the corn maze, a harvester starts up and starts chasing the player. This would create a good amount of tension as the player desperately searches for the exit.
The harvester starts based on a player trigger and follows a spline through the maze.
It was simple, but it demonstrated what I wanted. However, even though I was happy with the result, I had to cut it from the level due to time constraints.
REFLECTIONS
I applied lessons learned from previous projects to create a linear level with more options for exploration. By presenting the player with multiple ways to their goal, I attempted to create what feels like a more expansive, interesting world to traverse.
The greatest challenge occurred in the early stages of the blockout. I had a clear idea of what I wanted, but I soon discovered during playtesting that it wasn't fun. The tension and mystery wasn't there, and there was little to interact with.
I solved this by spending more time creating gameplay elements that would create a memorable relationship between the player and the level. The axe, corn cob minigame, and furnace puzzle added a bit more depth to the experience, and I am happy with the result.
I really enjoyed prototyping some of the level elements, like the corn harvester and corn cob shooter minigame. I appreciate any opportunity to get more technical with my designs.
