THE DAM

“Dam(n)” - My brother Isak

Tired of the low electricity prices enjoyed by those dam(n) northern Swedes you decide to take matters into your own hands. The dam has to go down. Equipped with nothing but an AK47 and a dream you put on your hiking boots and reach the dam with one objective in mind, blow up the fast spinny thingy (turbine).

To the left, you can enjoy some professional video editing as well as listen to my soothing voice describe the intricate level design details of this masterpiece of a level.

LEVEL FLOWCHART

My teacher said every level should have one.

  1. Introduction

    The reveal of the dam happens at the start of the level. It had to be impressive and clearly convey its large size by placing the player in a lower elevation.

  2. Logistics hub

    A building the player must reach in order to acquire their weapon and progress further in the game. Here I used several techniques for guiding the player and introducing combat.

  3. Sewage outlet

    This is where the game transitions from outdoors to indoors and the player enters the structure of the dam.

  4. Cistern

    I had to show off water reflections somewhere.

  5. Underground Storage

    A big combat segment, we’re upping the stakes and the tempo. Using a point of no return the player can’t chicken out of this fight.

  6. Stairwell

    Every game needs one and this one surely delivers. With some spectacular callbacks to previous areas and hidden loot.

  7. Control room

    You could in theory just shut down the turbine from here but at this point, it’s about the principle more than anything.

  8. Towers

    A breath of fresh air and some nice vistas. Then a nerve-wracking balancing act as you take out a guard having his 5-minute legally permitted smoke break.

  9. Turbine chamber

    The heart of darkness. The whirlwind of electromagnetism. An electricity source so green the Americans outlawed it. It must not be permitted to exist.

OVERVIEW

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OVERVIEW 👀

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SCRIPTED EVENTS

I have at several times been known as “the timeline man”.

COMBAT

This is where the player picks up their weapon and has their first combat sequence. By making the gate open slowly and with a sound, the player´s attention is drawn to it. The truck delivers the enemies while also becoming a potential tool for dealing with said enemies. 

BOOM

This showcases how the player destroys the sewer grate and opens up a path into the dam. This was partly to make the player feel like they're using an unintentional path and infiltrating the dam, but also to make the level feel like it can be altered and give the player agency. 

SPINNY

An action-oriented level like mine felt right to end on a climax. So what is better than blowing up a turbine? It felt like a natural objective and would also serve as a way to make something physically and visually impressive. Destroying the turbine also opens up a possible exit path that the player can jump down into.

ENVIRONMENTAL STORYTELLING

A picture can say more than a thousand audio logs.

ENVIRONMENTAL

STORYTELLING

An info board showing a picture of the dam being built. Indicating this is an area accessible to the public.

The bars of the sewer grate are being repaired or replaced.

One of the large letters on the dam is being repainted.

Doors are being held open by a barrel placed by one of the guards enjoying their smoke break. 

LEVEL TIMELINE

A.K.A “shit, I forgot to take any screenshots!”

The exterior and landscape

went through several iterations after feedback and playtesting. The result is a space that feels large, but the play area is rather compact.

The sense of scale was important. The dam had to be large and awe the player when it is first revealed.

The interior went through

a similar process. Here is a combat area that the player drops down into and has to fight their way through. 

​I made the room more interesting by adding different shapes and elevations.

For the final room

of the level, I created a larger room with more open-ended combat. This would be the toughest and longest battle for the player before they reach their final objective.

DESIGN TECHNIQUES

Also known as techniques used for designing.

THE REVEAL

of the dam happens at the start of the level. It had to be impressive and clearly convey its large size by placing the player in a lower elevation.

LEADING LINES

I used the landscape to subtly point the player to the building they need to enter. I also placed a clear light source in the tower.


FRAMING

I had to draw the player’s attention to this specific sewer grate so that they would know where to go later. I added at least three different locations where it is intentionally framed.


VANTAGE POINT

When introducing combat I wanted the player to feel empowered, safe, and in control. So I placed them in a tower that's a vantage point over the combat area.


DENIAL AND REWARD

Here I entice the player with a room full of ammo and health so that they would be more inclined to explore the surrounding area. The ventilation and shootable padlock hint at a secondary path.


FUNNELING

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POINT OF NO RETURN

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VISTA

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CALLBACK

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FUNNELING ✔ POINT OF NO RETURN ✔ VISTA ✔ CALLBACK ✔

This clip showcases several design techniques, starting with funneling before a reveal.

I made the corridor narrower here and removed the lights so that the player gets a contrast to the bright and open space outside.

The door also serves as a point of no return and the player is now trapped outside. This is also a good point to unload previous assets from the level.

The previous firefights get replaced with a calm and rewarding vista over the level, this also allows the player some breathing room between high-intensity areas.

The same vista also serves as a callback to previous areas that the player has traversed. They can now orient themselves in the world and see the progress they have made.