Edge of Hell’s Level Flow, Narrative Influences, & Overarching Game Design Philosophy:

The Long Version:

When planning the levels of Edge of Hell, I knew early on that I wanted to explore as many visually distinct areas as possible to really awe the player. My creative take on the realm between realms, Purgatory, was to split it into 3 different biomes to represent the chaotic and unpredictable setting the player found themselves in. The player acts as the demon from Hell, Abaddon, who has never journeyed the realm of Purgatory before, so I wanted the player to feel surprised to see that the realm just beyond Hell wasn’t just exclusively predictably hellish landscapes. In the narrative of our game’s universe, Abaddon has successfully conquered the realm of Hell, beating out his rival Azrael. Despite this, Azrael catches Abaddon off-guard right before they both ascend to the next realm to conquer it. It is here, at the edge of hell, where Abaddon is defeated and stripped of his powers. They both want to ascend to conquer Hell, Purgatory, and the ultimate prize: Earth. Making Purgatory a gradient between Hell and Earth was the goal. To succeed in this endeavor, the areas of Purgatory go from the unlivable backyard of Hell, to a tough-to-survive in desert-themed temple, to the frigid snowy edge of Earth’s barrier.

All of my levels were mindfully crafted to fulfill a particular purpose in the game. Level One, named Infernus, was designed to be a linear experience that carefully taught players the basics of the game. The large open spaces give players room to maneuver with the new controls. Tutorial boxes were carefully placed in areas the player was guaranteed to go, teaching them one step at a time how to light attack an enemy, how to use the ranged attack, how to save their progress, how to open gates, how to block, etc. The player is taught one mechanic at a time through an effective process that gives the player immediate opportunities to try out what they’ve just learned. The enemy density is overall less dense than later levels as to not overwhelm the player as they practice their abilities and moveset. Player choice was front of mind when building this level, which led to multiple available pathways to progress forward despite the overall linear design. To reduce player fatigue, I paced the entire level in a way where there would be minimal back-to-back experiences. For example, after a tense action-filled zone filled with enemies to fight, there would be a breather in the form of open areas to explore or a thought-provoking platforming parkour section. Then, after the break from the action, the next enemy room would be even more challenging than the last. This beautifully paced rhythm kept players from becoming too bored or too stressed at any given time, while simultaneously keeping gameplay fresh and varied for maximum player enjoyment. Collectibles are placed in arrangements that encourage players to move towards certain objectives and explore every nook and cranny of the world. Item pick-ups, like health and mana, are generously found throughout Infernus, and checkpoints are abundant near potentially tricky sections such as the lava parkour zone. Level one’s goal was to teach the player the mechanics of the game in a manageable environment via its linear structure, mindful pacing, and forgiving quantity of items.

While Infernus served as the linear tutorial world, Ergus served as the game’s main course. Having unlocked the Demonic Dash ability, as well as obtaining a good handle on the game’s base mechanics now, the player is ready to face more challenging level design. I put more faith into the player’s command of their arsenal by making the main objective of level two a three-part puzzle. Upon spawning in, the player is greeted by a gorgeous sealed door illuminated by an overhead skylight. Above the door lie 3 glowing symbols, an indicator to the player that these skull key seals must be broken to proceed. While level one was rather linear and kept the player confined with guardrails, level two allows the player to complete the puzzles in whatever order they like. I designed 4 initial pathway options from the main center room, which all lead the player in various directions. The labyrinthian hallways of Ergus give the player freedom to explore at their own pace and to choose their own path. Throughout this Egyptian pyramid-style maze, the player will come across various enemies to vanquish, mini puzzles for extra loot, decorative rooms to explore, and 3 main puzzle rooms. The 3 main puzzles of Ergus each test the player’s mastery over a game mechanic introduced in Infernus. The Thread Room tests the player’s ability to aim accurately with the ranged Hellfire attack by having the player use various angles and elevations to find and shoot all the targets strewn about the room. I made sure to include a hint that tells the player how many targets there are by subtly incorporating the total number of targets as tally marks etched into the walls, which also served as environmental set dressing. The Parkour Room tests the player’s mastery of the Demonic Dash they unlocked in the previous level. The room is designed in a spiral pattern where the player makes a loop around the arena, then upon grabbing the room’s skull key, they can easily hop back to the beginning platform. It is a convenient, one-way puzzle. I designed the room in this specific way to save the player the hassle of backtracking through the entire platforming section again. I try to keep the player’s mindset in mind when designing my levels, and I know that unnecessary backtracking can be a pain. The last main puzzle, the Parry Room, tests the player’s ability to parry and redirect enemy projectiles into the glass targets placed around the two rooms. By using the Block mechanic at just the right time, the player can deflect an incoming projectile to whatever direction they’re facing. I placed the ranged enemy, the Devastator, in the puzzle room and the player must redirect the incoming fire to complete the puzzle. Nailing the timing of the parry is a satisfying feeling and I wanted this puzzle to be the most action-packed puzzle in Ergus. The puzzle actually has two rooms this time around, with the first room having only one glass target very obviously placed right above the locked door. There is nothing else notable in the room besides the player, the Devastator, the single glass target, and the locked door. I designed it this way to give the player the chance to deduce how to proceed using the four variables. Show, don’t tell, was a guiding principle in a lot of my design choices. Once the player successfully solved the three puzzle rooms and collected the three skull keys, the main door at the spawn of the level would be unlocked. Throughout their journey of Ergus, the player could actually see their current progress at any time by visiting the door and seeing how the glowing seals disappeared individually as each corresponding skull key was collected. I did this to ensure the player felt a sense of accomplishment and progression each time a puzzle was solved. After proceeding through the grand door, the player is rewarded with a new ability, Soul Overflow. Soul Overflow is a strong addition to the player’s arsenal, allowing the player to use infinite Hellfire ranged attacks for a short duration as well as increasing their fire rate. It’s important to reward the player at regular intervals in order to keep the gameplay fresh and retain player attention. To end off the level, I put a room chock full of enemies, which serves as a playground for the player to try out their brand new skill.

The final level of Edge of Hell is Tundrus, a picturesque snowy tundra that serves as the final test of the player’s skills. At this point in the game, the player should have a mastery over their abilities, so I was able to go all out on the design for this level. When the player spawns in, they can actually see nearly the entire level at a glance. I designed Tundris to be primarily a vertical climb, simulating the ascent of a snowy mountain and also the ascent towards the final boss. One technique I like utilizing in level design is having the end goal, or point of interest, in view at all times. It serves as a natural beacon for the player to venture towards without having to tell them directly. This becomes especially important in a more open-world type level like Tundrus. I can silently guide the player in the right direction using landmarks and lighting. Tons of strong enemies await at each of the three vertical layers of Tundrus, really testing the player’s mastery of their abilities. I included hidden areas in Tundrus in-between the hordes of enemies to reward exploration. My personal favorite is the hidden grotto of loot behind the icy waterfall that cascades down each of the three layers, pooling at the bottom to create a lake. Within this same lake is a platforming area that, when completed, rewards the player with the final ability they will unlock. Ashes of the Fallen is a very powerful AOE, area of effect, heavy attack that decimates all foes within a certain radius of the player. The player’s climb up the mountain is designed to be the ultimate test of strength, determining their worthiness to face the final boss. To break up the enemy sections, though, I included puzzles that borrow from Ergus’ puzzle designs in order to balance the pacing of the level. It’s important to give the player a breather between high-octane action zones, and puzzles are my preferred way to execute this. Puzzles, or even narrative beats, serve as levers that I can use to design and balance the pacing of a game’s level. As the player reaches the top of the mountain, I make sure to give them a relaxing, long ride up the final leg of the mountain via a mystical platform. This allows them to truly reflect on their journey so far, as well as take in the breathtaking environment art around them, as the world below them gets increasingly farther and farther away. They ascend towards the final boss, Azrael the Fallen Angel.

Throughout the game so far, each level had a capstone at the end before the player was permitted to progress. At the end of Infernus, Ergus, and Tundrus, this took the form of a miniboss fight. Themed arenas lay at the conclusion of each of the three levels, and within these arenas was the recurring miniboss Cerberus the Three-Headed. These very personal and 1:1 fights served as proper conclusions to the level before it. They were designed to be a straight-up brawl for players to enjoy and their placements throughout the game gave players a reinforcing pattern of what to expect. They were clear cuts to denote that the previous level had ended, the player successfully proved their might, and now the next level will commence. This reinforcement of a pattern was a carefully designed method of keeping the player’s expectations reasonable and also made for a fun game flow. However, here at the final conclusion of the game, this pattern is purposefully altered to provide a sense of unexpected delight. Upon beating the level 3 version of Cerberus, the player is directed right to the final boss arena. The main antagonist of the game, Azrael the Fallen Angel, awaits at the peak for the player’s arrival. Azrael uses not only his own moveset, but all 3 of Cerberus’ themed attacks seen in his level 1, 2, and 3 variants. This wide variety of moves simultaneously keeps the player on their feet, as well as serving as a way for the player to prove their mastery through already knowing how to deal with the elemental Cerberus attacks. By utilizing their entire arsenal, the player has the opportunity to feel like they’ve totally mastered the Edge of Hell game. This carefully thought-out, game-spanning sequence of events has taken the player through a journey that hopefully they’ll never forget.

If you took he time to read that entire essay, I applaud you. Thank you, sincerely.

I put a ton of thought into how Edge of Hell was designed. Everything from the moment-to-moment gameplay to the levels to the boss fights were stitched together to create a hopefully very fun and very memorable experience.

I encourage you to play the game for yourself if you’re interested, using this:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zxnTIvGjWI5cNXkPfMSu93Vw3PERJz2_?usp=sharing