The task for this challenge was to choose an artefact to reverse engineer and prototype. Since I am part of the Indie Game Development cohort, I wanted to focus on games. As always, choosing something with the right scope was what I most struggled with, however, I eventually found what I needed while playing with some friends.

I've chosen a specific section of a level in the game Nine Parchments by Frozenbyte. This section is part of the 31st level of the Adventure mode. I will be using this section to demonstrate a technique different from what the developers actually intended for their implementation.

Introduicing new mechanics

Nine Parchments is a fun cooperative spellslinger action RPG game, set in the universe Frozenbyte created with their Trine game series. The focus of the game is using your own spells to defeat the enemies (and sometimes your frenemies) and achieve the final goal of the game - collect all nine parchments. The section I am focusing on is not part of the introductory levels of the game, but part of the second-to-last level.

In this section, the player has to walk along the train tracks above a river of lava, however, they have to step on a giant stone plate on the way there. This plate is surprisingly a button, which activates two guillotines attached to pendulums.

As the player reaches the button, two enemies spawn on the other side of the bridge and start walking towards the player. The guillotines can then hit the enemies and teach the player about several mechanics. Firstly, the swinging guillotines can be used to kill enemies and should be avoided by the player. Secondly, stepping on a plate can activate and also deactivate mechanisms.

The second mechanic can be easily missed if the player does not notice when the trap is activated and does not try to step on the plate again. This mechanic adds depth and flavour to the game, without being vital at this stage since players can dash through them with magic. However, in a multiplayer game, the first player would activate the trap and the second would stop it. In this scenario, the developer can be certain that the players would get to see both mechanics.

Since traps are not a big part of the game, Frozenbyte decided to put that towards the end of the game, where it fits with the level design and adds flavour. However, this is a great example of how to introduce players to new mechanics.

It first forces the player to interact with the button, by placing it directly in their path. This ensures nobody misses the lesson even if they didn't notice the button. After that, it visually shows the player the rules of the mechanic by spawning enemies in the right places. Finally, adds to the replayability of the game by having something that some players might miss on their first playthrough.

Prototyping

I've decided to create a simple prototype in Unity of a similar scenario where the player is taught about the game's mechanics. While I plan to explore Unreal Engine more, I wanted to stick to what I know so I can focus on the task at hand.

I've used the 2D Platformer Microgame provided by Unity as a starting point to speed up my development. The mechanic I am introducing the player to is the spikes. As the player approaches the enemy, it starts fleeing, eventually hitting the spikes and dying. The requirement to jump over the spikes is further emphasised by the collectable right above the trap.

Similar techniques subconsciously guide and teach the player the rules of the game. Additionally, they remove the need for a written tutorial that interrupts the flow of the game and allows the players to feel smarter.

Outcome

Researching into game design always gets me excited about making games. It highlights that as a potential direction for my future specialisation in game development. In the future, I will put more effort into the design of the artefacts before making them in order to increase my understanding and skill in that area.

References

Epic Games. 2021. Unreal Engine. [Software]

Unity Technologies. 2021. Unity. [Software]