top of page
Tech
bannière3.png

Spiral -Third Roleplaying Game

My role in the project:
  • Level Designer

    • Designed two levels from start to finish

      • Scene 14​

      • Scene 16

    • Collaborated with level and prop artists (surtout Sophie Payette et Thomas Chevrolet)

  • Technical Designer

    • Implemented the combat system programmed by Justin Renaud-Gélinas

    • Refactored and optimized Blueprints

    • Bug fixing

Challenges:

  • Two distinct environments to work with

  • Considering Bernard’s degeneration in level design and feedback

  • Creating the feeling of playing a role-playing game

  • Arrived at the end of the project, achieve the established LD standard and keep it consistent

Story Rich

Emotional

Narration

Indie

Spiral is a project developed using the Unreal Engine 4 by Folklore Games. I joined the team as part of my final-year internship in Création de jeux vidéo. My involvement lasted 4 months of full-time work.

(Scene 16)

Description

Spiral is a third-person narrative exploration game that shares a poetic vision of cognitive degeneration. Step into the shoes of Bernard as you help him and support him while braving his unravelling mind and reliving his most treasured moments.

Level Design

Context

In this level, our protagonist Bernard meets his friends Luna, Wren, and Danny at the diner for a game of Castles & Creatures (C&C). They are all now well into adulthood. The player will then follow the group on the game map as if they were part of it. Due to Bernard's mental decline, he often mixes up the sequence of events and names. The game abruptly ends when a kitchen fire breaks out because Bernard forgot to set a timer.

Plan

L0 of Scene 16

 

Les deux environnements présents dans ce niveau sont le diner et la carte de C&C. Pour faciliter la lecture et le guidage du joueur·euse, j'ai séparé la partie C&C par élévation. Je me suis également assurer que le regard soit toujours attiré par le phare qui est le point le plus haut et nous rappelle ainsi notre objectif de l'atteindre. On le voit bien au début, après le premier combat ainsi qu'en arrivant au pont devant son île.

 

Également, il y a une séparation par étage du phare sur mon plan. Initialement, nous devions voir le feu se déclarer ainsi que voir le diner abimé par celui-ci. Le tout a été remplacé par une cinématique 2D réalisé par Joanie Cournoyer.

​​​

Cinematic by Joanie Cournoyer
Top View of the Level
Dinner

Bernard forgets to start a timer for the pie in the oven.​

  • Must convey Bernard's confusion

    • Changing objectives: the timer becomes "bring back utensils"

    • A fusion between Wren's garage, where the scenes took place, Danny's diner, and a campfire.

Camp & Forest

The group of adventurers is sent on a mission by a hamster named Lottie, who was rummaging through their tent. They are then spotted by cheese guards in a boat. A fight ensues.

  • See the lighthouse mentioned by Lottie at the start

    • The camp is situated higher than the rest of the level, so nothing obstructs the view

  • Create a Level Sequence to script the beginning of the fight

Clearing

After crossing some vines, the group finds themselves in a clearing. Upon leaving it, they cross a bridge to reach the lighthouse.

  • End of immediate danger after the fight

    • Open up the space

    • Return to an area with more exploration and interactive objects

Lighthouse

The heroes climb the lighthouse to relight the beacon at its top. They must face the Math Monster.

  • Optional fight against Chef Cuisto

  • It is possible to go directly to the final battle

Technical Design

Combat System Implementation

Start with the models from Justin Renaud-Gélinas

  • Create AI subclasses for:

    • Cheese guards​

    • Mathematical equations (targeting the correct answer deals damage to the boss; the opposite occurs if wrong)

  • Factorization to avoid redundancies

Add features

  • Incorporate narrative during battles

  • Retain health and mana between battles

    • Reset upon defeat

AI for MathAnswers and Cheese Guards

Narration in the Combat System

Math Monster
  • ​Configuration of math equations each turn​​

    • Correct answer

      • Destroys all answer choices

      • Deals damage to the Math Monster

    • Incorrect answer or at the end of the heroes' turn:

      • The entire team takes damage as punishment​

  • Decorator for exponents and subscripts in the UI for math formulas

  • Automatic end after a certain number of turns

Boss Fight Setup

Configuration of equations & their consequences

LD

© 2020-2025 by Vincent-Valérie Dubois

bottom of page