Level Design

The Catacombs - A horror level design concept

Level Design Document

This level focuses on psychological horror, subtle exploration, and emotional descent.

A 2D level map

A dim, narrow corridor funnels the player forward, setting a tense and claustrophobic tone.

The player crouches between three tight paths, introducing multi-route choice and claustrophobic traversal.

A distant collectible glows beyond the crossroads, subtly luring players toward the deadly drop ahead.

Surrounded by hazards, this secluded chamber challenges players with a puzzle to unlock their escape.

A distant shrine is glimpsed through a small window, teasing reward—access gated by a simple environmental puzzle.

The shrine reacts to player choice—offering cryptic guidance when fed, or silence when merely observed.

The player squeezes through a suffocating prone-only tunnel, heightening tension and sanity strain.

• Funneling & Foreshadowing: Players are subtly guided through lighting, broken architecture, and glimpses of key locations like the shrine, encouraging natural progression without handholding.

• Verticality & Claustrophobia: Drop-down-only pits and crawlspaces build tension. These tight areas affect a sanity meter, pushing players to balance risk and exploration.

• Emotional Impact: Descending deep into the catacombs reflects the protagonist’s own moral spiral. Enclosed areas create panic, while open shrine chambers offer eerie relief.

• Puzzle Integration: Shrines are activated through indirect clues. Feeding them unlocks progression, and players must solve spatial puzzles in areas surrounded by death pits or unreachable ledges.

• Side Routes: Optional paths offer collectibles or lore, often revealed early via vantage points. These loops reward curiosity without breaking flow.

This level blends exploration, environmental storytelling, and emotional pacing to create a deeply immersive, branching experience.

The Sunken city of Rakshasa Empire - Company test project

Level Design Document

This level was designed as a part of a test given by a company. I was asked to design a procedural level for a metroidvania theme based on ancient India. (Expand to open)

This is a runthrough of one of the levels of a metroidvania game concept based oon ancient India.

• Setting: The ancient sunken City of the Rakshasa empire, once a thriving empire, now submerged and cursed. The city is a labyrinth of half-destroyed palaces, burning temples, and abyssal trenches where cursed fire continues to burn underwater.

• Objective: Defeat Yamaraa, the shadow god of death, and retrieve the Sunfire Pearl to harness cursed flames and uncover Rakshasa secrets. Overcome shadow enemies, Neeras, whirlpools, water vines, and a self-destructing bridge.

Procedural Level Design – Sunken Labyrinth

• Modular zones reassembled on death, relic collection, or re-entry for replayability.

• Key zone types: Entrance, Puzzle, Combat, Treasure, Boss.

• Puzzle failure spawns shadow-clone enemies on next attempt (they multiply).

• Layout ensures progress: puzzles placed before combat for smoother flow.

• Hazards: whirlpools, water vines, self-destruct bridges, water pressure.

• Oceanheart Relic (Shankha) – Unlocks swift movement through post-barricade water.

Level Diagram

One of the iterations of the procedural level

Entry Zone: Player enters an ancient submerged city where strong water currents affect movement. Inscriptions hint at the current being a major obstacle and guide the player to the first puzzle.

Puzzle Zone: Ancient ruins show a missing stone barrier system. Players must locate and place stones to temporarily block the current. A timer starts post-solution, urging fast progression. Incorrect solutions trigger traps; if the player dies, their shadow appears as an enemy on the next attempt.

Enemy Zone: Timed combat against Neeras (water wraiths) in partially flooded ruins. Medium difficulty—water still hinders movement.

Treasure Vaults: Hidden shop contains health/energy potions and the Oceanheart Relic, which grants fluid underwater movement. Crucial after timer expires and ruins begin reflooding.

Boss Zone: Arena battle against Yamaraa, the Demon Lord. Victory grants the Sunfire Pearl, a powerful relic.

Secret Lore Zone: Hidden area revealed using celestial orbs. Contains deep lore and remnants of Varuna's legacy.