Laser Puzzle Project (Freelance)
- Genre: 3D Puzzle, Platformer, FPS
- Type: Blockout
- Engine: Unreal Engine 5
- Tools: Unreal Engine 5, Puzzle Kit
- Iterations # 3
- Playtests # 3
- Role: Level Designer, Puzzle Designer
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Process
I was initially given an Unreal Engine 5 project kit with pre-built mechanics and a demo. I began by testing the mechanics to understand how they worked and interacted with the player and each other. After experimenting and documenting them, I created a rough level sketch featuring the puzzle.
My client originally wanted an isometric layout, but I found this didn’t accurately convey the level’s spatial design or fully utilize the 3D space. For the polished documentation, I switched to top-down layouts from multiple heights to better communicate the level flow.
Objective 1 + 2
I designed the level to encourage out-of-the-box thinking by separating objectives and puzzles into distinct rooms, with the third room initially out of reach. This creates the illusion that each puzzle is self-contained, though progression through Puzzle Room 2 requires obtaining a cube from Puzzle Room 1.
Puzzle Room 2 appears to require a cylinder, not a cube—intentionally misleading the player. However, using the cube to block a laser reveals the needed cylinder, prompting the player to apply a previous mechanic in a new way. The rest of Puzzle Room 2 involves directing a laser into the main room, unlocking access to Puzzle Room 3, where the reflection cube is introduced.
Objective 3
The final objective is to activate the exit switch in Puzzle Room 3. I designed this area to challenge the player to solve a timed puzzle, navigate skill-based platforming, and avoid a deceptive path. At my client’s request, I increased the puzzle’s difficulty and required more advanced platforming.
I chose to leverage the kit’s timed inputs, which control moving platforms and forcefield walls. While an obvious bridge leads to the goal, it’s too slow to complete the puzzle in time. The real solution requires retracing your steps and using a fast-moving horizontal platform to reach the exit switch before the timer expires.
Documentation
For the documentation, I provided layouts, puzzle descriptions/steps, a beat chart, and a flow chart. While mapping out puzzle steps made the flow chart straightforward, assigning difficulty to each step for both charts was more challenging. My client asked me to rate difficulty based on how hard a step is to figure out or execute in-game. In hindsight, using playtester feedback to score difficulty would have produced more accurate results.