A two-part school exercise : first a design document adapting an existing game to an open-world structure, then a level prototype with a landmark, several points of interest, and environmental storytelling guiding the player.
A two-part school exercise : first a design document adapting an existing game to an open-world structure, then a level prototype with a landmark, several points of interest, and environmental storytelling guiding the player.
↓ skip to deep diveThe exercise : turn an existing game into an open world. I picked Cult of the Lamb, whose universe and gameplay had strong potential for expansion.
I designed Limbos of Narinder as a prequel, with Narinder, one of the original game’s deities, as the protagonist. The player follows him through a mystical world, exploring hostile territories while expanding his influence.
On the game design side, the challenge was integrating a cult management system that fit an open-world structure. I drew on existing structures, notably from the Assassin’s Creed franchise, while deepening the management dimension to stay true to Cult of the Lamb‘s DNA.
On the level design side, once the design document was finalized, I had to create a playable area integrated into the open world, with a landmark and three distinct access paths. I analyzed my world map to identify the most relevant zone given the time constraints. My pick : a frontier village, a key location in the player’s progression before reaching the central regions.
I then sketched a paper plan to position the points of interest and visual perspectives, before tackling Unreal using the landscape and procedural foliage generation systems.
The risky bet : instead of a traditional blockout, I went straight to integrating assets matching the intended atmosphere. It was risky, especially on scale adjustments between character and assets, but it paid off. I was able to set up environmental storytelling, encounter zones, and quests while optimizing production time.
This project gave me a better grasp of the complexity of an open world, particularly the integration of management systems and the structural constraints inherent to that kind of environment.
On the level design side, it was a real challenge to create a coherent and immersive space in a week, while avoiding the pitfalls of using prefab assets without a preliminary blockout.
This exercise confirmed my interest in the dual role of game design + level design. That approach is what allowed me to join Dying Sun as a level designer.
