Dart Frog Studios
Role: Creative Director / Level Designer
Team Size: 13
Tools: Unreal Engine 5, Adobe CC, Github, FMOD
Dates: August 2024 - April 2025
Game Overview
Frest is a 3D Platformer in where the player controls the main character, Riley. Riley is sent to another world after finding a portal in their backyard. They travel to the mystical world of Nekojima, a world inhabited by humanoid cats. The player navigates and completes 3 worlds known as provinces using platforming. Each province has a boss the player must beat before progressing to the next province.
Design Goals:
Develop and refine game mechanics that are intuitive and enjoyable, allowing players to discover and learn them organically through interaction, rather than relying on explicit instructions.
Create engaging and enjoyable levels that guide the player without restricting freedom or breaking the natural flow of gameplay. The goal is to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience that encourages exploration while maintaining a clear direction.
Responsibilities:
Game Design Document Development
Level Creation
Mechanic Design
Task Overview
Player Character Riley in 2-1.
Riley preparing to do a super jump to overcome the obstacle Infront of them in level 2-1.
Riley using frog powers to climb a sticky wall in 2-1.
Section 1 of level 2-1
Close up of level 2-1 section 1
Timed Laser section found in 2-1
Final Area of Section 1 in 2-1.
Overview image of 2-2: "Show us... The Hole in the Laser Wall!"
Level Design Overview: Level 1 - 1
Overview
Level Theme:
A series of wooden structures present in an overrun forest.
Design Goal:
Establish and tutorialize the players movement mechanics, while guiding them through the level using the Teach Train and Test principles. In addition to introducing the player to the game, my goal was to smoothly introduce the player to how FREST’s level structure is laid out linearly. While the structure of the linear level will incentive players to naturally learn the control scheme, there will be signs with iconography that communicate to the player what actions must be taken in the level.
Section 2: Down Up, Up Down
Progression Details:
After learning the basics of jumping the player reaches a draw bridge. In order to release the drawbridge, the player jumps down to the area highlighted in yellow, where they will be prompted to use the ground pound mechanic to press a button (highlighted in red) to lower the draw bridge. For the player to get back up to the draw bridge, they are taught how to wall jump to get back up to the top platform.
Section 1: The Forest Floor
Progression Details:
In this area the level forces the player to learn the core mechanics of any platformer, jumping. The player is unable to continue past the area in red without being able to jump and move.
In the following yellow area, the player is unable to continue down the path without using double jump. The player is then trained with a series of jumps in an unsafe area, just past the double jump training area.
Section 3: Swinging
Progression Details:
In this area, the player learns the grapple swing. Each red circle indicates a grapple point. Here the player will have a safe area to first use the grapple point, in the color green. It is then followed a “dangerous” place to use it, highlighted in yellow. In this area the player is also incentivized to use a short alt path to find a bonus collectable as well as using the ground pound (red) mechanic to lower the draw bridge.
Section 4: The Top
Progression Details:
Here at The Top, the player is introduced to the main enemy of the game, The Gorfs. In this situation I only placed one so the player can get used to how the gorf acts.
