Behind the Level Design of Shift 2
Yes, you heard me, that’s what I’m talking about. The Level Design process of Shift 2 levels.
Who knows? We might have something related in developement…
Let’s face it, designing batches of dozen and dozen levels while keeping our beloved player entertained can be tricky. So here are some tips and tricks we use in the making of the levels for our unique platformer (as a reminder created by Anthony Lavelle and Armor Games).
Evolution
While Shift 1 was featuring only 2 kind of level elements (doors and spikes) Shift 2 is featuring brand new elements which greatly improve the level design possibilities, hence, player experience. Let’s have a quick look at those.
Rotators:
This feature is a trigger represented by a 4 direction arrow placed on any simple black or white tile. If the player walks on it, the level rotates in that direction.
It is a very big change that introduces 2 new ways of seeing the level for a player. It also allows the design of much more aerial/platform-oriented levels, in which the player has to gracefully jump back and forth, avoiding deadly spikes while being rotated at each landing. Lot of fun in perspective !
Shift impermeable material:
This level element creates platforms which are not black or white, hence impossible to shift!
Impermeable material disolver:
This bonus goes with the previous, picking it up will transform a non-shiftable material that the designer has preset into a black or white shiftable square.
Customisable door:
We can now set 5 different lengths for the door. Yay! It means that it is possible to think of much cooler dynamic mazes using the doors to block or open path.
Design process
Let’s see what we got now… Design process, or how to use all the elements we talked about in order to create fun, challenging, and varied levels.
Find a base to start with:
It is nearly impossible to think of a Shift 2 level in one shot. Something will most probably go wrong and you’ll find yourself with a level impossible to finish, or really easy to exploit. As it is really difficult to plan out a level straight ahead, it is better off to start with a base. It can be some randomly placed platforms or a simple layout or a theme (such as the aerial level, for instance). Better not place any special elements such as door or rotators yet and keep them for the end.
Iteration:
It is common to almost every design process (be it game or level): Think about what you want to do, do it, test, redo, test, redo so on so forth until you have a satisfying result. The “redo” basically means to implement new elements if you have new ideas while testing, or fix the level (difficulties, impossibility to finish, exploits etc…). If you think you are done do not forget to have your levels tested by another person! At Fishing Cactus we have several designers and most of them will test your level at will. Of course once this step is done, the good thing to do is to playtest them with a completely unfamilliar tester (this is what we do when we externally playtest the game). By the way if you’d like to become a playtester for our games, stay updated we are currently setuping the playtest web form for you to register.
Design tips and tricks
Now here are just some hints on how to spice up a level. Some ideas to compose with, of course there is no special alchemy that works 100% of time.
Foresight:
When you design a level it is important to always foresee what will happen in the game. When you place a new element for any reason, always check if you do not block a previous step of your level. It can save you some time of test! For instance, a door once rotated can easily block a previous path you had setup.
Action repetition:
Get the player to perform the same action over and over for few seconds, like “jump+forward”. Doing so generally introduces a “robot” rhythm and the awareness of the player goes down, a good time to set a trap that will remind the player to stay alert! In a nice and not too frustrating manner of course 
. But what would be a puzzle/platform game without a whee bit of frustration?
Obvious path:
The obvious path is a way you can set the level to suggest a path to the player with subtlety. An open way with a useless bonus which is in fact a deadly trap is easier to go for the player than analyzing the possible paths if he would shift. Using rotators arrow can also be a nice trick, because of the directional aspect of the element, players are more tempted to follow the direction.
Surprises:
The surprise element is always good to have. In Shift 2 you can create such effects pretty easily as the player never knows what will change in a level when he picks up a key or a dissolver bonus. Example: you can push the player to a “leap of faith” where he has to take a chance jump right towards spikes, but there is a bonus to catch during the fall! It might save him, a door could turn and create a platform right above the spikes. Or not.
Confuse the player:
Using the dissolvers and keys you can literally transform the structure of the level. Now add the rotators and you will confuse the player so well that he will have the impression he is playing a new level.
Variations:
There are various other little ways of creating fun and various level. From real puzzle to pure platform, Shift 2 is really a nice game to develop level on! Do not forget to add some pure fun level (easy to do, but fun theme) to give the player some rest once in a while and you are good to go!
Contest?
You’ll get more information about this one soon enough 
