BioShock – Mad God | Personal Project | UE 5 | 2022

NOTE: This is an live page which I’m using to document my level design process. Apologies if its a little all over the place.

Level Design work

• Created level blockout inside UE5 using cube grid and modeling toolset.
• Collected reference, designed level layout, planned gameplay beats, spaces and encounters, designed and implemented puzzles
• Used blueprints and sequencer to script player interactions, gameplay events and enemy routes us
• Conceptualized and scripted narrative moments.

Download and play the current version of the level here

Gameplay & narrative beats, intensity and level flow

Gameplay & beats

1. Arrive at the lighthouse
2. Bathysphere Gas trap
3. Collect Radio/Meet the stranger
4. Jumping and crouching (TUTORIAL)
5. Collect the wrench
6. Melee Combat (TUTORIAL)
7. Plasmid puzzle
8. Exit level

Further reading: BioShock – Level design project – Planning

Blueprints & Sequencer

The following shows some of the various gameplay blueprints that I’ve scripted for the level e.g. actor blueprints for the Secruis doors so I can reuse them throughout the level, a teleport blueprint contained in the Level Blueprint and the sequence which plays the lighting event as the player enters the lighthouse.

Level Design Research

I began by replaying BioShock, BioShock 2 and Minerva’s den to get a general feel for how the levels are designed. As I played, I noted down, the general layout of the levels, environmental storytelling aspects, story events, splicer attacks and pickups.

Planning & Reference

Further reading: BioShock – Level design project – Planning

Related pages

1. BioShock – Level Design Project – Reference
2. BioShock – Level design project – Lighthouse
3. BioShock – Level design project – Planning
4. BioShock – Level design project – Update #1
5. BioShock – Level design project – Update #2