Sneaky Construcion Site

Level Designer

Unreal Engine 5

Team Size: 1

Project duration: 3 weeks

FPS Stealth Blockout

Sneaky Construction site is a blockout created during a three week course during my time in school. It is a stealth level taking place on the top of a skyscraper under construction. This was my first experience working with modular pieces.

Playing as a kid, looking for something to eat, the player has to sneak around workers and guards to find the final muffin.

Layout

Area 1: Start & First Encounter

Area 2: Crouch & luring enemies

Area 3: Long sneak

Area 4: Activate crane & finish

Area 1: Start and First encounter

Muffin (goal of the level) spotted through a window as soon as the game starts.

The start of the level is designed as to introduce players to their objective, but also so that players get a clear idea of where the first enemy characters are.

Entering the area players can see their objective to the left, as the muffins are highlighted through a window in the foreman office.

When stepping forwards players can also see two enemy characters patrolling back and forth between set positions.

From the start players can also see one of their end goals, the crane controls that players need to access to get into the foreman's office and reach the muffin.

Crane controls, players goal to be able to reach the muffin

Enemy patrols spotted early on to with their backs towards players entering the area, giving them time to adapt and change their route if needed.

Two choices:

The two enemy locations provided players with two different choices on how to progress.

Choice 1:

Choice 2:

Choice 1: Gives players the option to follow the enemy close behind as they patrol. It also presents players with the option to hide behind a barrel if they want to bide their time.

Choice 2: Player instead loop around an enemy that patrols between multiple locations. Hiding behind boxes gives players the ability to sneak past the guard.

Player path

Enemy patrol path

Player path

Enemy patrol path

The two paths ultimately lead to the same goal, a ventilation shaft that leads to the next section of the level.

Area 2: Crouch & luring enemies

Area 2 is focused on luring an enemy character to a specific position so that you as a player can sneak past them and progress

Player path

Enemy path

Interactable object, used for luring the enemy to the location

Entering area 2, players can spot a static guard through a fence. This guard blocks players from progressing further into the level and they have to find a solution for their problem.

Interacting with the object catches the enemies attention, luring them to the location.

This also forces players to hide, as they otherwise would get found by the guard heading to their position.

Players explore the area and find an object they can interact with (ex. a toolbox they can knock over to make sound).

From this location they also have a view of the guard, and would see if it would start to move

Making use of the situation players can sneak on the outside of the area to slip past the guard and advance in the level.

Area 3: Long Sneak

The third area of the level is the longest during the entire level. It focuses on players sneaking around different static guards to reach the crane controls, seen earlier in the level during the start

The area is divided into two different floors which players have to traverse.

First floor where player continues to move from the previous area. More focused on being sneaky.

Player path

Enemy locations

Crane controls, player objective

Second floor, more focus on jumping and fast traversal.

Player path

Enemy locations

Crane controls, player objective

Heading into the new area, players are met with two different static enemies that they have to find a way to sneak around. Heading into the area between them would give the player position.

Safe player path

Unsafe player path, player will get spotted!

This is the first area during the level that players have to think about multiple enemy locations at the same time. Exploring the level, players will therefore find the leftmost path to be the only safe one, as they would otherwise be found by the guards.

Sneaking around on the left hand side, players can get past enemy guards and find an empty container that leads them to stairs, letting them traverse upwards to the second floor.

Rounding the corner suddenly reveals a nearby enemy, forcing the players to play extra carefully during this section

The area was intentionally created to lead players to the outskirts of the level to promote the feeling of exploration, while at the same time promoting the feeling of stealth, by staying outside enemy guards line of sight.

If players were to go inside the red square, the would be found by guards.

Once players have headed up the stairs, they get a clear view of previous areas they have been.

Using an open container hanging in the crane, player can jump sneak past a rotating enemy without getting spotted. Using a plank that conveniently sticks out, they can also reach a small platform to keep on progressing.

The only way forward from this position is by using a small beam that is laid out between the platforms.

In contrast to the container players just used to traverse, the beam creates a feeling of unease as players know they are visible in the open.

Feeling of safety in the container, as walls protect the player.

Sneaking past the rotating enemy, players can find cover on the other side of the beam, allowing them to hide quickly once they passed the guard. Players have now also reached the area of the crane controls, allowing them to interact with them.

Area 4: Activate Crane & Finish

Player path

Crane Interaction

Key card to foreman's office

Interacting with the crane controls raises the crane, allowing players to move between areas that were previously blocked off. It is now possible to use the door that was previously blocked by the cargo in the crane.

Door being blocked by crane cargo from another perspective.

Behind the crane controls players also find the foreman's key card, allowing them to open the foreman's office.

Raising the cargo crane allows the players to access the foreman's office from above by jumping into it. If done, players don't need to collect the key card to get to the muffin. Not all players realized this path, however I decided to keep it in the scenario as it gives players that realize the path a choice to express themselves.

Within the foreman's office, player can pickup the muffin, reaching their objective.

Reaching the muffin, players have reached the goal of the level and can exit out the same way they came from.

Player path

Game start/end

Goals:

Before the project started I set a couple of goals for myself.

Don't have unused/useless space
- I knew early on that it was important for me to optimize all the space in the level and not have areas that doesn't feel like they makes sense or doesn't have a purpose. In the end I believe that this was one of the strengths of the level, as it was something the teacher of the course, Tid Cooney (Previous Lead level designer of Cyberpunk 2077) commented and praised about it.

Use the same area for the start and ending of the level
- I wanted the level to have use the same place and area for the start of the level, and for players to loop back around to the same place, once they have reached their goal.

Create a setting with to take advantage of the setting for point of interests and sight lines.
- The decision for the level taking place in a construction site on top of a skyscraper, was that I didn't want to lock the player inside a confined space. Instead I wanted the player to feel like they've arrived to an area that has a lot of open areas (represented by the unfinished work of the building) with clear points of interests that represent what goals/objectives players have to focus on next. I think this works well, as players during multiple parts of the level end up in a position of privileged perspective and get a clear understanding of where they are supposed to head/do.

Examples of areas in the level where players end up in a privileged position.

Reflections:

This was one of the earlier level design projects I worked on and one of the main strengths reasons for why I think it turned out well is the focus on feedback sessions together with both the teacher, but also some of my classmates. It forced me to constantly reflect on the decisions behind design choices and made me realize the value of early and constant feedback.

One of the ways I would like to improve this project is by implementing enemy behaviors. As the assignment for the course I created this project for was to create a blockout, I decided not to spend my energy on enemy functionality as I instead wanted to focus wholly on the blockout and optimizing the spaces within it. Even though i'm happy with the result, the product could have been improved as the functionality would have made the level playable as intended.

Creating the landscape around the level would also have improved immersion. At the moment there are placeholder buildings around the the building the level takes place on. Working on the landscape to make the setting more realistic would make the entire experience more believable, since the story at the moment is very convenient.