Preface
In this level, the player escapes from a hospital facility recently captured by an evil organization called the "Syndicate". The Syndicate discovered the growth of a rare mushroom within the hospital, where the spores started to affect certain patients, turning them into valuable test subjects for the Syndicate's research on the mushroom's effects. The player takes on the role of one of the test subjects. Due to a recent power outage, the player awakens from a simulated sleep caused by one of the Syndicate's machines. Now, they need to seize their chance and escape using stealth while threats roam around the facility. Before delving into the details, I have recorded an example run, which you can view here:
Gameplay Video
Details
I gathered references for my level and looked up real-life hospital floor plans to make the architecture as believable as possible. When I had my material ready, I sketched out a few layouts of the level.
After completing the plans, I began blocking out the hospital in the editor. Using the 2D plan I created as a foundation, I experimented with various scales and minor layout changes until the dimensions and structure felt right.
The player begins in a dark, quiet room, waking up from a coma. As they look around, they realize they're in a hospital ward with a locked door. After unlocking it, they catch a glimpse of a guard passing by, accompanied by a menacing sound. This immediately signals the threat they need to avoid, encouraging them to adjust their approach to the level accordingly.
After the guard passes, the player can exit the ward and enter a dark hallway (the screenshots only show well lit hallways for documentation purposes, please refer to video), which is dimly lit by a few lights on the floor. These lights are connected by a long cable and direct the player towards the power room.
Along the way, they come across an open elevator. However, when they try to use it, they are notified that the elevator requires power to work. Since the stairs next to the elevator are blocked, the only way to leave the hospital is by restoring power to the elevator.
When the player enters the electrical maintenance room, known as the "power room", they have the option to activate an emergency generator. This generator provides just enough power to light up the facility and grants the player an authority card. With this card, they can locate and activate the main power switches, restoring full power and allowing them to escape via the elevator.
The player then navigates the hospital's hallways to locate all the switches. They must consistently evade the guards and take cover in nearby rooms or behind objects. There is a continuous sense of tension due to the risk of being detected by any of the guards. The eerie music intensifies this feeling, although even without the music, the level remains quite nerve-wracking. The number of times I watched my friends jump in their chair while playtesting the level because they suddenly got shot at is uncountable. Because the AI pathing is mostly random, the player never knows what might be around the next corner.
Along their path, the player also stumbles upon several small research sites established by the Syndicate to study the mushroom.
This allows for world-building and narrative development through level design, rather than relying on lengthy notes or texts to convey the backstory. While there's nothing inherently wrong with storytelling through text, I personally prefer the "show, don't tell" method.
At the end of the level, once the power is restored and the player takes the elevator, they find themselves in the sewer tunnels directly beneath the hospital. A boat from the Syndicate is awaiting them, and when the player uses it to escape, the level end. This transition could seamlessly lead into the next level, maybe featuring an intense boat chase with the Syndicate's special operations team. This shift would give the player a break from the quiet, tense, and claustrophobic environment, adding a bit of action.