When the Crow Sings
Safe Haven Studios
When the Crow Sings is a dystopian adventure game in which you take the role of Chance, a new resident to one of the few remaining compounds in the country. There's no time to settle in, as something dark lurks around at night and threatens your safe haven.
Position:
Level Design
Engine:
Unity
Photoshop
Unity
Ref Board
Click-up
Discord
GitHub
Participants:
15
Tools
Development period:
8 months
Responsibilities:
Created a map for the level, signifying key gameplay features and elements.
Designed a block out to combine flow, pacing and gameplay features.
Utilized the terrain system to create a natural environment.
Set dressed the environment using assets from the art team.
Added in lighting to illuminate the critical path and quest objectives.
Created particle systems to represent corruption.
Planning
At the start of the design process, I received a basic sketch to serve as the foundation for the level’s layout and themes. I was responsible for developing a quest concept for the location, along with designing interactable elements that support environmental storytelling.
References
References of foliage, cabins and rural environments were gathered to get an idea of the environmental design and how to shape the design of the level.
Foliage and rural structures
2D Map
First iteration
Foliage and different environments
Perspective, lighting and flora/fauna
I created a 2D map of the level to plan out all the gameplay features, including interactables guest objectives and specific landmarks for quest items. Throughout production this map went through multiple iterations.
Final iteration
Processes and features
I used unity’s basic shapes to create a block out of the level. I used the terrain tool to create a natural environment and I added in some lighting early on to start playing with the tone I wanted for the environment and pathing.
Fiber: Plants and foliage
Interactables
Rock stack near river
Quest Design
Ultimately, I decided that the quest objective for this area would involve helping Yule construct a fishing rod. The player is tasked with locating three required items Each quest item area was uniquely defined.
Stick item: Campfire gathering space
Wire: Old gazebo
I used pathing and lighting as primary tools to guide the player toward their objectives. Heavier dirt textures were painted onto the terrain to lead the player to the initial quest pickup location, which in this case was the NPC.
Lighting and pathing
Preview
Some items in the level serve as interactable elements that provide foreshadowing for the story, as well as interesting information about the NPCs and the world around the player.
Warning sign on the ground
Axe on log
Corruption
I designed and implemented corruptive elements increasing the density and spread of the particles and having a progressively warped fence to visually communicate the growing severity of the corruption coming from zone 1.
Night 1
Final
Day 2
Blockouts
Day 3
Iterations
Throughout the design process, the level and its features went through multiple iterations to reach the end result.
First iteration
General Layout
The level would contains three quest-related objects and at least two interactable items. I used Unity’s Terrain tool to create a simple landscape. I placed trees in ways that it would not obscure the player camera or interfere with the quest locations.
Trees were adjusted and removed to better facilitate the isometric camera. The terrain was smoothened out and adjusted to make traversal cleaner. I set dressed a variety of environmental assets, including rocks, trees, bushes, leaves, plants, and logs.
Final iteration
NPC PLACEMENT
Initially I placed this levels NPC, use on the dock located next to his fishing house. I ended up moving the NPC farther out into the natural pathway of the player so they can come across him naturally instead of having to look around for him or discover him.
First iteration
Final iteration