Boars in Rome

Tools: Unreal. Blueprints. Cubegrid. Modeling Tool.

Team Size: 3

Responsibilities:

Level design
Design and script character movement system
Design music and audio systems to accomodate composer's needs - for MetaSounds and Wwise.

A painterly, post-apocalyptic, parkour platformer.

A linear but open-ended platforming level. Taking inspiration from immersive sims like Dishonored and parkour games like Mirrors Edge.

I collaborated closely with an artist and a composer to bring this level to life.

Steam Page + Demo

The Game

Boars in Rome is a prototype for a chill parkour platformer.

This flooded level was created to:

Test the movement system.
Explore how players engage with an open-ended level.
Provide replayability via circular design / flow.
Explore how level decoration impacts parkour gameplay.

No explicit objective is given, I wanted to observe how players engage with the level, what path they naturally take, and whether they find their way into the factory (the real objective of the level).

The Level

The level is inspired by Rome and Perugia. An ancient aqueduct runs through the town of Perugia, this was adapted into the level to provide a guiding landmark for the player.

There are 3 main challenges tied to the aqueduct:

a small gap that must be crossed.
a larger gap and rubble that blocks the path forwards.
the factory itself, planted in the aqueducts path. The player must explore to find a way to platform up to the factory entrance.

the aqueduct in Perugia

overview of the level. The 3 main challenges are numbered

Ideation & Design

The level draws from three approaches to parkour:

Efficient. Move from point A to B as efficiently as possible (speedrunning player).
Theatrical. Express yourself within the space (stylish/mastery player).
Exploitive. Utilise the affordances of a space to the fullest (experimental/explorative player).

It is also inspired by parkour parks:

A good park provides versatile structures that can be trained with different techniques.
A better park is designed so that techniques can be chained between structures, allowing the athlete to flow around the park.

To accomodate these approaches and inspirations, the level is linear but open-ended.

Parkourable elements are spread throughout the level, allowing the player to chain moves in creative ways. There are always multiple ways to overcome each obstacle, no matter the player's skill level.

Basic depiction of paths and flow around the level. In reality, the movement system allows for more traversal than this shows

Final Design

Challenge 1

Small Gap

The level begins with a view of the factory and suspended boxes moving towards it. The motion of the boxes and smoke draw the players eye to the objective (the factory).

The aqueduct presents a central path forwards, though it is also possible to climb on top of the buildings.

The first challenge is crossing this broken section of aqueduct. A precise wallrun will get the player across, or they can take a side path.

On the left, there is a rooftop or alley that makes the jump simple.

On the right, there is a broken building providing rooftop access. Adventurous players can try to platform across balconies suspended over the water.

After getting across the gap, the aqueduct continues between two buildings. Rubble blocks the ground path, encouraging players to parkour to get through.

Alternatively, the player can cross a platforming section on the right, or climb onto a rooftop on the left.

Challenge 2

Halfway Point

At the halfway point, there is a much larger broken section of aqueduct.

If the player has been following the central path up to this point, they are forced to deviate and find a creative way across.

Every method to cross the gap funnels the player to this section of buildings on the right.

The common entrances to this next section are highlighted.

The player can wallrun across this billboard or...

Perform a precise slide to reach an open window. The window is lit from inside to make it stand out.

Swing across street lamps to reach an archway that leads into a wallrun alley

Or explore a sidepath that loops back to the broken aqueduct.

Challenge 3

Getting into the Factory

After crossing the halfway point, the player travels through a residential rooftop.

It is packed with parkourable elements that can be wallran, swung on, or climbed up.

The straightforward path is along the bottom. The stylish path is through the central alleyway. The fastest path is along the top, a partly hidden shortcut across rooftops.

The player is led to a view of the factory. There is no way to reach it from the ground level, but the path to the factory entrance is clearly visible to its left.

The player is encouraged to backtrack in a U shaped path, making their way to a small square.

Because backtracking can feel unnatural, the player is clearly presented with the left path that leads to the factory. It is elevated and easy to see, though innaccessable from their current position.

The player is beind led to this section of factory.

There are three main ways to get to this point. Across the rooftops, through a tunnel near the water, or by cutting through a broken section of factory.

A short climb up presents a straight path to reach the factory. A reward for navigating the previous urban environment and a clean transition to the next level.