To create this game level, I used the character controller from Unity’s “3D Game Kit” and its character, Ellen. This level has no textures.

An earthquake wakes Ellen up. She comes round and realizes she is in a dark, dingy cell. How did she end up here? The last thing she remembers is carrying out clandestine archaeological excavations in Moscow with her colleague Raymond, following the discovery of strange artifacts in the area. The pair had been caught by the police.

She still has the radio connecting her to her partner. She turns it on, but there is no signal. All around her, there’s no sign of life. Everything is deserted. A quick glance around her cell reveals there are no windows. Ellen is in an underground complex. Her goal: reach the surface as quickly as possible to save her life, restore the radio signal, and figure out what happened.

This platforming level, lasting around twenty minutes, consists of three distinct stages.

The first stage is short and serves as a tutorial. Confined to her cell, Ellen must find a way to escape. By jumping from piece of furniture to piece of furniture, she can reach a partially open air vent. This phase allows the player to familiarize themselves with the game’s movement mechanics and discover the available abilities one by one.

The second stage takes place within the ventilation shafts. In this maze, the player must use their memory and a methodical approach to find their way out. A lack of attention can quickly lead to going in circles.

In the third stage, the player exits the prison and finds themselves in subway tunnels. This is by far the most difficult stage. It requires mastery of the movement mechanics and, more broadly, of the character controller. The experience gained during the previous phases becomes the player’s most valuable asset in tackling a final series of challenges:

• Jumping onto wall-mounted cables to get above the rubble blocking the path (technical jumps involving mid-air movement).
• Executing a daring leap from one suspended subway car to another (long jump).
• Climbing a tangle of pipes to reach the emergency hatch, illuminated by the train’s headlights (gaining height with the risk of falling and having to start again).

Level designer: ROCHOTTE Lilian