Level Design
Overview
Sister's Shadow's level design evolved through two major iterations and is still in development. The first established the core concept inspired by classic survival horror, while the second rebuilt it into a fully traversable world. Now the team is working to establish a flow for progression as well as fixing issues where possible. Below you'll find how those designs developed and the philosophy guiding the level design approach. The map continues to evolve in current development, with additional zones and refinements underway.
Contributed Breakdowns
PHILOSOPHY
To make every environment understandable and fit with the story:
Elaborate map design and flow to reinforce ideas like backtracking
Changing environments that introduce obstacles as the player progresses for freshness
Rewarding exploration gameplay so players “feel” like a real detective looking for clues
Safe zones that provide relief and narrative breathing room before danger escalates
Puzzle design integrated into more than just progression
Iteration 1
The original concept drew heavily from Resident Evil's first game. Players would navigate a rundown estate, gradually unlocking new areas as they solve puzzles and gain resources. Two major zones connected through a central hub, with a sealed final area that became accessible after sufficient exploration. The structure was sound but the execution was small, just a prototype. Feedback however was good, and meant scaling up would yield positive results.
Iteration 2
With new team members and lessons learned from playtesting iteration 1, Iteration 2 focused on clarity and scale. We expanded to four major zones, each with distinct visual identity and navigation logic, all feeding back to a central hub. This redesign would solve the pacing problem and players would knew where they were and where to head given clues. We finished a full blockout and texturing, creating a navigable world that could support detailed content and even expand when ready.
Before & After
Iteration 1: without the final zone north
Iteration 2: without set dressing and foliage
