About Ariks Path

Level 1: Altar puzzle

Player experience

The player enters the final area of the map. As the player draws closer to the end, a camera pan reveals a way that leads to an altar. A second pan shows it from a close-up angle, revealing four empty sockets.

• Following the same path, the player arrives right in front of it. The player will notice a big glowing statue. Above it, a UI element, showing the input ‘B’.
• The player picks up the statue and places it into one of four empty sockets on the altar. Following that logic, to open the altar, the player needs to attain three more statues in the area.
• After finding them all and placing them, the altar lights up and a gate opens up.

Gameplay loop

• Search the area using the World switch
•  Find a statue and place it on the altar
• Search for the next statue

Like the other puzzles, the switch between two worlds is essential in solving this puzzle. The features the player has learned throughout the first level will reappear to test the player and his understanding of the mechanics.

For example, the situation described in chapter

(World Switch), where a boulder blocks the way is going to be one of the obstacles.

Additionally, this puzzle will introduce the player to one of the reoccurring core features. To obtain one of the last statues, the player must burn down a thorn bush using a flame.

Level 2: Music puzzle

Player experience

The player enters a huge valley. A bridge connects both ends of the valley with each other. By stepping onto the bridge, a camera pan is activated and reveals details of the map:

• In the middle of the valley lies an area with four big platforms (see concept level 2).
• The bridge connections between most of the platforms are broken down (see concept level 2).
• At the end of the level, the player notices a big cave entrance.
• After the camera pan, the player regains control and is able to make his way onto the bridge.
• By following the bridge, the player will arrive at the first platform and see a trigger button.
•  The mask indicator suggests the player to switch into the ghost world.
•  The player steps on the trigger button and activates a camera pan to the middle platform.
•  She will hear a melody in both worlds. In the ghost world, she will be able to see symbols corresponding to the notes.
• Advancing to the middle platform, the player sees four note buttons with glowing symbols on them.
• By stepping onto one of them, the player will be able to replay one of the sounds heard in the melody. The note buttons give the player the possibility of replaying the melody.
• By playing the notes in the correct order, a sound cue indicates the players' success and a part of the bridge, connecting the middle platform to the next one will emerge.

Gameplay loop

• The player activates the trigger button and listens to the melody.
•  She replays the melody using the note buttons.
• On success, a bridge opens up the path to a new trigger platform

The player must successfully accomplish this gameplay loop three times. Each loop triggers a longer melody to replay.  By completing this challenge, the last broken part of the bridge will rise, connecting the two sides of the valley.

As described in the experience, the player will be able to see symbols in the ghost world corresponding to the four notes in this puzzle. After stepping on the trigger button and activating the melody, the symbols will appear in the same rhythm as the notes in the melody. To identify the right note buttons, each one of them has one of the same four symbols attached to them.

By activating the trigger button in the real world, the player only gets to hear the melody. But by activating the platform in the ghost world, she will see the corresponding symbols to the notes of the melody.

By failing to replay the melody, the player must try to replay it from the beginning. However, the player isn't forced to step on the trigger platform for the second time.

Level 3: Last puzzle

Player experience

Upon entering the last level, the player finds himself in a swamp. Immediately the mask of the player starts glowing.

•  The moment she switches into the ghost world, she notices footprints of a deer, along the path. By following the footprints, the player is able to find the right trail through this maze-like level.
• Some of the routes are dead ends. Others reconnect with an already crossed road. In order to find the right path, the player needs to follow the trail of the deer.
• After a while, the player discovers the footprints of a bear following the tracks of the deer.
• In the real world, a trail of blood appears, hinting at the fact, that the deer got wounded. In the next phase, the player follows the blood trail.
• The second part of the level consists of reaching a gate at the edge of a high platform. A camera pan shows the player an overview of the whole area.
• To reach this ledge, the player needs to use a combination of the already acquired skill of burning down thorns in addition to a newly discovered mechanic, the sliding block (see chapter 2.4: sliding block p. …).
• The player has reached the top of the ledge and now proceeds through the last gate into the last scene of the game.

On his way, the player will sometimes encounter the footprints of other wild animals, like rabbits, foxes, bears and other deer. Those footprints will be tainted in a slightly different colour scheme than the one the player follows. The player needs to be able to accurately distinguish between the footprints of the deer and the rest of the animals.

In addition, the footprints of other animals won't lead the player any further into the level. It is necessary to keep following the trail of the deer.

Another important point concerns the dead ends in the level. It is important to note, that they are very short. The player doesn’t get stressed out because she followed the wrong way for too long.

Finally, the level has some easily identifiable landmarks (i.e. owl statue). These help the player of navigating the level a lot easier and help the player orient himself in the game world.

The workplace is in the games academy berlin, where we not only work on this project but also educate ourselves through lecturers from all over the world.