Portal 2 Community Workshop Levels
Portal 2 is one of my favorite games of all time; it is one of the games that made me want to design games as a career. For this student project, I designed five puzzle levels in the Portal 2 editor. The levels get progressively more complex and build upon the skill theme of using hard light bridges to bring a cube to a button. I focused on creating interesting and unique puzzles that are neither overly confusing nor too simple; ensuring that puzzles cannot be "solved" using gimmicks or unintended behavior; and developing challenge through adding layers of complexity over time.
You can play these levels if you own Portal 2 by downloading the levels from the Steam Workshop: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, Level 5 |
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WHAT I CONTRIBUTED
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PROCESS
1. Deciding the skill theme: The first step in my process for this project was deciding what skill theme, or set of gameplay actions, I wanted these puzzles to revolve around. I wanted all five levels to build upon each other by starting simple, then expanding on that focused set of mechanics in each level. I chose the theme of using hard light bridges to get a cube to a button. Each level involves this core idea but has a different spin on it.
2. Designing and building the levels: Since I was already very familiar with Portal 2's gameplay, I jumped right into building levels in the Portal 2 Editor. Designing these levels was a very organic process of choosing puzzle elements, brainstorming interesting ways to combine them with my skill theme, and constructing the space to support that gameplay.
My first step was building the walls and placing gameplay elements to make the puzzle solvable. I only placed white (portalable) surfaces where they were necessary to the solution. Then, once it was fully solvable, I selectively added more white surfaces-- usually surrounding necessary ones, and also in areas where players might get stuck-- to create more "noise" and make the puzzle more difficult to solve.
3. Solo playtesting and revisions: I tested each level extensively to search for bugs, exploits, and areas where the player might get stuck. I then revised the levels to make sure that they could not be broken and that the player always has a way to get back to their previous position.
4. Lighting: After the layout of the levels was solid, I added lights to improve the visual clarity of the levels. I studied existing Portal 2 levels to understand where lights are typically placed in the main game, and tried to emulate this in my levels. I almost always have a strip light on floors or ceilings above or below portalable surfaces, buttons, light bridge origins, and laser catchers. This helps draw the player's eye to the important elements in the puzzle. I placed the larger window lights on large non-portalable walls to illuminate the spaces below.
5. External playtesting and revisions: I conducted in-person playtests with a handful of players familiar with Portal 2. During these playtests, I did not comment on gameplay - players were left to play on their own as I observed. This round of testing mostly gave me insight into where puzzles were too easy or difficult, and where players had trouble figuring out what to do. I further revised the levels to improve playability and give them the right amount of challenge.
6. Publishing on Steam Workshop: After finalizing the levels, I published each of them on the Steam Workshop and made them available by link.
2. Designing and building the levels: Since I was already very familiar with Portal 2's gameplay, I jumped right into building levels in the Portal 2 Editor. Designing these levels was a very organic process of choosing puzzle elements, brainstorming interesting ways to combine them with my skill theme, and constructing the space to support that gameplay.
My first step was building the walls and placing gameplay elements to make the puzzle solvable. I only placed white (portalable) surfaces where they were necessary to the solution. Then, once it was fully solvable, I selectively added more white surfaces-- usually surrounding necessary ones, and also in areas where players might get stuck-- to create more "noise" and make the puzzle more difficult to solve.
3. Solo playtesting and revisions: I tested each level extensively to search for bugs, exploits, and areas where the player might get stuck. I then revised the levels to make sure that they could not be broken and that the player always has a way to get back to their previous position.
4. Lighting: After the layout of the levels was solid, I added lights to improve the visual clarity of the levels. I studied existing Portal 2 levels to understand where lights are typically placed in the main game, and tried to emulate this in my levels. I almost always have a strip light on floors or ceilings above or below portalable surfaces, buttons, light bridge origins, and laser catchers. This helps draw the player's eye to the important elements in the puzzle. I placed the larger window lights on large non-portalable walls to illuminate the spaces below.
5. External playtesting and revisions: I conducted in-person playtests with a handful of players familiar with Portal 2. During these playtests, I did not comment on gameplay - players were left to play on their own as I observed. This round of testing mostly gave me insight into where puzzles were too easy or difficult, and where players had trouble figuring out what to do. I further revised the levels to improve playability and give them the right amount of challenge.
6. Publishing on Steam Workshop: After finalizing the levels, I published each of them on the Steam Workshop and made them available by link.