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Project Overview

Play as the Sandman and dispel all Nightmares within the sleeping mind of a child. Throw sand to put enemies to sleep, then turn them into harmless dreams. 

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Contributions:

  • Blocked and set-dressed Level 2 (of 2) as a winding puzzle platforming section, where the player must travel back and forth as they open paths to progress further in

  • Designed and balanced a system in which the player spends their health to shoot projectiles that stun the enemy

  • Designed and balanced 3 enemy types, including a crusher that becomes a platforming element when destroyed

  • Sprite Artist/Concept Artist

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Team Size: 2 Students

(class project)

'Sandman' Full Walkthrough

(Note: The level I designed starts at 02:35)

Sandman Level Design

(project information in this section may be present in others as well if relevant) 

Note: Website still under construction. This page will be expanded with more diagrams, gifs, and text

Game Overview:

The player controls the Sandman, dispelling Nightmares and turning them into dreams. Sandman's health is represented by an hourglass that is emptied by enemy damage, however the sandman can draw small amounts from this same hourglass to shoot sand projectiles that put enemies to sleep. Being hit by an enemy will set the hourglass to low sand, and being hit with low sand will result in a death. The player must use this ability wisely and replenish sand at dream flowers, all while hunting down every Nightmare in this puzzle-action platformer.

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Level 2 Overview:

I designed the second level, where the initial dream environment transitions into a full Nightmare. Being the last level, it deviates from the straightforward design of level 1 to become more maze-like, requiring the player to explore and backtrack into areas after altering elements that would block their progress. Along with this Metroidvania-esque structure, Level 2 features more difficult platforming challenges, and encourages increased use of sand-projectiles despite how they're limited and drain player health.

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Level 2 Playthrough:

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Level 2 Layout:

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The full level layout shown here can be divided into 3 major sections-- although the player may not fully complete the sections from first to last:

  • The 2 red circles with legs are fast-moving 'Crabs' that patrol their platform

  • The large red rectangle is a 'Crusher' that crashes down when the player enters under it. Killing one turns it into a moving platform that moves along its vertical path

  • The red enemy spitting projectiles is a 'Shooter' that continuously lobs left-to-right projectiles

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  • The red rectangle is a horizontal 'Crusher'

Section 1--

  • The player must get rid of a barrier wall using a Blue Button below it, then ascend to where the barrier was by defeating a Crusher enemy (turning it into a moving cloud platform)

    • The necessity of this Button may not be obvious until confronted with the barrier blocking their path​

  • Then a platforming challenge ensues as the player jumps over projectiles spat by the 'shooter' enemy to defeat them

    • The player moving to the left immediately illustrates how this level isn't a simple right-to-left progression

Section 2--

  • The player is then confronted with a 2 part puzzle. Step 1 is to destroy the barrier blocking the crushers path using the Blue Button

    • The button is a the end of a tunnel guarded by Crabs​

  • Next the player must go back and jump over a couple floating instakill spikes (represented by X's) to summon the Crusher. After the crusher hits the spikes, the player must quickly platform back up to jump on it before it leaves

    • This challenge requires the player first figure out the solution, then execute it quickly​

  • Now a cloud platform takes the player along the Crusher's old path, into the firing line of a shooter they must now avoid while on the platform before defeating.

    • There's a checkpoint flag after this obstacle​​​

Section 3--

  • The player must again bait a crusher to defeat it while its down, giving them a platorm up

  • This platform takes them into the firing-line of a shooter, however a ledge to the right means the player can rest their before timing an assession between it's blasts.

  • After defeating the shooter, there is a checkpoint flag next to the final Gold barrier below the player

    • Gold barriers require the gold button to destroy, which can only be activated after all enemies are defeated​

  • A challenge of multiple Crabs all running over intant-kill spikes must be overcome

    • The sand projectiles are good for stopping crabs over safe ground, making​ landing  on them easier

  • A checkpoint is located before a horizontal crusher that must be baited to reach the gold button via its cloud platform transformation

    • The gold button is in view of its barrier, so the player sees the effect it has​

  • Finally the player backtracks to where the barrier was, drops down the long hole into a tunnel leading to the portal out of the nightmare

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