Project Overview

• Level Name: Ruins of Echo and Time
• Game Title: N/A
• Type of Level: Linear
• Design Goals: Make a level with balanced combats and puzzles. The level includes cutscenes or wow moments amazing the player

Description: Ruins of Echo and Time is a linear level featuring making use of echo rune bells to fight with enemies and solve puzzles that block the player’s way. The player will hear a mysterious and magical sound that asks for help. It is actually a princess’ soul captured in a magical gem. The player’s mission is to release the captured soul by smashing down all the enemies guarding the gem.

Level Objectives

• Main Objectives:
  • Investigate the source of the sound in your mind
  • Unlock the way to the bottom of the lake
  • Defeat the Golem of Echo Rune
• Secondary Objectives:
  • Explore the history behind the world space by collecting environmental storytelling pieces
  • Collect all collectibles in the game
  • Solve all puzzles to earn all rewards

Narrative & Setting

• Context:
  • The ruins once were the capital of a magical realm. This realm owns the most advanced knowledge and techniques of runes and spells. As their magic becomes more and more powerful, they become arrogant and further show off their privileges. With their magic power, knowledge, and time, the imperials and noble sorcerers turned the whole capital into a flying magical device. The device separated the ground underneath the capital and cut its bonding with land. As a result, the whole capital becomes a flying island in the sky.
  • However, this grand plan didn't stop the imperials from increasing their privileges against other nations. They wanted to make something that could easily destroy a realm in seconds. As a result, the high-class sorcerers started making magical experiments, which eventually led to an unexpected magical accident that ruined the whole realm.
  • In the catastrophe, all citizens in the capitals disappeared, and no one knew where they had gone. As time flew by, the flying castle broke into smaller parts and became a ruin with different magical creatures wandering around, which were created by those disappearing citizens and imperials.
• Environment:
  • This island is a part of the capital and contains a temple, a colosseum, part of the castle walls, a lake, a magical academy, and some buildings owned by citizens
  • The whole island is an uncharted place flying in the sky with sunshine from above
  • The island is slowly moving, wandering in the sky and going through the clouds
  • All buildings have been weathered and eroded. There is debris from broken buildings, containers, and clothes.
  • Vines and foliage dominate the city, giving a sense of shabby and fallen.
  • Some plants were altered by the magical catastrophe, and they became glowing.
    • The closer the player is to the center area, the larger amount of glowing plants is
• Themes:
  • Mysterious
  • Spiritual
  • Magical
• Tone:
  • Relaxing, live, ethereal, and curious, emphasizing exploration and a sense of solar above the clouds
• Points of Interest:
  • Major:
    • A lake in the middle of the level. It was a lake owned by the imperials and nobles for using grand spells.
    • A magic academy by the lake
    • Broken castle wall around the lakes
  • Minor: colosseum, broken buildings

Gameplay Mechanics

• Core Mechanics:
  • Melee attack: Swinging a sword
  • Ranged attack: spell arrow from the left-hand
    • The ranged attack can trigger sound runs from a distance
• Unique Mechanics:
  • All enemies on the sky island have a magical shield that can help them reduce all incoming damage. The player needs to utilize the echo runes bell to perform effective damages
  • Some magical devices and building structures are controlled by runes and bells. The player needs to activate them in sequence to toggle these devices and structures
• Level Design Interactives:
  • Rune bells (in total, four types)
    • Each rune bell contains a unique magical power and symbol.
    • Each rune bell can deactivate a certain kind of shield used by the enemies
    • Activating the run bells in sequence can toggle some building structures and magical devices on and off.
  • Buttons that can trigger cutscenes
    • Activate the bridges on the lake
    • Release the lake water

Level Beats