Isola Festival - Concept
The goal of this level is to find the hidden documents of research that Federico, the antagonist has stolen!
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In order to find them, Sofia will have to find evidences by looking for notes or by listening to aristocrats discussions.
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Indeed, this night on Isola Festival, an aristocrat evening occurs. Let's join the evening, not to attend Federico's speech but well to retrieve your stolen documents!
However! There is a "loop"hole
The level is time-driven! Every 5 minutes, the whole island of Isola Festival will be propulsed back in time. The only way for the player to stop the loop is to retrieve the documents, and quit the island.
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It's by playing several loops that the player will gather enough informations concerning the position of the hidden documents, but also informations about the occuring of the evening, that will bring him to the end in less than 5 minutes.
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The more you have informations, the more you will be efficient!
Which path will you take to gain time? Which guest will you follow to obtain crucial informations?
Influence the loop
A lively evening that can be influenced!
In order for the player to gather informations and finally reach the place where the documents are hidden... They will have to look for evidences.
Those evidences can be found by reading notes directly put into the level (books, notes, lost papers...) or by attending the differents "Evening Events".
Evening Events
The level is a real puzzle in itself! And every piece of it can be called an Evening Event!
An evening event is a discussion or an action made by the NPCs of the evening, for examples :
- Federico's Speech
- A private discussion with a suspicious lady
- A surprising phonecall
- Thieves that also want the hidden documents
- A guest not allowed
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All those events occur at the same time on Isola Festival, but each event brings the player a piece of the puzzle!
"Where the documents can be? Some guests heard a strange discussion! The upstairs is not allowed for the guests, there is probably something there"
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By gathering informations and going back in time, connections will be made and eurekas will happen!
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*Every informations will be noted in the notebook by the system, under the form of Sofia writing what she is experiencing on the island.
In this case, around 2 minutes in the level, several evening events occur at the same time!
The player can "wait" the restart of the loop to attend evening events that he couldn't have before, or try new things by using the NoTemp'o!
NoTemp'o and his effect
His concept is really simple but his effect is really powerful!
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Simply freeze an NPC or an object in time during several seconds.
But what happens if you freeze an NPC that should have speak with another one? A new time branch is created!
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Meaning, a lot more Evening Events to attend and informations to gather!
A prototype of the NoTemp'o created by Sofia at the beginning of the game.
Charlotte, a special guest, arrives on Isola Festival (1) She goes to the bar to talk with Federico (2)
So they talk and they arrange an appointment later(3) But if she is frozen in time due to the Notemp'o, she won't go talk to Federico but she will wait for him after his speech (2.A)
Finally, after they talk later on the evening, she will fight with other jealous guests. But, if she is frozen and she doesn't have the later talk with Federico, then she will go mad and think Federico that stood her up.
Charlotte, a special guest, arrives on Isola Festival (1) She goes to the bar to talk with Federico (2)
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Here is the whole concept of Isola Festival, an evening occuring always the same way during 5 minutes before restarting again, and again... Except that you, the player, have a powerful gadget preventing events to occur and creating new time branchs.
Hidden Paths and Time Limit!
Since the level is time-driven and as the replaying of our map is an absolute necessity in this game, i decided to create differents paths that the player will discover along his journey through the loops, to find more and more efficient ways to complete the mission.
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Using one of the 2 main mechanics, the Teleportation Module*, the player can reach heigher spots but also infiltrate the manor with elegance and discretion by passing by the vents.
*Like Sombra in Overwatch (for the one who knows), you lauch a little gadget and can teleport to it!)
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It was fun to create those paths because they can really simplify the player's life. And like in some dishonored levels, offering special manners of accomplishing missions is a real reward for the most adventurous players.
Teleportation Module
Creation Process
At first we were 3, then we were 11. Though, my main task as the creative director was to elaborate a level and all the narrative aspect of the investigation, the lore, the dialogues etc. In order to create an immersive experience and to give an orginal concept to our game.
First Sketches/Ideas on paper
Finding ideas and concepts, and making of some ideas on illustrator
Level Art and integration of the assets by Laura and Alexandre in Unity
First Sketches/Ideas on paper
Even if I was in charge of the whole level design and the narrative aspect of the game, several members of the team bring their ideas and feedbacks, to create a game that represent the most of us!
Our main references
