Level Design for Game

Action-adventure Stealth Game

My Role: Game & Level Designer, Programmer

Level Summary

Rifts: Shadow’s Ascent is a 15–30 minute stealth-action level where the player infiltrates an ancient Aztec vampire temple to rescue prisoners before they are sacrificed in a midnight blood ritual. The level blends puzzle-solving, stealth mechanics, and combat encounters to deliver a tense and atmospheric gameplay experience.

Story Background

Rifts TRPG: Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the story follows a veteran vampire hunter recovering from a near-fatal battle with the Vampire Intelligence. The encounter awakens dormant powers in his blood, revealing his true nature as a Dhampir—a half-human, half-vampire hybrid who must now confront his own curse to stop the next ritual.

Design Goal

Design and implement a fully playable game level within the Rifts tabletop RPG universe that:

Teaches player core gameplay mechanics.
Delivers narrative moments that stay faithful to the IP’s tone and lore.
Integrates art assets, lighting, and VFX created by the art team to reinforce mood and storytelling.

Project Info

Duration

Team

Tools

Platform

4 Months

7 Members

More Detailed Game Project Information:

Game

Level Overview

Outside Desert

Teaches basic movement and control.
Introduces mission background, world setting, and player backstory.

1

2

Top Platform Entrance

Introduces the Sixth Sense ability.
Expands worldbuilding through environmental storytelling.
Introduces early puzzle mechanics tied to the ritual lore.

Floor 1 – Inner Temple

Establishes the core gameplay loop.
Teaches the Shadow Step ability.
Introduces ranged combat and traps.
Reveals fragments of the player’s identity and backstory.

3

Floor 2 – Deeper Temple

Use of all learned abilities and knowledge.
Locate the prison key and portal to free the prisoners.
Concludes the player’s identity reveal and main story arc.

4 Level Layout

Level Beats

Act 1

1. Start - world intro, atmosphere, mission setup

2. Blood Ritual Platform- puzzle & lore

3. Resonance with boss - Story beat, foreshadow, connection

Act 2

4. Crouch Room- stealth intro, movement training

5. Shadowstep - core ability learned

6. High Platform - multi-skill combination challenge

7. Wild Vampire Room - combat escalation

8. Trap Room - puzzle-combat

Act 3

9. Prison - exploration, mission objective shown

10. Library - story beat, rising tension

11. Lord's Palace - puzzle, combat, climax

12. Rescue & Escape - resolution

Pacing & Intensity

Design Techniques

Landmark

Distinct architectural structures serve as visual anchors, guiding the player’s navigation from a distance and reinforcing spatial orientation.

Leading Lines

Blue Ley Lines emit energy that subtly directs the player’s movement while showcasing the unique aesthetics and mystic technology of the Rifts universe.

Verticality & Vantage Points

Secondary platforms create strategic observation areas that allow players to survey enemy routes and plan their next move. These spaces also highlight the Shadow Step mechanic by enabling traversal across vertical gaps.

Onboarding

Tutorial moments for player abilities are carefully placed throughout the level. Each introduces a new mechanic, provides space for safe practice, and later escalates into strategic applications in real scenarios.

Foreshadowing

Cinematic moments or environmental clues preview upcoming objectives and puzzles, preparing the player both narratively and mechanically before entering new spaces.

Lighting

Deep shadows provide cover for stealth, while brighter white lighting marks doors, safe zones, and intended paths, reinforcing visual guidance through contrast.

Environmental Storytelling

Set dressing and prop placement communicate the lore of the Rifts universe—blood-stained altars, remnants of sacrifice, and ruined architecture subtly reveal the vampire kingdom’s history.

Risk & Reward

Optional paths and challenging encounters reward exploration with loot, health pickups, and lore notes, encouraging curiosity and rewarding player initiative.