Level Design Concept

Prior to the final implementation of the level design, a greybox was created as an initial demonstration of what the game was set to look like, as shown in the image below (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1 – A greybox concept of the game (including sourced character models) 

Design process

The grey box was created using Blender using a cube. Creating the gaps/holes requires its modifier called Booleans (see Fig. 2), which combines meshes through one of the three operations:

Fig. 2 – The Boolean modifier's settings

• Intersect – Keeps all of the original meshes and only the volume that is inside the updated mesh.
• Union – Removes any internal faces from the redesigned mesh and then adds the source meshes.
• Difference – From the updated mesh, it cuts off the original meshes.

"Difference" was the method that was used to create the cavity.

Creating the shape for the hole started off by using a plane mesh; therefore, to extrude the edges to form it irregularly (see Fig. 3). Afterwards, the Solidify modifier (see Fig. 4) served to extrude the depth of the geometry so it can be used with the boolean on the base cube mesh.

Fig. 3 – Using the plane mesh to extrude to the shape by the edges

Fig. 4 – The Solidify modifier's settings

Timelapse

Here's a timelapse video of the design process (click on the image to view):

Final outcome (The Pits - 8th Feb, 2025)

The greybox idea led to a process made using the game engine (Unity) by one of the programmers, Raghav Suriyashekar, and it's by using a method of a randomly generated level called cave cascades, utilising an algorithm of creating cavities alongside a process in which volumes are built up in phases to form an intricate exterior hull that dictates the cave structure as presented in the three images:

Adding more to the concept:

Renders were made by adding point ligthing and pre-made models to further convey the game's vision.

References:

• Boolean modifier (2025) Boolean ModifModifier – BlenderManual. Available at: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/modeling/modifiers/generate/booleans.html (Accessed: 06 May 2025).

• Solidify modifier (2025) Solidify ModifModifier – BlenderManual. Available at: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/modeling/modifiers/generate/solidify.html (Accessed: 06 May 2025).

• Suriyashekar, R. (2025(2025).loping profit pits, K2314767 - CI7825 - Connected Games Blog. Available at: https://thetrippp.github.io/ConnectedGamesBlog/connectedGamesBlog.html (Accessed: 06 May 2025).