The Detectives Quest

Embark on a gripping adventure as a seasoned detective, tasked with investigating the mysterious disappearance of the workers from an office building. As you step into the empty corridors and deserted offices, an eerie silence hangs in the air, punctuated only by the sound of your footsteps echoing off the walls. Alone in the empty building, you must unravel the secrets hidden within its walls and navigate through complex puzzles to uncover the truth lurking at the top floor.

Evolution 

This project initially started as a way to study how to use Unreal Engine's procedural generation within a game to create a wholly randomized layout each time the player begins the game. After considerable testing, the scale was brought down to test the concept of randomization within a game and level design using spawn points. This page shows the evolution of my thesis project "The Detectives Quest".

Thesis Question: How does the implementation of randomization in a games level design impact gameplay styles and the replay ability of that game? 

Key Aspects: 

1. Exploration-based Levels
2. Resource Collection
3. Puzzle Solving

Field of Study and Focus: Games

Focus: Game Design and Development

Program: Unreal Engine 5

Specific Focus: Level Design

• Challenge and Rewards in Level Design
• Game Mechanics and Systems in Level Design
• Randomization within Level Design 

Playtest 1 Progress: 

• Working Pick-Up randomized locations 
• Randomized amount of a pick-up item Looping level 
• Camera Shifts First Person and Third Person 

Playtest 2 Progress: 

• Working Pick-Up randomized locations 
• Randomized amount of a pick-up item Looping level 
• Combination lock 
• Interactable Objects and interface implementation for puzzle locks. 
• Replaced standard meshes to look more like an office themed game. 
• Discarded Infinite Loop and have a basic end screen at the end of the 4th level.
  • Level 1 & Level 3 
    • Includes pickup items and combination locks need to be solved to open the door. 
  • Level 2 & Level 4 
    • Several combination locks need to be solved in order to open the final door that leads to the elevator. 
    • Level 4's elevator leads to the end game screen. 

Post-Second Playtest Full Playthrough (Including changes made after receiving feedback:

Final version of the game uses binders as the pick-up items and has a more cohesive look to the final product. The spotlighted video only shows the first level of the final game. 

**Assets used in the game are not mine. They were purchased from the Epic Games Store.**

https://www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/product/72e5d424054442f2af8b52dd2...