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This FPP Survival title was created over 8 weeks by 15 students at Futuregames Warsaw and Futuregames Sweden. Following an “Environment” theme, we used Unreal 5.6, Jira management, and Perforce to create a dynamic and unforgiving landscape.

Project Roles:

Level Designer

QA

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click a Role to see details

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This game is about testing your limits. How far can you walk in the brutal temperatures? How long can you ward off the animals that no longer fear you? How well can you keep your bearings in a land of ice?

To find these answers in Cold Signal, you must try, fail and try again. Finding the tools to stay warm, healthy and safe are the only way to traverse the snowy research facility and its points of interest. With a compass for guidance and flares to light the way, you must find the components needed to repair communications. But beware; your fate is no accident.

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Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkTiBmrdvO0

Roles

Level Design

This snowy survival map presented many challenges. Chief among them; How do you dictate the intended paths in a mostly ‘Open World’ map covered in a blanket of white? The deck below shows some of our solutions and the stages of the level’s maturation.

Top-Down Plan

The core idea was to balance the freeze-to-death mechanic time with the distances to each of 3 main POIs. Thus, initial spacing from the HQ tower (center) and line of sight to the tower were paramount for navigation and overall gameplay. Later, the frozen ice areas would be expanded across the map.

Blockout

Beta Top Down

The original blockout included main POIs, rough elevation sculpting, planned routes, map boundaries, ice placement, and impassible ridges. With fall damaged and animal attacks/navigation planned, height would be useful for steering both the player and AI, providing overwatch for the player, and hiding spots for enemies.

After the final landscape asset was generated in GAIA by our technical artist, fine tuning spacing, contouring ridges and ice sheet placement became a daily exercise. Paper design to this stage took about 4 weeks.

Where to Go….

Seen through the tent window in the opening cut scene, and when you exit, stands the beacon and center point communication tower. This lighted blinking landmark anchored the player’s location at all times…reaching it in time was another story:)

Framing and Line of Sight

From the center tower (main object point), each of the 3 main POIs were made visible, sometimes with small occlusion. The use of negative space around and in front on the areas was used to draw attention, and in the case of the initial Cabin POI (pic), landscape and ridges were sculped to point at the area as well.

Drawing Attention and Rewards