Eat the Universe is a casual mobile game developed for Android/IOS where the player controls a black hole using touch-based input and seeks to absorb all objects in the level, steadily growing larger as they go.

​As my first mobile project, my task was to design levels that would stretch our simple mechanics as far as they could go.  Rather than expect the player to digest complex mechanics, we facilitated short play sessions and pick-up-and-play behavior through our level design.

Eat the Universe was developed by a four-person team in three months, using Unreal 4.
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This project afforded me the opportunity to get my hands dirty with Unreal's...stellar particle system. Sorry.
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A cyclical level design allowed the player to explore at free will, using large objects as landmarks to orient themselves

My Role:  LEvel designer

  • Created three levels, sequentially increasing in scope, that expressed the game's core mechanic (absorption) by providing interesting combinations of objects and hazards and varied paths to victory

  • Utilized Unreal's particle system editor for both gameplay conveyance and aesthetic "juice"
 
  • Assisted with production responsibilities by maintaining time sheets, task lists and a transparent avenue of communication​​

WHAT I'VE LEARNED

This project is important to me because it forced me out of my comfort zone.  Usually at ease designing first-person 3D environments, this was a step in another direction.  I looked forward to expressing my design strategy in a completely different gameplay context.  I love space, so it wasn't hard to get on board.

An iterative design method proved effective here and it allowed me to comfortably experiment within time scope, gather data, and rework the levels until testing feedback was favorable.
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To assist with player guidance and allow them to experience ease of exploration, not frustration, I incorporated nebulae as a visual motif in the background. Careful attention to color was also used to ensure the player intuitively knows what is hazardous and what can be eaten.