Level 4
Surprise!
In level 4 players get to meet the terrifying "Wreck-a-hedron"
NEW MECHANICS
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Breaking glass.
DESIGN GOALS
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Teaching players that glass is breakable.
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Teaching players that boxes can break glass.
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Conveying that the Curator is definitely not worried about the players' well-being.
PLAYERS LEARN
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Boxes require inertia in order to break glass.
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Players can walk on glass
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If glass is blocking an area, the best approach is to look for a box to break it.
The Wreck-a-hedron
The level starts with players witnessing a scripted sequence, where the Wreck-a-hedron breaks the glass to the viewing room. This automatically teaches players that the glass they have been seeing is breakable, and that boxes can break it.
A new mechanic for an old game element
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Level 4's goal is to teach players that glass is breakable, as well as how to break it. To teach this lesson, we came up with a shocking initial scripted sequence, where Wreck-a-hedron swings and breaks the viewing room's glass window. This scene teaches players two things: that the glass have seen in all the levels is breakable, and that boxes can break it.
The initial scripted sequence of the level teaches players that glass is breakable.
The destructionist phase
The second puzzle of the levels lets players break several panes of glass to get familiar with the mechanic. It also teaches them that boxes need a certain velocity to break glass.
Players like breaking glass, but not at all costs
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Originally glass breaking created strong opinions from playtesters. Players would find it extremely fun in some puzzles, and not entertaining in others. We realized that players loved breaking glass when it was their goal, but they did not enjoy breaking glass on accident. After that, we made sure that to put glass in place that players could only reach on purpose.
There are many glass-breaking puzzles in the level, but we always make sure that players break the glass intentionally.
Break all the glass!
Once players have gotten used to breaking glass, they get to a final challenge that combines the lasers from level three with the glass breaking mechanic.
The importance of sound
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One of the things that we wanted players to know was that boxes can only break glass if they have enough inertia. After much testing, the best solution to convey this concept turned out to be sound. When players hit a glass with a slow box, a sound tells them that the glass is fragile, but that the box's force was not enough.
After getting audio feedback, players realize that they need to drop the box from the ceiling, in order to break the glass.
