Welcome to Behind the Doors once more!
We are going strong and continuing the tropical adventure with the second level of this category - The Lighthouse. And no, we don’t mean THAT William Dafoe and Robert Pattinson movie, which left us dazed and confused.. We mean the first level from the Doors: Paradox chapter!
The Idea
In this specific prototype, we had an almost finished idea (which is rare ːsteamhappyː). We liked the lighthouse being in the tropical area, because of the general sea aesthetic we wanted to display. Thus, incorporating small but meaningful details such as palm trees here and there and the wooden, rustic vibe was doing us a great favor by filling up a lot of unused space. The winding staircase was generally well liked, although we wanted to have a cool transformation just like in most other doors.
Beginner-friendly
Let’s start from the beginning - this level had always been conceived as the mobile tutorial, which would introduce new players to our game. We deliberately say mobile, because currently it is just the first level, not the tutorial. Nevertheless, during prototyping the tutorial part was essential to this level, which is why it is mentioned. We wanted to include the simplest of mechanics and entertaining animations to ease in the new puzzlers into the world of Doors, which has its fair share of intriguing and sometimes even difficult puzzles. Well, we naturally tend to be as inclusive as possible, so that all our players can find their enjoyment in Doors.
The Boulder
The idea of a transformation developed into this classic crushing boulder, which definitely wasn’t inspired by Indiana Jones. Plenty had changed from the conception all the way through to the finished look - instead of a winding path reaching from the bottom to the top, we divided the bottom and top staircase, in order to add the boulder mechanic. It got incorporated into the brick wall and added plenty of space on the top to include a few items and ANOTHER cool cutscene.
Finished Look
There were many small details, which contributed greatly to the aesthetic of The Lighthouse. The background was intended to be a sunset, so including plenty of contrasting orange and blue colors fit perfectly. The small light particles on top of the weather vane were just adding a simple but effective touch to the rotating light beams signaling all kinds of ships, maybe even pirate ships?!
All in all, the simplicity in levels is also what sometimes gives them their charm. A quick introduction to the Paradox chapter can engulf you into the magical world without even realizing. But don’t forget to take breaks when you need them and prioritize having fun above all else!
Thank You for reading this week’s Behind the Doors. Don’t forget to join our Discord to get notified about all our future posts and announcements, as well as chatting with the team and community!
If you enjoyed our demo and want to see more from Doors, check in with your favorite puzzle streamers, because plenty of them are already playing an exclusive 15-level version!