Virballs - Level Design

ABOUT: VIRBALLS

Virballs is a fun, action-packed shooter/platformer available on Steam and Epic Games. As an Object Removal Bot also known as ORB, it is your job to capture the Virballs that are running amok throughout the system. Combine captured Virballs to create new ways to battle enemies, with over 40 unique combinations! Explore and fight your way through 6 unique planets as you come across adorable Floobers needing help, dangerous enemies to defend against, and epic boss battles that will unlock new Virball combinations for ORB to use.


If you would like to check out the game, here is the Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2343110/Virballs/

WHAT I DID:

During my contract at Bolder Games, I was asked to help design tiles for the game’s procedural level generation to use. While level design is not something I had done before this, I found that I really enjoyed it! Making sure to keep certain restrictions and boundaries in mind, each hexagonal tile presented fun new challenges.

I found it both challenging and rewarding to design each tile to meet a certain difficulty. Since the tiles I made were for the later Worlds in the game they had to be overall challenging but should still range in difficulty as the tiles were made for different Levels within those Worlds. The type, amount, and size of enemies spawned could sometimes really change the difficulty and I had a blast testing and overcoming these challenges as I designed over 30 tiles!

Below are some of my favorite Tiles for each of the Worlds I helped design for! In each I was responsible for landscape painting, set dressing using a library of custom-made and store bought assets, placing and designating enemy spawners, and leading the player through the placement of collectibles and pickups.

WoRLd: VIO

Lower Difficulty Tile - "Town Street"
Vio_Lvl1_J4 (3).png
Vio_Lvl1_J4 (2).png

Lower Difficulty Tile - “Town Street”

Lower Difficulty Tile - "Town Square"
Vio_Lvl1_J10 (2).png
Vio_Lvl1_J10 (3).png

Lower Difficulty Tile - “Town Square”

Lower Difficulty Tile - "Elevated Streets"
Vio_Lvl1_J11 (3).png
Vio_Lvl1_J11 (2).png

Lower Difficulty Tile - “Elevated Streets”

Higher Difficulty Tile - "Platforming"
Vio_Lvl5_J5 (3).png
Vio_Lvl5_J5 (2).png

Higher DIfficulty Tile - “Platforming”

Higher Difficulty Tile - "Tiered"
Vio_Lvl5_J6 (3).png
Vio_Lvl5_J6 (2).png
Vio_Lvl5_J6 (4).png

Higher Difficulty Tile - “Tiered”

Higher Difficulty Tile - "River"
Vio_Lvl5_J9 (3).png
Vio_Lvl5_J9 (1).png

Higher Difficulty Tile - “River”

World: Bogarta

Lower Difficulty Tile - "Maze"
BOG_Lvl1_J3 (4).png
BOG_Lvl1_J3 (2).png
BOG_Lvl1_J3 (3).png

Lower Difficulty Tile - “Maze”

Lower Difficulty Tile - "Pools"
BOG_Lvl1_J5 (2).png
BOG_Lvl1_J5 (3).png

Lower Difficulty Tile - “Pools”

Lower Difficulty Tile - "Elevated Island"
BOG_Lvl1_J8 (3).png
BOG_Lvl1_J8 (4).png

Lower Difficulty Tile - “Elevated Island”

Middle Difficulty Tile - "Vents"
BOG_Lvl3_J11 (3).png
BOG_Lvl3_J11 (4).png
BOG_Lvl3_J11 (2).png

MEdium Difficulty Tile - “Vents”

Higher Difficulty Tile - "Pirate Port"
BOG_Lvl5_J14 (2).png
BOG_Lvl5_J14 (3).png
BOG_Lvl5_J14 (4).png

Higher Difficulty Tile - “Pirate Port”

Higher Difficulty Tile - "Slime Depot"
BOG_Lvl5_J16 (3).png
BOG_Lvl5_J16 (2).png
BOG_Lvl5_J16 (4).png

Higher Difficulty Tile - “Slime Depot”

World: Scortopia

Final World Tile - "River Crossing"
SCOR_J1 (3).png
SCOR_J1 (1).png

Final World Tile - “River Crossing”

End World Tile - Bridges
SCOR_J2 (3).png
SCOR_J2 (2).png

End World Tile - “Bridges”

Final World Tile - Bridges Destroyed
SCOR_J3 (3).png
SCOR_J3 (2).png

Final World Tile - “Bridges Destroyed”

Final World Tile - "Castle Room"
SCOR_J4 (1).png
SCOR_J4 (3).png

Final World Tile - “Castle Room”