An asymmetrical couch co-op submarine simulator for PSVR.
My Work
- Designed and built over 40 unique deck levels, each with unique challenges and balancing across difficulty modes and player counts, resulting in over 120 variations.
- Implemented narrative events throughout the game.
- Collaborated with 3D artists to build over a dozen ocean maps, each supporting multiple levels and story beats.
- Led the post-release content strike team, working with gameplay programmers to develop new mechanics.
The Gameplay
The goal of each level is simple, achieve a 3 Star rating by gathering and stowing as much Treasure as possible. Each player takes on one of two roles:
- The Captain (1 Player): Playing in PSVR, this player is responsible for clearing obstacles in the ocean and harpooning treasure chests with their Plunger Launcher. They can also help the Crew on deck by using their slingshot to throw boxes across the deck.
- The Crew( 1-3 Players): Playing on Flatscreen, the Crew are responsible for crafting ammunition for the Captain, processing and stowing away Treasure to score points, and keeping the deck clear of Junk and TNT.
Each simple process—such as combining a green and blue block in a machine to craft Plunger ammunition and loading it in a launcher—becomes a complicated web of priority and time management, with players bickering and stepping on each other’s toes. Levels open like the calm before the storm, a sedate stream of treasure chests makes for an easy-to-maintain deck. Before long though, the deck is swamped with crates, Treasure, and explosives; the Captain is yelling for more ammunition, the Crew are scrambling to keep on top of their tasks, and the whole team comes Under Pressure.
Designing the Ocean
Exclusive to the Captain’s gameplay, the Ocean was the backdrop of a rail-shooter rhythm game.
Each began with a sketch, outlining key vistas and pathways. In greyboxing, the first draft of the level’s rhythm and tempo is implemented. The pacing of Treasure Chests was the biggest dial for adjusting the play experience of a level. Many low value chests keeps the Captain’s attention fixed on the Ocean, while a few high value chests leave them free to help out on the deck. This enabled each level to have its own intensity curve, carefully timing peaks of intense action in the ‘chorus’, with ‘verses’ giving some breathing room for the Captain and Crew to clean up.
Designing the Deck
Each deck had one goal, to provide a meaningfully unique challenge unlike anything the players had encountered up to that point. Ultimately, a deck needed to establish clear tasks for the crew, and then introduce complications in how they’re executed. There were a few ways of achieving this:
- Increase the complexity of the layout, and therefore the difficulty of efficient play.
- Introduce a new task, such as advanced treasure compaction.
- Introduce a new mechanic, such as TNT, that either changes a player’s task priority or makes executing their current task more difficult, such as icy surfaces.
- Use an old mechanic in a new way for the same purpose as above, such as Treasure Slots blocking the player’s path.
These were all explored over the course of the 40+ decks I created, where even the smallest change, such as adding a single step up between two machines, could dramatically impact the overall flow and difficulty of the level.
Owen Bass 