Kaodi
Kaodi is a short 2D narrative platforming experience, in which you control Barren on his way back home after being a key element in the victory over the Shan Republic. Explore a war-torn kingdom and learn about the scars the war has left on its inhabitants.
Kaodi is a game developed by Outlander Games and published by Dojo System.
I was contacted by Outlander Games to collaborate with them and help them polish their levels, since they had a few things that could be improved. I also made a whole new level for the game that they chose to showcase the game at BIG 2024 (Bilbao International Games Conference).
In addition to level design, I also made some game balance to make the fights against enemy soldiers more dynamic and entertaining.
What did I do in this game?
Level design polish
I played the entire game to provide them feedback they could apply to improve certains aspects of the game, like player’s flow, visual guidance in the levels… Some examples are:
- Guiding the player: Use of god rays or basic lighting to highlight important elements of the level and guide the player.
- Visual language: Stablished a visual language to help the player understand which platform he can stand on, and which assets are just decoration.
- Refinement of the camera system: In some sections where the player had to parkour across several obstacles, the path was sometimes unclear due to the camera not showing the platform the player had to reach. I made sure this issues were fixed for the final version.
Temple level
The team wanted to make a dungeon-like level that focused on the combat mechanics of the game, I was in charge of this task.
They gave me a narrative document that also included the mission the player had to achieve in this level to clear it, so after gathering some references and studying the different assets they had, like the player’s character, enemies, traps… I started building the level immediately.
Level narrative context
The player arrives at the entrance of an ancient temple and meets an explorer standing by the door.
The scout explains that his companions have been kidnapped by bandits who have taken over the place and asks for the player’s help to free them and put an end to the bandits.
The scout also mentions that he is sure that the temple hides some kind of extremely valuable treasure.
The mission:
- Find the scout’s companions.
- Find the hidden treasure (optional).
Part 1
As I started making the level, the team let me know that it was probably gonna be used to showcase the game at a videogame conference, so I decided to use the introduction as a tutorial where the player learns how to move, jump and dash.
To achieve this, the player has to overcome some simple traversal challenges to clear this introductory part. Once he’s done with this part, he encounters the first of the scout’s companions, who has manged to escape from the bandits.
Part 2
The player arrives at the bandits’ camp, which can be noticed by the appearance of prisoner cages that are being used to hold the hostages.
In this part the player is introduced to the combat of the game.
He will first be warned of the enemy presence thanks to the appearance of an enemy patrolling an inaccessible area, but clearly visible to the player.
Moving a little further, the player encounters an enemy with whom he will be forced to fight in a simple and isolated area. After doing some parkour, he will encounter a second enemy that can be easily dodged in case the player just wants to continue instead of fighting.
Part 3
The beginning of this area is marked by the appearance of a companion of the explorer who is locked in a cage. If the player interacts with him, Barren will free him and talk to him.
This dialogue is important because in it the explorer tells him that he knows that the treasure of the temple is very close. He also tells him that there is only one more companion left to be freed before returning to the entrance of the temple with the other explorers.
This is the last part of the level, and it mixes everything learned by the player in the previous parts.
There are both parkour and exploration challenges as well as combat challenges. In addition, the fights are now fought in areas with height drops and even traps that are constantly triggered, making the player have to pay attention to both his enemies and the environment, making these the most demanding fights in the level.
At the highest location in this part is the last captive explorer. If the player releases him, he can choose to be teleported to the exit of the temple, thus ending the level. Therefore, it is important that before teleporting he explores the level thoroughly to find the hidden treasure.
Secret area
The entrance to this area is hidden behind a cage attached to one of the temple walls, which is broken. If the player approaches, it is revealed that behind the wall there is a hidden corridor leading to this area (the effect is achieved with a shader made by the programmers).
This area has a simple combat and the most difficult parkour challenge of the level, where arrow traps force the player to move constantly and do not allow him to stand still to think about his next move or make any mistakes.
If the player passes this area, he will find the hidden treasure of the temple. Obtaining this treasure affects the outcome of some of the game’s side quests.