Game Asset:
It’s Not Christmas Without Cookies
It’s Not Christmas Without Cookies is the title of the game level I created in Unity. It was created using modular kit design. Gingerst Castle is based off of Hurst Castle, located in California.
Game plot summary:
As revenge for eating their ancestors, the gingerbread cookie family, the Gingersts, have been abducting people on Christmas to eat as a treat every year for decades. You have been caught this year! You managed to escape their hold, however, you are now lost within the maze of Gingerst Castle. As the family searches for you, they block off different exit and escape routes. Your only way out will be to complete the cookie cutter by finding all 3 pieces hidden within the castle, and cutting your way through the gingerbread walls. Search for them—but be quiet! You must avoid being found by the family.
-Programs used: Maya, Unity, Substance 3D Painter, Substance 3D Designer
2023
Modular Kit Item Renders
Behind the Scenes
While most of the textures are from Substance 3D Assets, it did not have a core asset that I needed: gingerbread cookie textures. To get the texture I needed, I used Substance 3D Designer.
Below is a screenshot of my Designer document, along with a recording of a close up of the texture at different angles.
Gingerbread Texture:
First, the layout of the maze was created using a random 8x8 maze generator online. Once the base maze was chosen, I added stairs to random spots. Then, I colored all the lower levels dark purple, while making the higher levels light purple. Lastly, I chose the spots that would have the hidden cookie cutters and marked them in with the identifier, “CC.”
Below is a top view of my level in Unity and the maze map with its key.
Maze Structure:
I started off with figuring out the height of my first person character. From there, I decided what the height of the walls and curved ceilings would be.
I then calculated the length and width of my staircase. Since my level would be of a mansion, I wanted the stairs to be long and high. I included treads into my design. Once I calculated the dimensions of each step, I was able to replicate it in 3D within Maya.
I wanted moulding at the bottom of the walls, with alternating sizes of indentations. Using the base wall length (762cm) as a reference, I figured out the lengths of each indentation to create a seamless pattern.
Pre-Production Planning:
