By Cailean Treloyn, Ross Vandenberg, Winston Stuart and Aymen Abdalla

Welcome

-Cailean

Welcome to week 5ish, of development. Testing is done, but development continues, we are getting close the finish line and this will be the last devlog most likely. We have a new path forward and we are trying to get it finished, lets talk about it!

Modelling

-Cailean

I've done quite a bit of modelling, lets talk about it.

So first off. If you've followed some of our personal devlog posts, we created a barrel or barrel like object, I'm adding it to this project for variety and/or a potential obstacle. This created with just a cylinder the edges shrunk down then just separating our some duplicate bands to create the well, bands.

Next up, we needed more buildings. Using the techniques discussed in the the previous devlog, I created a different pattern wall asset for a To achieve this really rapidly, I relied on the use of modfiers to really get this going. Mirror and lots of nested array modfiers, then instance variables after some basic modelling to rapidly iterate on this.

Next I returned to my older modular building design, I wanted make some taller buildings following the exact same process. The Taller and the Taller er building. Pretty straight forward.

Next object was a wooden crate. I made the crate using 5 cubes, and some basic indentation of some internal bevels, which gave it a bit of a planky look.

I also gave it some quick colouring using materials.
Next on the doll is a hot air balloon. I used a techninque called propotional editing allowing me to influence vertices beyond the one I grabbed. Then using it on a icosphere, I cut out the bottom and dragged it down, I flattened the top so the pogostick may be able to jump on it!

I made a pallete, by making a plank out of a cube by scaling it, then using nested array modfiers to create the pattern.

Last thing I did, was make some really simple rooftop accessories like a rooftop access and skylight. These where really simple changes, just simple grabbing and shaping.

Level Design

- Aymen

As our gameplay direction evolved, we made a significant pivot in our level design approach, shifting from the original "Stilts"-focused horizontal layout to a more vertical traversal-based design. The updated level layout emphasizes height differences, platforming, and player movement across floating or stacked structures.

In the new design (see image above), the environment is constructed within a terrain-surrounded arena, giving a natural boundary to the playable area. Tall, uneven mountain-like edges encircle the map, ensuring the player remains within the main environment.

The new level design introduces a strong focus on verticality, dramatically changing how players engage with the environment. Elevated buildings and platforms are positioned at varying heights, compelling players to navigate using upward and downward movement, adding depth to exploration and puzzle-solving. Bridges and small jumpable gaps now connect these structures, requiring careful timing, momentum, and precision to cross successfully. At the heart of the level is a central-ish flat ground, a relatively flat, grounded space that provides a staging ground for the player to make their plans before their journey. This new vertical approach also alters the gameplay loop: instead of the player respawning at a checkpoint upon dying or triggering a reset, they now drop all the way back down to the central area, increasing the stakes of each jump and encouraging skillful, deliberate traversal.

This pivot supports the newer mechanics we've introduced and tested, such as pogo-based movement or other traversal upgrades, and makes for more dynamic level engagement overall.

Movement - The End of the Line (and a Fresh Coat of Paint)

- Winston

And so, here we are. End of the line, at least for now. Following the testing session, we were given plenty of feedback on some changes that need to be made, but - overall - those who tested our game were reasonably happy with how our movement system functioned. Well, except for one thing.

The main change following the testing session involves feedback about the current camera system. Specifically, that there isn't one. Thanks to the power of Cinemachine (plus some much-appreciated help from Ross to get it working), there is now a fully functioning camera system in-game, which can be controlled with either the mouse or with the right thumbstick. The player rotation, which was originally on the right thumbstick, was moved to the left and right bumpers to allow for this addition in functionality.

The other changes surrounding movement were mainly regarding minor bug fixes and tweaking mechanics to ensure that the gameplay feels fun.

Menus and UI

- Winston

Following the testing session, the in-game menus have received a complete overhaul. For instance, the title screen has been changed to now show an in-game view of the level shown in the above "Level Design" section (from an angle to show as much of the map as possible).

In addition, the 'reset' button binding has been replaced with a pause menu, with options for both restarting the game (replacing the 'reset' functionality), and for quitting to the title screen (replacing the "exit" button in the game view.

Game Juice

-Ross

The game initially felt a bit like a grey-box prototype—functional, but lacking personality. To inject some much-needed "juice" and bring the world to life, we made several enhancements. We added textures to Cailean’s models, integrated sound effects for the pogo stick, and introduced background music to enrich the atmosphere. The ambient lighting was adjusted to create a perpetual dusk effect, giving the environment a more immersive and moody tone. We also implemented a landing particle system for the player character, adding a sense of impact and weight.

While the player character still needs additional animations to truly feel like a living, breathing entity, the world itself has become noticeably more vibrant. Small environmental details—such as barrels, pallets, and witches’ hats—are now scattered throughout the landscape, making it feel less sterile and more lived-in.

Whats Next?

- Winston

And with that, comes the end of yet another devlog, and very nearly, the end of our time together. While we're very happy with how Stilts̵ has turned out, there's still some work that needs to be done before we're ready to call it 'complete'. This mainly involves some final tweaks and adjustments in all areas to ensure that the game is just the right amounts of fun and frustrating. If we are able to get another devlog out before that time, we'll see you next time. Otherwise, thanks for sticking around, and we'll (hopefully) see you after semester is finished!