The tiny viking - Mission 01 - “ In the beginning”

References

Puzzle Room One

Main objective: Escape with the crank component for the catapult.

Gameplay type: Tactical, physical based gameplay puzzle.

Gameplay mechanics used: Pick up, push, pull, and turn.

Design

At the start of the puzzle there is a crank that is holding open the main door. The crank sits inside a wooden cog that is connected by rope that is tied-up like a pulley system.

The player cannot complete the puzzle without the crank device. The crank can be pulled out of the wooden cog, but doing so will trap the player inside the room. I added this element mainly for a different approach; by using the reward to solve the puzzle as well as building the puzzle around the main objective. To aid the player in solving this, there is something written on the wall that states; “Crank up the wind to let you go”, giving a hint that a device has to be used.

In the middle of the room there is a large gap. As the character type is little, they are not able to jump across to the other side. There are two windmill sails by the entrance and two on the opposite end. At the end of the room are windmill bases.

By using push, pull and pick up mechanics, the player is able to get the corresponding sails back in each windmill at the end of the room. The sails have to be connected in a certain way using a criss-cross format. Beside the mills, towards the right, are markings that can help the player solve what position the windmills need to be in if needed.

The windmills need to be in this format: + x + x

 Once this is done, the player can push the crank into a slot next to the mill, to wind up them up. As they generate wind there is a hole located high up in the wall that is reachable with the wind.

 As the mills gain enough power, the player can release the crank and use a locking device by the main connection of the mills. By simply pushing a wooden latch to keep the wind continuing, the player is able to escape through the hole in the wall by jumping up gaining extra height with the crank. This hole leads the player back to the entrance of this puzzle room.

When returning to the main area, the player can then use the catapult. The Little Viking will fully wind it up and strap himself in. When attempting to use the catapult, the player simply splats against the large intruding door in a comedic way.

Design

At the start of this puzzle, as the player enters the room, they will come across a large area with Viking boats that are scattered around in a lake, slightly swaying from side to side. At the end of the room lies a chest that the player needs to get to.

Some shields are covering the right side of the wall. Located on the left wall are two open holes with wind blowing out of them if the player has completed Puzzle Room Two. If the player chooses to enter the Puzzle Room Two first, they can only solve part of this puzzle. I thought this was a good purpose to contain a link between the two rooms, as it adds more depth and natural progression to the puzzles and the area as a whole. Alongside the undersides of the holes are ledges for the player to navigate around by jumping along each ledge. This only goes so far, to stop the player being able get to the other side of the room too easily. In addition, due to the size of the character being small and the water being too vast and deep, the player cannot swim. As a result, the player cannot simply swim across to the other side of the room.

To navigate over the water, the player has to stabilise the amount of wind by lifting up the shields on the right side wall. Doing so will centre the Viking boats. The player can pull open each shield in to three positions: slightly open, halfway open and fully open. The correct way to positioning the shields is shown in the design below:

Once this has been done, it will allow the player to jump from boat to boat across to the other side.

On this side of the room lie some rocks, broken oars and a broken sail. The broken sail can be used to construct a trampoline, to reach the upper area to get to the chest. As the sail is partially on the rocks, the player can push and tilt the oars to raise and hold the sail at a reasonable height to be able to jump up onto some cargo stacked up high.

The player then is able to receive the Spiky Viking Helmet from the chest, allowing the tiny Viking to smash through the large wooden door in the main area via the catapult, completing the puzzle and continuing his journey.