Xiao Wei
Level Design
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Using Design Strategies to Create Engaging Co-Op Puzzle-Solving
Gameplay
The goal of this thesis project was to I spent six months on my thesis project
interesting gameplay in co-op puzzle development, playtesting, and iteration.
explore how to create satisfying and
games, including how to teach the
player puzzle mechanics and manage
difficulty curve and how to encourage the
communication and cooperation between
players.
I chose this topic because I’ve always
been interested in both puzzle games
and co-op games. I wanted to learn
more about how to design puzzle games
and co-op games and how to put them
together effectively.
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LEVEL DESIGN
in total, including research, design,
My final artifact is a Portal 2 co-op level
series consisting of six puzzles. In this
process, I developed my skills related
to puzzle design, difficulty balancing,
and gameplay scripting. I also gained
a better understanding of how to make
puzzle games fun to play and how
gameplay affects players’ cooperation
and communication. I believe my process
could be useful to the industry when
implementing levels in which core puzzle
mechanics are given.