The exercise

Pathwardens - Deus Ex x Observer x 1984

Game synopsis

The main character (Sal) is a detective, so called Pathwarden, in a dystopian future where jobs are assigned to you by the state when you are born.

Sal is an enforcer of this brutal system, and his job as a Pathwarden is to look for families that are trying to hide their children from the system.

The more assignments Sal does, the more he is realizing the horror of what the system does to people.

Story beat chart

https://www.figma.com/board/F1WpIxqFLS5rrYjN9xw6P2/Pathwardens---Level-design-exercise?node-id=0-1&t=vryoqHephk2Tn84C-1

Level narrative

Sal (the main character)

• strong believer in the system; believes that the system is necessary for civilization to survive
• highly ambitious
• before this level, he only did trivial police work
• by the end of this level, he will start questioning his views and the system; this will continue to develop in following mission

The goal

• find a deviant family that are hiding their recently born child from the system
• take the parents into custody and the child to an “orphanage”
• since this is the first level in the game, the player’s motivation will be curiosity; by the end of the level, the player’s motivation and the main character’s motivation should align

Challenge

• the level takes place in a run down apartment complex located in a poor neighborhood, so there will be a lot of gangs and most residents will stick together