Dominic - V0.0.1 Devlog - Creating the Tutorial and Level 1

The first thing I was tasked to do in our team was create the tutorial and level 1 designs. Creating a tutorial level that is engaging to the player and thoroughly teaches the basic mechanics of the game can be challenging to do correctly. If a tutorial does not properly teach the player of all of the abilities and skills they have at their disposal, they might miss out on aspects of the game or get confused when they are expected to use an ability in order to progress but they don't know how to use it properly. After creating the tutorial, creating a fun and engaging level 1 that challenges the player to utilize all of the skills that they learned is the next challenging task. 
As I was creating the tutorial level I though about the most important things that the player should be taught before they enter the main level to play. The first thing the player experiences is how to interact and use the shadows to their advantage which is the most important part of the game and what the whole game's gameplay is about. After the player learns how to use their shadow, they enter a room where they are faced with enemies and they are taught how to defeat enemies using their shadow. Once the player defeated the enemy they progress and enter a room where there is a wide gap in the floor which cannot be crossed by normal means. The player will have to utilize their shadow powered double jump in order to cross the gap and that will teach them how they can use the extra boost in their jump to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. After they cross the gap, they enter the final room of the tutorial which will require the player to use all the abilities that have been taught in order to defeat the enemies. Once the enemies have been defeated, the player will obtain an item. This item will introduce the inventory system and using the item on the locked door that exits the tutorial will put them at the start of level 1. 
For the creation of the first level, I thought about all the dungeon type games I have played in the past in order to think of a level that would be interesting and engaging for the player. I researched many different dungeon maps in many games and what made them fun and engaging. Our level 1 consists of many different "stages" of a dungeon. First, the player is put into a large room with many enemies and they are tasked with maneuvering through the room while defeating enemies and obtaining items. The player will be met with locked doors where they will have to problem solve and figure out how to unlock these doors. By defeating enemies they will receive keys and these keys will unlock doors that lead to more enemies or items. As they progress through the level not only will they have to worry about enemies, they will have to complete puzzles to progress. Adding puzzles and traps to the level adds a more dynamic feel to the level oppose to just having to defeat enemies.