Portal 2 - Prison Break
Role: Level Designer
Project Summary: A narrative-driven level series created in the Portal 2 level editor, designed to tell a story entirely through environmental and gameplay design. Players experience a prison break and rely on four companion cubes for assistance, gradually developing emotional attachment as each cube “sacrifices” itself. The story culminates in a dramatic twist where the final companion cube betrays the player, emphasizing themes of trust, attachment, and loss, all conveyed without dialogue, cutscenes, or text.
Responsibilities:
Designed 5 puzzle-centric levels to communicate narrative solely through player interaction and level layout.
Crafted companion cube mechanics to build emotional attachment through consistent gameplay interactions.
Balanced puzzle difficulty and progression to reinforce story pacing and tension.
Iteratively tested layouts to ensure the intended emotional beats were effectively communicated without external storytelling tools.
Focused on environmental storytelling techniques such as space, lighting, and level flow to guide player experience.
Accolades: A+
Editor: Portal 2 Level Editor
Level 1 - Cell Block
In this level the player learns to utilize buttons and control switches. It’s intentional that they begin to become dependent on their companion cubes.
Level 2 - Sewers
In this level the player learns how to use bounce gel to jump back and forth over the deadly sewage water. In the end they must leave behind a companion cube in order to progress.
Level 3 - The showers
The players find themselves out of the sewers and inside the prison bathrooms. They can now use speed gel to help them make longer jumps. Again the player must leave behind a companion cube in order to progress.
Level 4 - Ceiling Vents
The player has to operate switches from above to manipulate the rooms below them. Once they deactivate all the laser grids, one companion cube must stay behind to deactivate the last one.
Level 5 - Escape?
With only one companion cube remaining the player can scale down the side of the prison. In the windows they can see their previous companion cubes being detained by prison guards. Just when the player thinks they’ve escaped, their final companion cube betrays them.