ORDER OF THE KING

This level is a mid-game zone where the player travels from a flooded swampland into a cursed castle stronghold.
The layout is built to support Souls-like exploration, combat pacing, and natural environmental storytelling across three major biomes:

1. Rot-Water Swamp (Start Zone)

2. Dead Village (Mid Zone)

3. Castle Approach & Elevated Grounds (End Zone)

1. Start Zone – Rot-Water Swamp

Design Goals:
• Create an immediate sense of danger, low visibility, and tight traversal.
• Funnel players into controlled melee encounters to teach spacing and stamina use.

Design Notes:
• Twisting paths limit sightlines, forcing cautious navigation like classic Souls swamps.
• Hidden enemies lurk behind curves, teaching players to read the environment.
• Water slows player movement slightly, adding tactical weight to combat choices.
• Branching micro-loops allow optional pickups and back-tracking safety pockets.

This zone introduces navigation pressure before players reach the village.

2. Mid Zone – Dead Village Settlements

Design Goals:
• Mix open combat bowls with tight settlement alleys.
• Increase enemy density but give the player more freedom of approach.
• Layer environmental storytelling through mass graves and abandoned huts.

Design Notes:
• Settlement clusters act as combat arenas, with spacing calibrated for dodge-roll and wide weapon arcs.
• Trees and ruins act as soft cover, letting players isolate enemies instead of being overwhelmed.
• Mass graves introduce narrative context while doubling as choke points and ambush zones.
• Bridges connecting settlements encourage looped navigation and short tactical retreats.

This area serves as the exploration-heavy mid-section, blending combat + world lore.

3. Elevated Grounds – Outer Ring of the Castle

Design Goals:
• Raise the tension leading into the final approach.
• Increase verticality to create ranged / ambush opportunities.
• Build a spiraling route that visually teases the castle as a looming destination.

Design Notes:
• The elevated ridge uses zig-zagging switchback paths to control pacing and time-to-engagement.
• High ground enemies gain visibility; players must read silhouettes and telegraphs early.
• Narrow pathways force careful stamina management and punish reckless rushing.
• Drop-down shortcuts reward explorers with access to lost items or high-value loot.

This zone shifts from horizontal exploration to vertical pressure.

4. Final Section – Castle Drawbridge & Outer Courtyard (End)

Design Goals:
• Deliver a climactic transition into a major boss or narrative beat.
• Build anticipation through framing and controlled enemy placement.

Design Notes:
• Bridge serves as a natural choke point — perfect for a mini-boss or scripted ambush.
• Inside the castle courtyard, open space supports a wide-range melee fight.
• Architecture is staged to visually frame the main throne hall entrance.

The orange marker (END) is placed at the final gate where the player enters the castle interior.

⭐ Level Design Strategy:

• Controlled sightline management using curved paths, fog, and elevation.
• Encounter pacing that shifts between pressure, release, and escalation.
• Multiple traversal loops encouraging backtracking, exploration, and mastery.
• Layered environmental storytelling through burial sites, ruined houses, and eroded architecture.
• Vertical vs horizontal combat design allowing varied melee and ranged threats.
• Clear progression landmarks: swamp → village → ridge → castle.
• Strong spatial readability using silhouettes, framing, and water bodies as natural separators.

Cursed Valley Finished level