Despicable Me: The Game (2010)
Despicable Me: The Game is a platformer that's all about using your wits to traverse hazard-filled levels and solve environmental puzzles. Although I had been involved in the design of previous games, this was the first game in which I worked a full-fledged designer.
First Gameplay Previz
When we first entered preproduction, we knew we wanted a game in which Gru, the gadget-obsessed antihero, would utilize various devices to aid him in a series of heists. My initial vision was for Gru to carry four elemental-themed ray guns which he would use to manipulate his surroundings to his benefit. I created the above gameplay previz to show this vision in motion. An animated movie is a much more effective means of communicating ideas than a text-heavy document, after all.
The yet-to-be-modeled Gru, represented by a brown box, uses a magnet gun to pull metal objects, an ice gun to cool hot platforms and encase a minion in a block of ice, and a wind gun to propel himself into the air and out of harm's way.
Second Gameplay Previz
After much discussion within the design department, we decided to give the minions a more active role in the gameplay. In the second gameplay previz, they follow Gru and obey his orders. Gru's ray guns are now used to manipulate the minions rather than the environment, such as a web gun to turn a minion into a trampoline and a freeze ray to turn minions into floating ice platforms.
Ultimately, Despicable Me's levels were divided into two distinct sections: platforming areas and puzzle-solving areas. Gru traversed the platforming areas alone, using his ray guns on objects and enemies in the environment, similar to the gameplay featured in the first previz. In the puzzle areas, a set number of minions would join him and Gru would need to use them in conjunction with his ray guns to solve head-scratching environmental puzzles.
Sample Puzzles
Designing puzzle rooms was a fantastically fun challenge. Even though Gru only had four types of ray guns (freeze, wind, magnet, and web ray) and he could only give the minions four types of orders (lone minion, minion stack, minion wheel, and recall), the possible ways these tools could be used was endless. It was important to always start small, introducing new concepts one at a time and gradually building upon them to create puzzles that really required some serious thought.
Easy Rotary Valve Puzzle
The first time the player encounters a rotary valve, getting past it is pretty straight forward: remotely press the red button by using a minion.
Intermediate Rotary Valve Puzzle
The second time the player encounters a rotary valve, the premise is the same. Except this time remotely pressing the red button requires more planning.
Difficult Rotary Valve Puzzle
Now that the player has a good handle on how rotary valves work, they are presented with a final puzzle that requires a good deal of lateral thinking to solve.
Pistons & Battery Puzzle
In another series of puzzles, the player is taught how to use batteries to power objects and how pistons can be used to push things. These elements led to the following puzzle in which Gru must use a pair of pistons to push a battery into a socket.
Gru must find a way to exit the right side of the room. He has one minion available to help him. The route is blocked by a rotary valve, which turns in 90 degree increments counterclockwise every time the red button is pressed.