Roles: 3D Developer, Level Design, Environment Design | Team Size: 2
Elevator Pitch: Nothing Gold Can Stay is a first-person horror game that traps the player in an infinitely looping room. As they progress through the game, they discover evidence of the explorers who came before them and what happened to them when they were trapped. Eventually, the player character will be presented with an in-game choice to pick up the gold, destroy the temple, or to keep going and persist to eventually find their way out.
Summary of Core Gameplay: The core gameplay of Nothing Gold Can Stay is based on exploration and discovery. Players navigate through an infinitely looping level and collect items and clues that reveal the backstory and the fate of the previous explorers. There are also choices that the player can make that will affect the ending of the game.



Gameplay and Level Design





 The game starts with the player character trapped in a large room with a large altar in the middle. The player will progress through the level, encountering evidence of the explorers who came before them and discovering the mechanics of the game. The level is designed to loop seamlessly, with the player always coming back to the beginning of the room whenever they reach the end. The objects and props in the game, such as the doorway, ax, and gold, serve to advance the plot and challenge the player's preconceptions.

The anticipated player flow through the environment is that players will navigate through the first loop relatively quickly. When they go through the first loop and re-enter the level from the beginning, they will feel confused as to what happened and whether they did something wrong during their "first playthrough." At that point, they will pay more attention to the level and identify new objects within the environment. Lastly, the game challenges the player's preconceptions by giving them a weapon during later loops, leading to the "bad" ending.

Project Goal: The goal of Nothing Gold Can Stay is to create an immersive horror experience that challenges the player's preconceptions and keeps them engaged throughout the game. The team aimed to create a looping level that seamlessly integrates the game's mechanics and story, allowing the player to discover the backstory and the fate of the explorers who came before them.

My Roles and Responsibilities:
  • Created the initial concept for the game and designed the core gameplay mechanics.
  • Designed and iterated on the layout of the looping level.
  • Implemented the gameplay mechanics and controls.
  • Added sound effects and music for the game.
Tools and Technologies:
  • Game Engine: Unreal 4.27
  • Programming Languages: C++
  • PC Hardware: Windows PC
  • Design Tools: Adobe Creative Cloud, Davinci
  • Project Management: Trello, Miro, GitHub
Challenges and Solutions:
  • One of the main challenges was designing the looping level to seamlessly integrate the game's mechanics and story while keeping the player engaged. The team solved this by iterating on the level design and integrating feedback from playtesting.
  • Another challenge was designing the choices and their impact on the ending of the game. The team solved this by creating multiple endings and ensuring that each choice had a significant impact on the story.
  • Finally, the team faced challenges in creating the sound effects and music that would enhance the horror experience.
Links, Credits and More:
Overall, Nothing Gold Can Stay is a unique and immersive game that challenges players to navigate through an endlessly looping temple and make choices that will ultimately determine their fate. With a captivating storyline, intriguing level design, and carefully crafted gameplay mechanics, the game provides players with a thrilling and unforgettable experience.