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View, browse and sort the ever-growing list of sessions by day, time, pass type, topic, and format. With this Session Viewer, you can view session and speaker details for Game Developers Conference 2024.

You will be able to build your schedule with the GDC Mobile App. The GDC 2024 app will be available for download in Apple Apps and Google Play late February 2024.

Sessions do fill up and seating is first come, first serve, so arrive early to sessions that you would like to attend. Adding a session to your schedule does not guarantee you a seat.

Level Design Summit: The Player vs Dream Logic: Developing the Mission Structures for 'Alan Wake 2'

Anne-Marie Grönroos  (Lead Level Designer, Remedy Entertainment)

Location: Room 2001, West Hall

Date: Tuesday, March 19

Time: 10:50 am - 11:50 am

Pass Type: All Access Pass, Summits Pass - Get your pass now!

Topic: Design

Format: Session

Vault Recording: Video

Audience Level: Intermediate

Alan Wake 2 is a survival horror game with a weird, complex story featuring two worlds and protagonists. This session covers how the mission structures evolved during development and what can go wrong when you combine puzzles, narrative, combat, and dream logic. Using the Proof of Concept missions as a case study, the talk shows how we structured the missions into various kinds of loops, the many failed attempts at designing dream logic, and how bringing the two protagonists closer helped us escape the nightmare New York.

Takeaway

The attendees will learn how the earliest Alan Wake 2 missions evolved from concept to playable levels, see the impact narrative and mission structures had on each other, and gain insight into the struggle of making dream logic playable.

Intended Audience

The session is aimed at mission and level designers. It's accessible to anyone with a basic understanding of level design, but should be especially interesting to those dealing with semi-linear game spaces, puzzles, and gameplay intertwined with narrative.



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