Troubles in Time, an upcoming 2.5D platformer for a province in The Netherlands, is an adventurous game for children. The user will play a normal Dutch kid who meets a professor with a broken time machine. But things go wrong and you end up figuring out how to get back.
The concept followed after a tour through the area. I filmed the tour and made a short film about the tour to get the atmosphere of the area right. This would become a major inspiration for the level design.
Character Design
After discussing the game and interactions, I started sketching the main character. I was looking for a style for the game.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/08919453-989a-40e4-924d-b31d296843c0_rw_1920.jpg?h=e9ed20a8da04f89c11e39ce92c94aac2)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/e0a08be0-66d7-44df-b90d-5d4b548a4e49_rw_1920.jpg?h=b926202800fa788d96ca5bc0fb33bdfc)
We chose one of the styles, which would suit the feeling of the game and what we thought would appeal to the target group, the kids. And it did! We gave a presentation at a middle school in which the kids reacted positive.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/ce786e57-a45c-4c66-a60b-e673cd3694c4_rw_1920.jpg?h=583d194a7c1eee8d17ce4d5431e21d76)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/9faa9676-9f61-48d1-94d7-fe8d83606191_rw_1200.jpg?h=691a1b8c57c50329644ac749b80a8449)
Story Design
For the intro animation which would tell the encounter of the player and the professor I created a small storyboard and a visual to present the idea to the client.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/d5126cc6-28f4-4727-b3d6-8dd9e04b787f_rw_3840.jpg?h=ff9fa274740bb92a40c57dd661cd89be)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/7c2ffd3c-73dc-4248-9b67-8eced0904ef4_rw_3840.jpg?h=307cd6cbd3581966952a2224b8ef2d9d)
I made sketches for the game map in two time ages: Roman era and the Ice Age.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/d041f3bd-7395-4156-827d-3a8f5f861eba_rw_1920.jpg?h=441a7b4cd26388e9bf25caf4c8b11457)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/bd4620fd-efdf-4d3a-b4d3-ca2253b07697_rw_1920.jpg?h=37bcfe94503cc63e50e6cc4be01c01af)
Main characters animations
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/e5b19991-ad35-4f27-a5b5-a100b78efac7_rw_1200.png?h=bdd3e71e5b489bd117e01ae19163405a)
NPC character design
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/cd8ec5e2-de06-41d8-80a4-f597e2e66f50_rw_1920.jpg?h=015bafdcc02d24517a45619861b4910a)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/bd388499-8b61-41b7-b98d-3bcd9f7c7253_rw_1200.jpg?h=80900e0d9573dc5ca38e7121adcd918b)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/acd1297a-1ef1-4b57-a5a2-ada7be8ecd6b_rw_1920.jpg?h=ed227ccfc70e9d76896555ea2190c9c6)
NPC Character animation
Level Design
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/46bbbecd-adc9-4712-b616-e0873281a200_rw_1920.jpg?h=e01c41a67e05c111bbabe2c2dcd6f0f7)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/e020d68f-52e9-4618-8226-3f3af7d5f1f9_rw_1920.jpg?h=bf48a04240d02d360dcf33713df7a178)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/76b4f5d5-49c9-4a35-b828-0b65bedb1c25_rw_1920.jpg?h=813399112c60e63a51fdf7141216e2c9)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/c5a1927f-121e-47e7-a749-4d0ed2427c9a_rw_1200.png?h=b8e56069be74b3363be4ec7e6a3a779f)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/22322ad3-09ca-4e8f-8102-27bc840b4dd4_rw_1920.jpg?h=09922250c1e46fb3072918d29be62333)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/ba6b08aa-15e8-4de8-acca-0bc0dc7e14d4_rw_600.jpg?h=e499bd660b9c3217b5b1c8499bf51e19)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/6c47fadf-8285-4bcc-a552-50ff1c1a9f93_rw_1920.jpg?h=5b93e0c5e910e14be6584d398a5ac7b5)
Game Level Design
So I even build the level within Unity.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0059e383-eeb6-4c6b-b698-efa989847212/8a205aee-ebe9-4abe-ace5-ef7ae8cd42a2_rw_1200.jpg?h=8cd7c9ca4a614a54318c7fa053969d63)
And the first gameplay footage of the prototype/alpha version: