The Locked Gate

The Locked Gate is a level design project I made based around the puzzle design of games like Portal. I built the level with the exit in full view, with the objectives branching left and right, encouraging the player to pick whichever path compels them first. 

The design pattern I noticed in games like Portal is twofold: "Get your tools" and "Use your tools" is how I would describe the pattern.

First you enter an unfamiliar space with an exit. You need to get your tool and then solve the puzzle the level has to offer. In Portal for example, you would need to find out what buttons do, where to collect the cube for the button, then in the "Use your tools" phase, you need to figure out how to put the cube on the button and be able to reach the exit at the same time.

In my level, you have an exit, and 3 locked doors. You can infer the keys' locations, but you need to figure out how to get them and where to use them.