Jose and the Unreal Labyrinth

Meet Jose! He works with instructor Cameron as part of Game-U’s Accelerate program. Jose, like most people (let’s be honest here), is a Harry Potter fan. However, since he’s also a game developer-in-training, he has an opportunity most Harry Potter fans don’t. He’s recreating the wizards’ labyrinth from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!

Using the Unreal gaming engine, a major industry tool, Jose constructed the basic layout of the infamous labyrinth. Cameron showed Jose the geometry editing tab and walked him through the tools it offers, including the oh-so-helpful Extrude. Check out the photo! Jose and Cameron took the maze project step by step so Jose could get the hang of the development process. Using Extrude, Edit, and several other tools, Jose manipulated his level’s geometry to reflect the maze’s structure. Its deceptively straight paths soon open up to new branches and confusing turns. Jose crowned his maze with two mirrored triangular patterns at the top (sure to keep less apt wizardry pupils retracing their steps over and over again). It’s a level map fit for the Goblet of Fire itself!

Great job here, Jose. It’s cool to see the Unreal labyrinth take shape in a game we could play someday. Will the player be hunting for the Goblet of Fire too, just like Harry? Maybe you and Cameron can pull out Blender or Maya to model a game version of the goblet! Whatever you do, keep us updated. We’re excited to see your progress!