Ring Around the Faith Plates

Remember David? He’s a puzzle-building, puzzle-beating wizard who’s teamed up with instructor Jeremiah as part of Game-U’s New York Accelerate program. As he hones his problem-solving and level design skills in Portal 2’s PETI Editor, he publishes his own test chambers for other Portal players to solve. His latest project? The fearsome Ring around the Faith Plates!

To build test chambers like Ring around the Faith Plates, David assembles Portal 2 objects and mechanics, available through PETI, into an arrangement of his own making. Ring around the Faith Plates centers around a carousel of faith plates – platforms that, when stepped upon, launch the player in a predetermined direction – and a laser grid. To beat the chamber and escape, the player must overcome a series of challenges, including cube retrieval, laser redirection, and portal navigation. The chamber door only unlocks when both cubes have been placed on their receivers and the laser catcher is activated.

David planned his test chamber down to the last detail, organizing the faith plates’ launch trajectories, the cubes’ locations, and the turrets’ positioning. Upon entering the test chamber, the player jumps into a tunnel to retrieve the first cube, which he places on a receiver that lowers the vertical laser grid. From there, the player must successfully navigate the faith plates by redirecting a light bridge. A trusty portal gun is used to maneuver the second cube from beneath the same laser grid so it can be placed on another receiver, which releases a weapon to eliminate the turrets (enemies) that guard the chamber exit. When the laser weapon is placed inside the laser catcher near the exit, the door releases and the level is complete!

It’s a complicated test chamber you’ve got here, David! Even your instructor can’t beat it in less than seven minutes. You excel at strategy, level design, and problem-solving. Well done! We’re looking forward to testing your level for ourselves.