[Challenge - Normal] - Across the lake V9

My first level, I guess. I spend exactly one week on it. Not counting updates.

It's about the value of home and the punishments of taking things for granted. There's a lot of secrets in it.

Version Nine: Cannon ending and a bug fix

Version news: It is finished

I accept all criticism
Oh yeah and here's some Screen pictures of it.

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I hope you like it, I'm pretty new to level making. Download it here

Only found one ending so far. Pretty decent for a first level, no wallswims and the shifts all seem to work OK. Good imagination with all those corridors underneath bodies of water or lava, keys on top of piles of gold, fly-infested trees, all very nice. It was a bit odd playing this with no story whatsoever - what are those levers? What am I supposed to be doing? Why am I going places and doing things?..

There were some SGEs, most obviously in x999y1000 (and its counterpart(s)) - look behind the locks. There were also some design problems that made the experience a bit awkward. One was
Another frustrating place was
My final criticism is that the level could've used more details and/or consistency in the visuals. The first screen you posted and the ones near it are very bland, there's just one color in the background. One screen has a couple of clouds, another has no clouds but two birds, and another has nothing... would've worked much better if you aimed for consistency in area design, and all the screens would've had clouds (and preferably more realistic than the ones you have there) and a bird or two. And then you go under the lake, and wow, the screens are so much more detailed and consistent than the ones above! And then the cave is different again, bland background and tiles, but many details scattered around... etc. Similar problems are present elsewhere in the level.

Still, like I said, quite OK for a first level and hoping to see more levels from you.

Only found one ending so far. Pretty decent for a first level, no wallswims and the shifts all seem to work OK. Good imagination with all those corridors underneath bodies of water or lava, keys on top of piles of gold, fly-infested trees, all very nice.

Thank you.

It was a bit odd playing this with no story whatsoever

The story was basically your character is bored of his/her current environment, and you go on a little adventure to find a better home.

what are those levers?

Switches to turn off a machine sucking a cavern's life dry, or block the flow of a lava-river so you can go deeper through the mine.

What am I supposed to be doing?

Going on a journey to find paradise, I guess.

Why am I going places and doing things?

See above answer.

There were some SGEs, most obviously in x999y1000 (and its counterpart(s)) - look behind the locks.

Kind of intentional.

There were also some design problems that made the experience a bit awkward.

Sorry about those. When I started this level, I had no inspiration at all. I kind of made things up as I went along.

Mistakes were bound to happen.

One was

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

falling into that pit underneath the lake, the one that is locked with the button you have to stand on for some time. The pit doesn't kill you, so you don't quite know if you were meant to fall there with the eye powerup. And when you come back with that powerup, there's still nothing there! You don't even have to press that button, because the passage to the lever is open anyway. Is that a bug?

It's a poorly made trap.  

My final criticism is that the level could've used more details and/or consistency in the visuals.

I am sorry for not adding many details. I made the landscape before details and when I got to the part of making everything pretty I rushed it.

The first screen you posted and the ones near it are very bland, there's just one color in the background. One screen has a couple of clouds, another has no clouds but two birds, and another has nothing... would've worked much better if you aimed for consistency in area design, and all the screens would've had clouds (and preferably more realistic than the ones you have there) and a bird or two. And then you go under the lake, and wow, the screens are so much more detailed and consistent than the ones above! And then the cave is different again, bland background and tiles, but many details scattered around... etc. Similar problems are present elsewhere in the level.

I tried to aim to make the starting land bland but not boring. Making you know why your character is in search for a better home.

Still, like I said, quite OK for a first level and hoping to see more levels from you.

Thank you for your honest criticism and thank you for liking my level.

I will try harder to make levels in the mid-future thanks to you.

Haven't finished it yet. Got to a screen with a writing "There is nothing here" and now i'm stuck. Really frustrating.
In any case, from what I've seen so far, it's a great level.

Haven't finished it yet. Got to a screen with a writing "There is nothing here" and now i'm stuck. Really frustrating.

That's the one seriously frustrating place in the level.

Haven't finished it yet. Got to a screen with a writing "There is nothing here" and now i'm stuck. Really frustrating.

There's a secret passage somewhere.

In any case, from what I've seen so far, it's a great level.

Thank you.

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

I apologize for the horrendous amounts of fliers.

And the second part would not be considered a level glitch, but a Knytt Stories 'glitch'.

After some confusion, i found that the shift in the secret passage where there is nothing is missing in v2 and v3. No wonder i couldn't find it...

There's also the unreachable umbrella and i don't see any way to access the non-bad endings.

Nice level, but the above mentioned shift is missing and all the secrets are too random. They can only be found with the editor or by chance.

Oh hey! I updated it! There's a ton of things now!

I listened too and put some scenery in some places. Overall I hope it's better.

Did you forget to place the climb powerup in the new version? It's not where it was in first version.

Did you forget to place the climb powerup in the new version? It's not where it was in first version.

Oops, I will fix that right now.

Cool, that's fixed but now...

Cool, that's fixed but now...

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

the purple key used to be up where the hologram is now. Can't find the purple key either. When you shift to get the hologram I think something is not working right. Try it out. Also when you get the eye it says to come back when you're in the past and see if you are sheer or something like that. I don't get it. Nor can I find a blue door

I fixed it! 

I am severely sorry for all the bugs. I seem to be bad at finding them myself.

And some the key secret guide right here guys

Ok, level is less glitch free but not totally. Still can't get the hologram. Maybe I'm not supposed to. The ending is rather abrupt with just a white screen. Then if you click on it you get final dialogue about a better home.


There is a void in the past to the screen to the right of where you start the level. After you get the jumps and umbrella you can jump into the next screen which is a void. By the way, where the hologram is...when you first shift there and then see the hologram you can't shift back. Just have to jump or fall off, drop through a void screen back to the screen where you first shift for hologram. Make sense? Sorry, can't explain better.

Pretty durned good for a first level!

Ok, level is less glitch free but not totally. Still can't get the hologram. Maybe I'm not supposed to. The ending is rather abrupt with just a white screen. Then if you click on it you get final dialogue about a better home.

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

the shifting in the area where you get the purple key is working too. That didn't work before and you had to kill yourself to get out.

There is a void in the past to the screen to the right of where you start the level. After you get the jumps and umbrella you can jump into the next screen which is a void. By the way, where the hologram is...when you first shift there and then see the hologram you can't shift back. Just have to jump or fall off, drop through a void screen back to the screen where you first shift for hologram. Make sense? Sorry, can't explain better.

It's fixed! Thank you for helping so much!


I even added a new area.

Pretty durned good for a first level!

Thank you!