portal 2 // puzzle design
Five test chambers designed to make even GLaDOS proud… …and maybe reconsider her test subjects.
TEAM SIZE: SOLO
ROLE: LEVEL DESIGNER
DURATION: 2 WEEKS
SOFTWARE:
Portal 2 Puzzle Maker
I designed and built five movement-focused Portal 2 chambers that evolve in complexity and keep players on their toes. The goal was to make fun and challenging puzzles that flowed well, felt fair, and delivered the satisfying “aha!” moments. I tested the levels with players - my unofficial test subjects - listened to their feedback, and made changes to improve the experience.
Take a spin through my levels!! :D
design philosophy & process
What if Portal 2’s puzzles didn’t just challenge your mind but also your reflexes?
While the original game excels at clever, methodical problem-solving, I often found it too static and wanted to explore a more dynamic approach. I challenged myself to design puzzles that focused on momentum, vertical traversal, and timing without relying on gel mechanics like speed and jump boosts. I also wanted my levels to reward fast, energetic problem-solving, while staying true to the game’s tone.
To guide players, I used subtle visual cues, like aligning key elements in sightlines or emphasizing portalable surfaces to naturally suggest solutions. Playtesting was critical as I observed how players approached each puzzle, adjusting layouts, mechanics, and timings to ensure the experience was fair, intuitive, and engaging.
KINETIC | Challenging | Player-Centric
— these three pillars guided the design and progression of this project.
PORTAL 2 ITEMS RECAP
For anyone unfamiliar with Portal 2’s items, here’s a quick guide to the ones I reference throughout this project!
TRACTOR BEAM
A beam that pushes objects and players, with an optional orange state to reverse direction.
FIZZLER
An energy field that destroys objects or portals when passed through.
TIMED PANEL
A rotating panel that flips into a portalable surface (white and flat tile) when activated.
FAITH PLATE
A jump pad that launches players and objects.
WALL BUTTON
Activated when a cube is pushed against it.
level 1: FOUNDATION of timing and precision
~ 1-2 minutes; 2 steps
Level 1 introduces the core mechanics and establishes the logical patterns and tools that will be at the heart of my 5-level series. Players use a tractor beam and a timed flip panel to transport a cube to a wall button, setting the expectation for precision, timing, and multi-step problem-solving. The concept of a timed exit begins here, marking the biggest departure from the original game’s puzzle design, teaching players how to manage pressure while solving a straightforward puzzle.
It’s simple, but it lays the groundwork for everything to come.
level 2: Expanding Multi-step solutions
~ 2-6 minutes; 2 (harder) steps
Level 2 builds on the simplicity and foundation of Level 1 by introducing a more complex, two-step puzzle. Players first use a polarized tractor beam and ground button to reach the second cube. Then, they must use the tractor beam creatively to move the cube past the fizzlers and onto a wall button.
During playtesting, players became frustrated when a cube fell off a specific button that flips a panel, forcing them to restart the entire process. To fix this, I added a white panel above the button, allowing players to use the tractor beam to easily reposition the cube (Shown in Step 1).
This level expands on Level 1 by introducing toggled mechanics, fizzler navigation, and more flexible problem-solving.
level 3: momentum & timed fizzlers
~5-10 minutes; 3 steps
Level 3 builds on the first two levels by making momentum-based traversal a central mechanic. Players must time fizzlers to access a tractor beam and use it to pull a cube from a room. Players then need to master the technique of using verticality to fall into a portal, to gain just the right amount of horizontal speed on the exit (momentum jumps), and reach the second cube. This level shifts the focus to more active movement, requiring players to combine speed, timing, and precision, pushing them to think on their feet.
Builds on fizzler timing from Level 2, requiring players to disable fizzlers while moving through multiple sections.
Revisits the tractor beam and wall button mechanic from Level 1, combining it with momentum and timing-based traversal.
Introduces momentum-based traversal, encouraging players to “surf” through puzzles with fluid and precise movement.
During playtesting, I refined fizzler timers and added visual cues to guide portal placement, ensuring the puzzle was challenging but still intuitive.
level 4: verticality & momentum as the core mechanic
~5-10 minutes; 6 steps
Level 4 focuses on vertical traversal, making momentum-based puzzles the centerpiece. Players navigate six platforms arranged in a spiral, using faith plates (jump pads) and momentum jumps to retrieve cubes from different rooms. Timed fizzlers are scattered throughout, requiring precise timing.
Builds on the multi-room structure from Level 3, but shifts the focus to vertical navigation.
Expands on the cube-dropping sequence from Level 2 by requiring players to drop a cube from the air using just a tractor beam and portal placements, without directly touching the cube (Shown in Step 6).
Concludes with a simple tractor beam and wall button puzzle, tying back to the challenge introduced in Level 1.
Initially, this level and Level 3 were swapped. However, feedback suggested Level 3’s timed flip panels made it a more natural follow-up to this level. Adjustments included improving platform layouts for smoother momentum jumps, and positioning buttons for quick visibility of fizzlers, portalable walls, and jump paths.
level 5: the final boss
Level 5 pulls together everything from the previous levels into one big final test. A key addition is the cube spawner. Players are required to use momentum to creatively guide the cube into a tractor beam without directly touching it (Shown in Step 1). The moving platform adds verticality, forcing players to time jumps with a flip panel.
Revisits Level 4 & Level 3 by incorporating the momentum jumps, now requiring more precise timing with a single flip panel. Also, evolves the horizontal moving platform into a vertical one.
Reintroduces the (orange) polarized tractor beam from Level 2. Also, reinforces creative fizzler navigation, using the tractor beam positioned above to bypass that obstacle (Shown in Step 3).
Stays consistent with Level 1 by keeping the tractor beam and wall button as the final challenge, tying the progression together.
The flip panel with the moving platform was a sticking point for some playtesters, and wasn’t a "first try" move for anyone (Shown in Step 2). However, adding more panels made the room visually messy. I iterated on the placement of the key portalable tile until it was positioned in the easiest and clearest spot to complete the sequence without frustration. While not immediately obvious, most playtesters found the cube momentum mechanic exciting once they figured it out.
~5-16 minutes; 4 (harder) steps
