DUOPULSEUR
ORIGINAL GAME CONCEPT
GAME & LEVEL DESIGNER
TWO HEROES. ONE PULSE. ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES.
A two-player cooperative action-platformer built around a unique mutual propulsion mechanic. Working together, two heroes harness the power of Pulse to overcome traversal challenges, solve environmental puzzles and journey through a vibrant world dominated by a mysterious megacorporation.
01
MY ROLE &
DESIGN PILLARS
Originally developed as a student project, DUOPULSEUR is reimagined as a two-player cooperative action-platformer.
This personal reinterpretation builds upon the original game’s core mechanic, exploring how mutual propulsion can shape movement, environmental puzzles and level design.
The goal is to create an experience where cooperation is not simply encouraged, but essential to progression.
MUTUAL PROPULSION
Transform your partner into a projectile. Master positioning, timing and momentum to launch each other across obstacles and reach otherwise inaccessible areas.
PUZZLE-DRIVEN PROGRESSION
Progress through a succession of handcrafted puzzle rooms, each introducing new challenges that encourage players to observe, experiment and combine mechanics to find a solution.
INTERDEPENDENT COOPERATION
Make teamwork essential. Players must coordinate their actions, communicate and rely on each other’s positioning and abilities to overcome challenges neither could solve alone.
SHARED ADVENTURE
Build a journey through contrasting environments, where new traversal challenges and environmental discoveries continually reinvent how players cooperate.
02
SCENES &
LEVEL DESIGN
DUOPULSEUR’s level design is built around the possibilities and constraints of mutual propulsion. From towering structures to suspended environments and asymmetric cooperative challenges, each space is designed to turn movement into a puzzle.
VERTICALITY
REACH NEW HEIGHTS
Design towering environments where vertical progression becomes a central challenge. Elevated platforms, staggered structures and inaccessible heights encourage players to use mutual propulsion to rethink how they navigate space.
AERIALITY
SOLVING THE VOID
Design vast suspended environments where crossing a seemingly impossible gap becomes a puzzle in itself. With limited solid ground and obstacles blocking their trajectories, players must figure out how to sustain airborne progression, coordinate their movements and find a way to reach the other side.
CO-OP ARCHITECTURE
TWO ROLES, ONE SOLUTION
Design interconnected environments that challenge both individual abilities and synchronized teamwork. Character-specific routes encourage players to take on complementary roles, while reinforced barriers and environmental obstacles require precisely timed combinations of Duopulsion and Rocket Punch to unlock progression.
03
GAMEPLAY FEATURES
At the heart of DUOPULSEUR lies a unique cooperative movement system built around timing, precision, and teamwork. Rather than relying solely on individual abilities, players must constantly interact with one another, using mutual propulsion to launch their partner across gaps, reach otherwise inaccessible areas, and navigate challenging environments.
This central mechanic transforms movement into a shared experience, where positioning, momentum, and synchronization are essential to success. Players must coordinate their actions, anticipate each other’s trajectories, and adapt their timing to moving platforms, environmental hazards, and increasingly complex traversal sequences.
As the adventure progresses, new challenges build upon these foundations, combining cooperative platforming, synchronized attacks, and character-specific abilities. Environmental mechanisms and puzzle-solving situations encourage players to experiment with different strategies, turning each obstacle into an opportunity for meaningful collaboration.
By making cooperation an integral part of movement, combat, and exploration, DUOPULSEUR creates a gameplay experience in which communication, trust, and mastery of shared mechanics are the keys to progression.
DUOPULSION
MUTUAL PROPULSION · CHAINED MOVEMENT
DUOPULSION is the core mechanic of the game. Each player can launch their partner like a projectile, instantly repositioning them at the shooter’s location before propelling them in the chosen direction.
Both players have three rechargeable Pulse charges, with each shot consuming one charge. By alternating launches, they can chain successive propulsions to cover great vertical and horizontal distances.
Mastering these combos requires players to anticipate trajectories, manage their available charges and coordinate their timing. A single shot is rarely enough: solving a puzzle means understanding the right sequence of launches to reach the destination.
ROCKET PUNCH
SYNCHRONIZED ATTACK · DESTRUCTION
ROCKET PUNCH is a powerful cooperative ability that can only be activated while a player is being propelled by their partner.
During Duopulsion, the launched player can trigger a devastating punch, accelerating in a straight line with increased speed and impact.
This ability allows players to smash through destructible structures and defeat enemies, but success depends on precise synchronization. One player must set up the launch while the other activates Rocket Punch at exactly the right moment.
Together, they turn a movement mechanic into a powerful tool for environmental interaction and puzzle-solving.
FALL CONTROL
CHARACTER ABILITY · AIRBORNE POSITIONING
FALL CONTROL allows the male character to slow his descent, extending the time available to act while airborne.
By maintaining his position in the air for longer, he can create better opportunities to aim and propel his partner before falling.
This ability introduces a different approach to vertical puzzles, where controlling the timing of a fall can be just as important as reaching the right position.
ENVIRONMENTAL STUN
CHARACTER ABILITY · TEMPORARY CONTROL
ENVIRONMENTAL STUN allows the female character to temporarily freeze specific environmental mechanisms, extending the time during which passages remain accessible.
Moving obstacles, timed gates and other interactive structures can be held in place for a few seconds, creating opportunities for her partner to move through otherwise inaccessible areas.
This ability encourages players to observe environmental patterns, anticipate movement and coordinate their actions within limited time windows.
04
MISSIONS &
RESPONSIBILITIES
From the core propulsion mechanic to the architecture of cooperative puzzles, DUOPULSEUR explores how a single gameplay concept can shape an entire experience.
My design approach focuses on building interconnected systems, meaningful player interdependence and handcrafted challenges that reward coordination, experimentation and mastery.
Design the Duopulsion system, including partner launching, chained propulsions and Pulse charge management.
Create cooperative puzzles based on trajectory planning, timing and resource management.
Design vertical and aerial environments that challenge movement, positioning and cooperation.
Develop complementary character abilities and synchronized actions, including Rocket Punch.
Structure puzzle progression to gradually introduce mechanics and encourage player mastery.
05
CONCEPT ARTS
Concept explorations illustrating key environments, gameplay mechanics and memorable moments, created to communicate the game vision and support the design process.
Select an image to enlarge it.
06
GAMEPLAY
VIDEOS
Explore early gameplay footage from Duopulseur, showcasing prototype mechanics, cooperative interactions, and the use of Pulse energy to navigate environments and overcome obstacles. These videos offer a glimpse into the game’s development and the evolution of its core gameplay ideas.
Prototype gameplay footage.
FIRST STEPS
A series of traversal and platforming challenges introduces players to the core Duopulse mechanic. By propelling each other across dangerous gaps, they must coordinate their movements, anticipate environmental patterns, and master their timing to progress safely.
THE FACTORY
An industrial environment filled with moving machinery and interconnected mechanisms adds a new layer of complexity. Players must synchronize their actions not only with each other, but also with the surrounding machinery, turning every traversal sequence into a challenge of timing, coordination, and precision.
PRISON BREAK
A dangerous escape sequence brings together the challenges introduced in previous sections. Players must navigate hazardous environments, slip through narrow passages, and combine their traversal skills with precise cooperation to make their way out of the facility.
07
TWO PLAYERS. ONE WAY FORWARD.
Defy gravity, chain your moves and overcome the impossible. Discover how DUOPULSEUR turns cooperation into the ultimate puzzle-solving mechanic.