Level & Design Philosophy
My approach to level and game design in Final Blaze was centered on teaching through play and iteration. Levels were designed to introduce mechanics gradually, reinforce them through repetition and spatial layout, and then remix them into more complex challenges as the player’s understanding grew. A strong emphasis was placed on player flow, readability, and pacing to ensure that moments of high intensity were balanced with calmer sections, maintaining engagement without overwhelming the player.
Both 2D and 3D spaces were treated as learning environments. Layout, camera behavior, enemy placement, and visual cues were used to communicate mechanics and expectations more effectively than text or UI prompts. This allowed players to learn naturally by interacting with the space rather than being told what to do.
Exploration was encouraged through optional routes and small secret areas that rewarded curiosity with meaningful bonuses, without disrupting the main progression path. This approach gave players room to experiment, discover, and develop mastery at their own pace, while keeping the core experience focused and readable.
Level Design
I designed and built multiple fully playable 2D and 3D levels using a blockout-first workflow, with frequent iteration driven by playtesting and feedback. From the start, levels were structured to combine platforming, traversal, combat, and puzzle elements in a way that felt readable and cohesive, while gradually increasing challenge as the player progressed.
As blockout assets were replaced with final art, I continuously revisited collisions, scale, and traversal flow to ensure the original gameplay intent was preserved. I worked closely with artists during set dressing, aligning on how props, geometry, and visual detail could support navigation rather than obstruct it. Lighting, platform spacing, and enemy placement were used deliberately to guide the player forward, reduce frustration, and reinforce the intended path without relying on explicit instruction.
During later iterations, it became clear that increased visual complexity sometimes reduced gameplay clarity. To address this, I revisited level layouts and collision setups, adjusted sightlines and traversal timing, and coordinated closely with the art team to rebalance visual fidelity with mechanical readability. This process ensured that the final levels remained visually rich while still feeling fair, understandable, and satisfying to play.
Game Design
In addition to level layout, I was responsible for shaping the game’s overall design direction and documentation. I created and maintained the full Game Design Document (GDD), defining core mechanics, progression structure, player abilities, and systemic interactions. This helped align the team around a shared vision and ensured that new features supported the game’s intended experience rather than drifting from it.
Beyond documentation, I was deeply involved in designing and implementing core gameplay systems. This included puzzles, timed traversal challenges, spline-based moving platforms, rotating hazards, gates, pressure plates, and other interactive elements that could be tuned directly in-engine. My focus was always on how these systems felt to play and how naturally they fit within the surrounding level design.
I worked closely with programmers to refine movement feel, air control, camera behavior, and the transitions between 2D and 3D gameplay. A key goal throughout this collaboration was to support fast iteration. To achieve this, we structured mechanics with exposed, designer-friendly parameters, allowing values such as speed, timing, and activation behavior to be adjusted directly in the editor.
As development progressed, frequent balancing became essential to keep mechanics readable and responsive across both 2D and 3D sections. Being able to tweak systems without constant code changes allowed for more playtesting, faster feedback loops, and more confident design decisions. This iterative approach helped the game evolve organically rather than becoming locked into early assumptions.
Iteration, Systems Integration & Technical Level Support
Throughout development, I was heavily involved in maintaining level stability as systems, assets, and overall scope evolved. As blockouts transitioned into fully dressed environments, I continuously revisited collisions, NavMesh, checkpoints, enemy pathing, and traversal logic to ensure levels remained playable, fair, and aligned with the original design intent.
As new mechanics were introduced or existing systems changed, I adapted levels accordingly by rebalancing platform spacing, reworking spline-based movement, adjusting enemy placement, and addressing issues caused by asset swaps or broken prefabs. In many cases, this meant rebuilding or refactoring scripts such as moving platforms, gate openers, and interactables so they could support new requirements without breaking existing gameplay.
Through iteration, it became clear how much small technical details could affect player experience. Issues like misaligned colliders, unintended Z-axis movement in 2D spaces, or poorly placed checkpoints could quickly undermine an otherwise solid level. I addressed these by troubleshooting directly in-engine, coordinating closely with programmers when needed, and validating fixes through repeated playtesting. This hands-on approach helped keep the levels robust, readable, and enjoyable to play throughout production.