Level & Design Philosophy
The goal of this project was to create an experience that encourages exploration and experimentation without relying on traditional fail states. I wanted players to feel comfortable taking their time, trying things out, and moving through the world without the pressure of punishment or forced resets. This was especially important since the project also functions as an interactive portfolio, allowing recruiters and players to discover my CV, portfolio, and website directly within the game.
Instead of punishing mistakes, the world is designed to gently guide the player forward. Visual cues, lighting, UI feedback, and environmental storytelling work together to communicate direction, intent, and mood. UI and worldbuilding were treated as equally important, supporting exploration while helping players stay oriented without breaking immersion.
This mindset also shaped how I approached performance from the beginning. Visual clarity and atmosphere were priorities, but never at the cost of responsiveness. Throughout development, I reviewed assets, materials, textures, and effects to ensure they earned their place. This process reduced the project size from roughly 7 GB to about 1.2 GB, improving load times and performance while preserving the visual identity.
One of the main challenges was guiding players without explicit objectives or fail states. I relied on lighting contrast, landmark placement, and subtle environmental framing to draw attention toward points of interest. This kept the experience open and exploratory while still giving players a clear sense of direction.
Download the game here.
Level Design
This experience was intentionally designed without fail states. Wherever a player could fall during traversal, there is always a way back up. The goal was to create a space where players feel free to explore without frustration, encouraging curiosity rather than caution.
I wanted players to feel like they could go anywhere while still being gently guided toward points of interest. Subtle landmarks, lighting contrast, elevation changes, and set dressing were used to draw attention naturally without explicit instruction. Using Unreal’s Modeling Mode and Landscape tools, I shaped paths and terrain to invite exploration in multiple directions.
No matter which direction players choose, there is always something to discover: a hidden area, a visual detail, or a pickup. Some secrets are partially visible from a distance to spark curiosity and reward players who investigate further. Platforming sections are intentionally forgiving, since the primary goal is discovery rather than mechanical difficulty, leading players to interactable pickups that reveal my CV and portfolio content in-game.
The result is an environment that feels open, safe, and inviting, while still structured enough to guide players toward meaningful interactions.
Learn more about my overall level design process here, or click “Read more” on the images for an in-depth explanation of the design.
Game Design
Beyond environment layout, I designed and implemented several core gameplay systems, including a state-based movement system with walking and jetpack flight, a fuel mechanic that limits airborne traversal, and pickup systems that allow players to recharge and continue exploring. Each system is simple on its own but designed to interact with verticality and level layout.
During playtesting, players were sometimes unsure of their current state, such as fuel availability or nearby interaction opportunities. To address this, I refined HUD elements and contextual prompts to provide clearer real-time feedback. Fuel bars, tutorial popups, and interaction cues were adjusted to better communicate system states, helping players feel more confident when experimenting with movement and traversal.
Technical skills & Problem solving
A major focus throughout the project was building clean, modular, and scalable Blueprint systems. I structured visual scripting to be readable, reusable, and well-documented, avoiding tightly coupled logic and reducing the risk of spaghetti code. UI systems were designed so new menus and interactions could be added without rewriting existing logic, supporting fast iteration late in development.
I also worked extensively with navigation and performance. This included setting up and iterating on NavMesh for reliable AI pathing, and validating navigation as layouts, collisions, and assets evolved. Maintaining stable navigation was critical to keeping the experience predictable and playable.
Performance optimization was treated as an ongoing process. I addressed issues related to lighting, foliage, materials, and effects by downscaling textures where appropriate, simplifying materials, and reducing unnecessary visual overhead. These changes improved performance while preserving clarity and atmosphere.
One recurring issue involved overlapping events and audio triggering repeatedly when players entered certain areas. I resolved this by restructuring overlap logic and refining Blueprint flow to ensure events triggered only when intended. This improved stability, reduced bugs, and helped keep the experience responsive and reliable.