Summary

Due to some NDA I can only talk in a very high level what was my involvement in the project.

After Fable I joined the Side Quests team on a second AAA project developed in Unreal Engine 5. In this role, I collaborated daily with the Narrative, Open World, Main Quest, and Environment teams to design and implement cohesive experiences across a semi-open world. My responsibilities included quest design, narrative integration, combat encounters, layout design, and Blueprint scripting.

My Level Design Methodology

My approach to Level Design is built around a continuous dialogue between conceptual thinking (top-down) and hands-on experimentation (bottom-up). This iterative methodology allows me to move fluidly between design intentions and player experience throughout production.

1. Define Intent and Establish a Shared Vision

The process often begins well before implementation through paper design and pre-production work aimed at aligning the team around a common vision. This phase typically includes:
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A. Defining gameplay, experiential, and narrative intentions.
B. Identifying and sequencing gameplay beats throughout the player journey.
C. Producing top-down maps, side-view layouts, flow diagrams, and visual references.
D. Creating concise and actionable documentation to support cross-disciplinary collaboration.

2. Validate Through Rapid Prototyping and Iteration

Ideas are challenged as early as possible through in-engine experimentation.
I regularly develop:
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A. Greyboxes, whiteboxes, and progressively refined colorboxes.
B. Early gameplay prototypes to evaluate assumptions and identify issues quickly.
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This iterative process enables me to validate:

A. Readability and spatial clarity.
B. Player orientation and navigation.
C. Pacing and encounter rhythm.
D. Expected and unexpected player behaviors.
E. Overall experience quality.
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I also leverage Unreal Engine 5 modeling tools extensively to accelerate iteration and experimentation.

3. Explore the Possibility Space of Systems

A significant part of my design practice consists of exploring the expressive potential of mechanics and systems.

This includes:

A. Analyzing the opportunities created by a game's ruleset.
B. Building interaction matrices between mechanics, enemies, objectives, and environments.
C. Identifying meaningful combinations and transforming them into gameplay scenarios.

4. Structure Learning and Mastery

Once systemic possibilities have been identified, I design experiences that progressively develop player mastery.

My encounter design often follows a framework of:

A. Teach.
B. Test.
C. Twist.
D. Master.

I particularly enjoy creating gameplay "gyms" spaces specifically designed to stress-test mechanics, encourage emergent behaviors, and foster creative player problem-solving.

5. Bridge Design Disciplines

My background in Game Design enables me to naturally bridge the gap between Game Design and Level Design teams.

I enjoy:

A. Understanding the intent behind mechanics, systems, and progression.
B. Translating abstract design goals into spaces, encounters, objectives, and tangible player experiences.
C. Ensuring that gameplay intentions remain coherent throughout implementation.

6. Facilitate Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

I view Level Design as a discipline of convergence where narrative, gameplay, art, animation, audio, VFX, and technology come together to create cohesive player experiences.

Beyond content creation, my role frequently involves:

A. Producing clear and effective documentation.
B. Facilitating communication between disciplines.
C. Aligning stakeholders around shared objectives.
D. Supporting collaborative problem-solving throughout production.

7. Continuously Expand Technical Expertise

I remain deeply curious about the technical aspects of the craft and actively seek opportunities to broaden my expertise.

Areas of ongoing exploration include:

A. Blueprint scripting.
B. Gameplay implementation.
C. Game systems.
D. Production and development tools.

Continuous learning is an essential part of my practice as a designer.