Portfolio

Design:

Horizon: Call of the Mountain:

Horizon: Call of the Mountain was developed in Unreal and released on February 22nd 2023 as a launch title for PlayStation VR2.

I was a Combat Designer responsible for the small machines.

Wildfire:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/431940/Wildfire/

Master the elements in this stealth game where everything burns. Start fires, freeze water, and move earth itself to outsmart superstitious enemies who fear your power. Rescue captive villagers and reclaim your home by turning the environment against the army sent to hunt you down.

Released on Steam on May 26th 2020, Wildfire is a 2D systemic stealth game with a focus on emergent mechanics, escalating consequences, and glorious failures. Players unlock a variety of elemental powers granting them control over the environment and their enemies; from hiding in patches of grass, to terrifying guards with fire, or freezing them into blocks of ice.

I was responsible for level design under the direction of the project lead\creative director Daniel Hindes. Levels are creating using GameMaker: Studio’s built-in tools and combined static environmental layouts with dynamic elements to create emergent systemic playgrounds that provided each location with a specific identity while maintaining an overall sense of progression, geographically, narratively, and systemically.

  • Responsible for the design and development of over 30 unique levels, from initial conception, through iterative development based on play testing, to final release.
  • Produced in-game text (scrolls, guard banter) to provide player guidance and narrative development.
  • Worked with project lead to respond to play testing concerns, altering levels and providing advice and support with systems design changes.
  • Quality Assurance testing, bug reporting and resolution; both pre- and post-launch.

Analysis:

  • Groping The Map: Book 1 (.pdf): Extensive examination of the level design of Half-Life 2 through a deep dive analysis of Nova Prospekt.
  • Design By Example is a series of articles examining a single mechanic or system:
    • A look at the Cover System in Deus Ex: Human Revolution and how it enables both stealth and combat play within the same spaces.
    • How Reactive Takedowns in Dishonored 2 grant players a window of opportunity to turn failure into success.
    • Organic Resupply examines one of the hidden emergent dynamics in Super Metroid and how players can use it to restock their resources.