Long Arm of the Law is a third-person action platformer released November 19, 2018. I served as the project lead for a team of 18 developers, and I was responsible for the definition and adherence of game's core design pillars. I worked closely together with our art pod to drive the game's visual target, and I facilitated channels of communication between our engineers and designers to ensure intentional and fair usage of game mechanics. I organized and ran playtesting sessions to gather user feedback, and I worked directly with the team's level designers to incorporate feedback into level construction.

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with this team, and I take pride in the game we were able to produce in the short 8 month development cycle.

Here’s our game’s trailer, showing a plethora of ways that Motor Rockwell’s autonomy and acrobatics can be explored.

Long Arm of the Law began development back in November 2017. For many people, it was their first real shot at making and publishing an actual title. The team was filled with excitement and enthusiasm over the potential of what could make out of a cowboy with a stretchy arm, and a magnetic gun.

One of my chief responsibilities was curating everyone’s talents, deciding what we were going to tackle and when, while monitoring our progress history and deadlines.

I was a game & level designer as well, setting up important flags and pillars in our game’s mechanics and settings, while frequently testing and improving upon them until we’ve reached the state of quality that we were satisfied with. In the above screenshot, you can get a wide view of one of the later levels in the game, a large underground shanty town where the denizens of the game had taken residence, and this level is one of my favorites features of the game. Completing it required a lot of testing and iteration.

Throughout the game, we’d been building scenarios in our levels that teach mechanics to the players and and test their understanding of them. We decided early on that before the player reaches the climactic fight at the end, we wanted to create a space that enables and encourages players to freely explore, using the tools at their disposal to conquer the challenges around them. We also wanted players to have the freedom to approach challenges in any order in the town, and allow for more than one intended solution to them. As a team, we decided to focus on building out the underground shanty town because it aligned with our objectives to create obstacles with emergent solutions, and the theming of the environment as a “hovel of rusted dwellings, deep within an abandoned mining facility” resonated with us.

While environmental artists were creating concepts for the space, I was constructing a white box playground. My goal was to demonstrate the area’s potential, illustrating how we needed to create areas that favor our character’s vertical momentum abilities that our programmers had built. We designed the environment in layers, with each layer containing a themed mechanical challenge. Iteration and ease of content creation were core virtues for our team, and so we approached the construction of this level by creating modular, stackable assets.

We placed metal beams throughout the space as grabbable objects the player can pull themselves towards and swing from. As this town was going to have a lot of visual information, I set design flags for consistency for grabbable objects. In terms of color and material, they must all be bright teal and made of metal. Object size was critical to convey weight of the grabbed target. We set these pillars in place so players will always have context for what actions they can take from wherever the are.

Here’s a progress shot of an alleyway in the town. We wanted to fill the town with set pieces for the player to explore and engage in combat. The final look of our homes was in a phase of heavy iteration. We would need to set up these homes on vertical, stacking layers to give the player more natural opportunities to grab and pull themselves elsewhere, and provide more of a challenge when it came to matters like enemy placement.

At this stage our prototype was ready for testing. The objective of this area is to find and interact with five levers that open the path forward. In the playtests, many players struggled with getting lost in the expansive, sandbox-style level. To address this, we reduced the scale of the overall space and added greater conveyance through camera effects, cinematics, lighting, texturing, and asset usage. A couple examples of the new asset guidelines include using green tarps to identify navigable platforms and visually connecting points of interest to the center of the level through bright, teal pipes.

Working with two other designers on this space, we were each working on specific parts of the map with specific objectives to build for the player. We would set up walls like this to make sure designers had clear boundaries, and we would work together from there to make our areas transition seamlessly.

We reached a stage with our buildings that enabled us to build our level more vertically, and used elements like these watch tower poles in the center to give the player higher visibility and have the ability to swing through the air.

A later version of a combat alley, complete with enemies, vantages, and interactable objects in the space that the player could use to their advantage. For instance, all our metal beams could be magnetized by the player’s gun to keep enemies at bay.

We needed to keep buiildings and grabbable metals visual distinct however, and informed artists that we would need changes to the building materials. The team was far more satisfied with these updates.

Our final town, with our visual and design targets reached. A town that can be explored any way the player wishes, with all tools at their disposal, and a clear objective with enough guidance to get them where they need to be.

This assignment tasked me with creating an environment that multiple linking sectors, in this case a forest and a bridge that connects several land masses. I opted to make a floating island jungle with a waterfall that pours into the world below. Each area required different lighting and world ambiance so I applied some post-processing and god rays to the forest interiors, and had separate audio for different zones, including animal noises for the forest, waterfall sounds, and wind for the high bridges.

I built the majority of the level using the landscape tool, and painted the floors with a custom material that had 5 separate textures, so I could accommodate for areas with 1-2 large textures like rocky areas, and also work on finer details such as mulch at the base of trees.

For added visual flair, I also created my own custom particles; these fireflies you see on screen. They float around in semi-random flight paths, glow, and disappear after some time. They can only be found in the two wooded areas, to keep them true to life.

Continue scrolling to see screenshots of the final product!

From January to May 2018, a small team and myself are working on a prototype for Universal Studios in Orlando. We are under NDA and cannot state what that prototype entails, but I am the game’s lead level designer for the mixed-reality prototype. Above and below are screenshots from the virtual level.

In an effort to test my adaptability, I constructed a MOBA map, which is a game genre I had never played before. Fortunately, Epic recently released many Paragon level assets on their store for free, which I used to construct this scene.

Before getting into engine, I did some research on the genre, looking up examples of gameplay for maps, the way they usually flow, I even played a few rounds of Heroes of the Storm to better understand the design constraints and laws of MOBA map design. This project tested my skills in gameplay testing, vertex painting, UE4 blueprinting, and accurate measurements to ensure a balanced experience for both teams.

From there, I did a paper sketch of a tri-lane setup, a genre staple, as well as some “jungle” routes (jungles in MOBAs refer to explorable sectors between the main routes). From there, I used UE4’s BSPs to whitebox the layout, At this stage, the only assets I placed were the spawn locations and central pillar.

A certainty I decided moving forward was that I wanted this to be a water-based map, and to have the end-product experiment with some verticality.

From there, I put six towers in each lane, three belonging to each team. In MOBAs, players must destroy the enemy team’s towers in each lane before they can reach and attack the other team’s “core.” Along the right paths, I also put in shop locations, and rune squares to receive stat or ability buffs.

Beyond that, I began minimal set-dressing to get a feel for the Paragon assets.

Once I had all my map proportions in place, I began constructing the scene for just half of the stage. Since a MOBA map is supposed to be (mostly) symmetrical in size and game balance, I decided to just start with half so I can replicate the final state on the other half. This is the spawning location for Side A.

After doing further research, I decided to be more straightforward with the middle lanes and make them more efficient routes. Previously I attempted to make platforming challenges along the middle paths, and changed this as necessary.

Several of the assets had missing faces, though if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my experience as a level designer, if something looks weird, put a rock over it.

Things are starting to come together now. I’m making good use of the assets, using them in ways that make them naturally flow together.

Side A is now complete. The goal from here is to match the distance and proprotions of these foundations on the other half of the map. And soon, we’ll begin expirimenting with some level blueprints.

Notice that some of these towers float far above the ground. As stated earlier, I wanted to use this map as an opportunity to play with verticality in map design, so for this I built a bounce pad using UE4 BluePrints.

And here we’ve achieved balance on both sides. Since I started with just the once side, I was able to duplicate the assets and rotate them to attach at the end. I still want there to be distinct visual differences on both sides though, so I opted to use these black towers on this end so players know what side their standing in. I’m also using vertex painting to give one side a more sleek appearance, and the other will look more overgrown.

Now I’m exploring enemy spawner placement. The water is only shin deep, and players can run through it (at a speed cost). I’m also using the area to represent the concept of a MOBA “jungle” where enemies can spawn from.

And as is the case for many MOBA games and maps, we have a boss location that leans closer to one side, while the other side has an increase of enemy spawners in the mirrored location. Never get too close to a mama’s eggs, unless you’re looking for a fight.

You can see here that I’ve now begun affecting the world lighting, and began filling in the game’s negative space with large rocks to enclose the playable area.

Now we’re filling the rest of the excess space with additional trees and greenery. I want to give the level a mangrove aesthetic.

Here you can see some of the progress on moss vertex painting. Many of these Paragon assets came equipped with the material, but others required implementing.

We’re closing in on the end here, so now I’m getting to the finer details like using the foliage brush to add that extra life to the scene. One must be careful not to overdo this tool, though, unless you want diabolical frame drops.

(I’ve come a long way since learning that..)

And look at that! We made an actual level! Thanks for sticking around to listen to my process.

For this level, I wanted to experiment with atmosphere and simple mechanics one would find in a narrative driven game, such as Gone Home. This level utilized assets I found through packs that would allow me to build the exterior area of a haunted manor deep within a forest, and I made use of UE4’s landscape tool to build a believable, natural environment, as well as be able to blend materials when painting to give these artificial structures some overgrow and sense of decay.

At play, the player will start on this mossy cobblestone road that directs them forward. Players may stray from this path if they so choose, I even placed roadblocks in the way so they would be required to veer off the golden path. This wooded area is walled off so players can’t get too far, however, though a little exploration will reward them with a treasure chest.

The road leads to a gate that’s been creaked open with some brick and cobble assets I placed at their feet for believability. I also use this space to work with landscape painting, and transitioning textures. Notice how areas less in the light and near other meshes have more of a mossy look. I also placed vines on the floor to help simulate overgrow.

The next area is this bridge that connects to the manor proper. I implemented fog particle effects and steam that radiates from the water to create an ominous tone.

THe bridge leads to a courtyard with a branching path. One leads the player to the manor doors, while the other two are currently sealed.

As the player approaches the front door, they’ll notice it’s locked but can interact with this note that tells them they must ignite two sigils before they can enter. As they close the message, a loud creak can be heard, and the two previously locked gates will swing open.

The player is then free to explore either door, and for demonstration we’ll start with the garden. At first glance, it’s clear it hasn’t been tended to in some time. The fountain itself is sinking into the decayed earth.

Just past the gate is a shrine with a charging stone. It was an area frequently used for rituals by the kin who lived here.

And here we have our first sigil. To activate it, players must ascend the stairs for the platform and click on the sconce. The way this functions is a basic raycast that happens as the player clicks to see if it lines up with the object.

Just to the right of the sigil and the garden statues is this area that appears as though it was dug through from the outside. It would seem that at some point, this manor had an uninvited guest or two. A hole like this doesn’t look like it was intended to be a quiet break-in.

Either way, with that first sigil lit let’s explore that cemetery.

On our first left, it would appear that this place isn’t so abandoned after all. A lit fire keeps the air warm just outside this gravewatcher’s hut. Nobody seems to be home, though.

Moving forward we can see there’s been a mass exhumation and disturbance to the clan’s cemetery. The perpetrators must’ve been searching for someone, or something. I achieved this zone with the landscape tool, sculpting the ground downward and using a soil and root texture to paint the dug earth.

It seems no grave leading to the mausoleum had been spared. But the building itself still appears intact.

The way to the next sigil is a top this staircase which can only be accessed from the left of the mausoleum. That said, I like to reward players for exploring their route options a little so on the right beneath the staircase is some loot waiting for the player.

And here we have that second sigil. Once ignited, the sound of a bell chime resonates throughout the level, and the front door to the manor opens. For efficiency, this path leads us back to the courtyard.

THe player now has access to the interior of the mansion, which reveals a dense void of fog, and a single torch. The level fades to white and ends.

Catstack was a two-week student rapid prototype built in Unity. It’s a 3D Tetris-like puzzle game that has the player trying to maximize the volume of a cardboard box with block-shaped cats. I was a gameplay designer, I built the level scene, and made the in-game UI elements, such as the text animations when the player was on a perfect streak. You may have a look at some of the gameplay in this video!

Alternatively, you can play the game yourself here!

A small game I built in VR for an assignment where we needed to tutorialize the player. The player would navigate a cybernetic maze and shoot targets to move to the next room. I created Blueprints for doors that had special requirements, as well as targets that would float along a coordinated path.

It starts off in a simple room, and I used neon to grab the player’s attention to two areas: the locked door and the window.

When the player looks out the window, they see a neon target- the same color as the door. When shot, the door will open.

The player is then funneled to an elevator lift, where they learn that there will be occasions where they must shoot more than one target to proceed.

In the room past the lift, the player sees a target behind a 3-sided fence. The only way to hit this one is from behind.

As the player turn the corner to shoot, they can then see another target they likely missed tucked in a corner near the room’s entrance. At this moment, the player learns they must be mindful of their corners to find certain targets. Using a semi-transparent asset like a fence was essential to build this idea into the player, who otherwise would’ve missed this lesson.

Cull the Swarm(!) is a “danmaku”, known in the West as a “Bullet Hell” top-down shooter. The game’s aesthetic plays on the tropes of sci-fi and horror B-movies of the mid-twentieth century, in a world facing a massive alien insectoid invasion.​ Development finished in May, 2016.

As lead designer, I wanted to imbue our retro sci-fi world with developed characters and colorful homage to the movies of yesteryear. I was in charge of the mechanics and also served as the level designer, creating the pathing the ships fly through and set dressing the environments. With respect to the gameplay, I wanted to ensure that the player wouldn’t feel too disheartened by the difficulty. I designed many of the enemy variants and their behaviors, and playtested the game to maintain proper balance.

This is a play-through of our first level, narrated by myself.

This is the game’s second boss fight. I also 3D modeled this boss and created his attack patterns!

While applying to FIEA as a level designer, I was required to build one as part of an application assignment. I wanted to create an overworld hub in Unity for a celestial 3D action platformer, where a player could walk around and enter a larger level representative of that world’s theme.