Game Design & Systems Design

Unreal 5 | PC | arcade racer | singleplayer

high-level design goal:

fun & balanced arcade racer gameplay

execution

combining directed roads and free roam

  • Each track in HardDriverz combines standard circuit-style tracks with free roam zones (islands).

  • For this mix to feel just right, I created a list of design principles each map had to follow:

    • Pacing: Track structure should be Road > Island > Road > Island > Road.

    • Freedom of choice: The fun aspect of free roam areas is choosing your own path - each island should have multiple paths that all lead to the exit.

    • Conveyance: Each island needed to have a clear entrance and exit so that players do not get lost (colored spotlights mark the exit).

modular part balancing

  • HardDriverz allows you to mix and match different modular addons for your kart.

  • I worked closely with the System Designers to ensure that each of the 27 possible builds…

    • Felt good to use.

    • Served a particular playstyle.

    • Didn’t conflict with track design (i.e., a super heavy kart may not be able to complete a jump over a pit).

  • Balancing involved scheduling several live playtests, gathering data from tester surveys, and balancing addon stats to match desired experiences.

gallery

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postmortem

(design perspective)

What Went Well

  • Smart reuse of assets: We were able to produce six quality tracks by reusing a small number of obstacles and props. Our Mirror Mode felt unique and produced a new play experience.

  • Pipeline: Overall, the design pipeline was solid. From prototype to finished product, our pickups, obstacles, and track designs were implemented early, allowing for more iteration and higher shipped quality.

  • Team roles: The break-up of the design team into strike teams (Tracks, Islands, Obstacles + Pickups + Systems) created a strong workflow. It also gave each designer more agency and freedom in their work.

What needs improvEMENT

  • Getting Modular Parts in earlier: Due to several UI/UX issues, the modular parts system was implemented very late into development. This created stress on the design team and shrunk our time for iteration.

Even Better If…

  • More track environments: Given the short development time, the team could only produce three environments for our races. With a longer timeframe, the game could be raised to another level with additional tracks.

  • Multiplayer support: For similar UI/UX reasons, multiplayer was cut from HardDriverz. Many aspects of the game’s design were built with split screen in mind, so they don’t shine as well in a singleplayer scenario.

image credit

  • Steam Icon: “Steam icon - free download png & SVG | streamline,” streamline, https://www.streamlinehq.com/icons/download/steam--31088 (accessed Jul. 16, 2025).