level design

Unreal 5 | PC | singleplayer | puzzle platformer

LEVEL DESIGNER

high-level design goal:

possession-based platforming

design process

cONTRIBUTION

I worked on every map in Ling and the Corrupted Hollow but primarily took lead on two of them: the tutorial and the final level, “Primordial Shrine”.

I took the maps through the entire design pipeline, from paper design to final shipped version. My work included layout planning, blockout, puzzle design and implementation, and collision.

DESIGNING the final experience: “primordial shrine” concept

  • As Ling and the Corrupted Hollow is strongly inspired by traditional Chinese urbanism, the design team knew we wanted the final level to be focused on architecture. I was tasked with concepting the map’s setting.

  • I decided a traditional shrine would be the best candidate to support our object-possession mechanic. Image 1 became the main source of inspiration for the map’s layout.

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.

tutorial

primordial shrine

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 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).

  • Chinese Shrine Concept: