Featured Work
Galactic Shield Maiden is a non-linear, open-world, first-person shooter with a Norse-inspired sci-fi aesthetic. This was an eight-person project made in about sixteen weeks and I worked as one of the level designers and 3D artists.
Eye of Enigma is a puzzle/platformer by way of escape the room with an emphasis on riddle solving. This took about eight weeks to put together and there are plans to keep adding to Eye of Enigma in the future.
A set of fantasy props that are going to be incorporated into some other projects in the near future. These props were created in Maya and textured in Substance Painter.
A modular environment created from props and assets that will be used by William Peace University in a game that will have students tour the campus digitally.
A documentary that explains what game design is like for people learning it and people in the industry. This was made with the intention of informing people potential game design students on what creating games is like behind face value.
A poster made using royalty-free images to promote a retelling of To Kill A Mockingbird by The William Peace University Theatre Company.
Overview
Eye of Enigma was my senior project, developed over eight weeks while learning Unreal Engine. The challenge was twofold: creating a unique game while simultaneously building foundational Unreal knowledge. Rather than inventing new mechanics, I focused on reinterpreting simple interactions, movement, UI pop-ups, and object interactions – in an engaging way.
Playthrough of Eye of Enigma
Original Eye of Enigma Sketch
Inspired by escape room games, I structured puzzles around environmental riddles that hinted at solutions without explicit instructions. Unlike traditional escape room games, which use point-and-click or scripted movement, Eye of Enigma features first-person movement for greater immersion. To further differentiate it from walking simulators like The Witness, I incorporated platforming elements, requiring players to solve puzzles through movement-based challenges.
The game’s environment was a temple with a dungeon-like atmosphere, balancing flexibility in design with the claustrophobic feel of an escape room. Two core puzzle mechanics drove gameplay:
Key-Door System: Players solve riddles to locate keys placed on opposite floors, encouraging full exploration.
Keypad Puzzle: A platforming challenge where players decipher riddles to identify the correct object displaying the necessary code.
To subtly guide the players, I used a recurring golden eye insignia on key doors, reinforcing progression and inspiring the game’s title.
Custom Models and Textures Created for Eye of Enigma
I chose a gothic fantasy style to enhance mystery and immersion, using a custom-built environment to maintain creative control. The enclosed setting encouraged player curiosity, making them question their surroundings and heightening the sense of unease.
Despite my initial Unreal Engine limitations at the time, Eye of Enigma strengthened my design skills, particularly in using simple mechanics to create engaging gameplay. This project laid the groundwork for later work, including elements incorporated into Uneasy Paradise. With my current experience, I hope to revisit Eye of Enigma and refine it further.
Galactic Shield Maiden is a sci-fi action roguelike that blends Norse mythology with strategic survival gameplay. Originally conceived as a fusion between monster-hunting combat and a survival-based adventure, the game evolved into an open-ended experience where players navigate an icy, hostile world, face legendary creatures, and scavenge resources to rebuild their ship.
Eye of Enigma's First Room, Riddle and Key Blueprint
Eye of Enigma's Second Room, Riddle and Keypad Blueprint
The game’s level design emphasizes open-ended exploration and environmental storytelling. Each location presents unique navigation challenges, requiring players to use a wrist-mounted scanner that provides a “hot and cold” guidance system. Rather than relying on waypoints, players must develop spatial awareness and interpret environmental clues to progress.
To reinforce the game’s methodical pacing, movement is deliberately limited, trading in high-speed mobility in favor of tactical positioning, reminiscent of Halo rather than DOOM. This approach enhances the tension of combat and encourages strategic decision-making.
Eye of Enigma's Title UI
Design Approach
Level & Puzzle Design
Art & Aesthetic
Reflection & Future Plans
Overview
Design Approach
Level & Encounter Design
Mechanics & UI
Each level is crafted to support both exploration and intense, methodical combat. Players must progress into each level in order to find the scattered pieces of their ship:
The Valley: A natural maze designed to disorient players, requiring them to rely on environmental landmarks and the scanner system.
The Caves: A subterranean cave network designed with distinct pathways crafted into the landscape to guide the player away from hidden dangers.
The Fortress: A stronghold carved into a frozen mountain, serving as a more linear level with a key puzzle needed to be solved to progress.
Scanner Navigation: A non-traditional guidance system encouraging exploration and problem-solving.
Once the player finds each ship part in each level, they will then trigger a boss encounter with a character that has been dubbed as the “Pretend Allfather”. The “Pretend Allfather” will attempt to stop the player from repairing their ship by spawning enemy mobs, creating earthquakes, and using his spear in various ways. Players must kill the “Pretend Allfather” in order to repair their ship and escape the planet they are stranded on.
Limited Movement & Gunplay: Slower movement with selective Aim-Down-Sights, promoting deliberate combat tactics.
Playthrough of Galactic Shield Maiden
Draft sketch of one of Galactic Shield Maiden's levels
The Caves
Minimalist UI: Clean HUD design inspired by Cyberpunk 2077, ensuring crucial information remains unobtrusive.
Reflection & Takeaways
The development of Galactic Shield Maiden was a significant learning experience in integrating level design with gameplay mechanics. The project reinforced the importance of environmental storytelling, player navigation strategies, and encounter design. While time constraints led to the removal of some boss encounters, the game successfully maintained its vision of exploration-driven gameplay within a hostile, immersive world.
The Valley
The Fortress
Pretend Allfather boss encounter
Pretend Allfather Model
Pretend Allfather Attack Animation
Navigation Scanner in action.
Navigation Scanner
Galactic Shield Maiden UI
Galactic Shield Maiden Title Screen