OPERATION
BLACKOUTACT 1 — SURVIVAL & INFILTRATION

Approach:

• Used Miro to explore a wide range of ideas across key categories: setting, locations, events, enemies, and mechanics — see the board on the right.
• Had other level designers vote on their favourite concepts to highlight the most promising directions.
• Built an initial concept document (early LDD draft) outlining the location vision, player objectives, and the core gameplay loop.
• Collected visual references to establish the intended atmosphere, tone, and environmental style.

Outcome: After reviewing my concept document, my mentor recommended breaking the overall idea into smaller, more manageable pieces, as the original scope was too large. Based on that feedback, I divided the full level concept into three acts and chose to focus on developing Act 1 first, applying level-design fundamentals with proper structure and clarity.

Act 1 is built around three major, distinct areas: Crash Site & Enemy Outpost, Perimeter Yard, and Facility Interior leading into the Bunkers. To support this refined direction, I created a detailed map flowchart for Act 1, outlining player progression, spatial transitions, and key gameplay beats.

Solution: I refined the narrative into a structured quest, breaking it down into clear gameplay beats.

And then I defined the environmental clues, clarified the narrative purpose of each location, and identified the environmental tools used to communicate information to the player.

I also assigned pacing and intensity values to each segment to support a well-balanced gameplay flow.

Later, I brought the paper layout into Photoshop, developed a 2D digital layout, and refined it to align with the project's visual storytelling goals.

After narrowing the full concept down to Act 1, I revised the earlier concept document and produced an updated LDD that provided a much clearer breakdown of player flow, emotional pacing, and environmental context. The refined 2D map also improved how I communicated my design intentions during peer reviews and team discussions.

Process:

• Shifted the initial 2D layout into Unreal Engine 5 and constructed the environment using simple block out geometry.
• Continuously iterated in play mode to assess navigation, sightlines, and overall gameplay flow.
• Implemented placeholder elements like enemy encounters, NPCs, and loot locations to simulate the intended gameplay structure.
• Used a Level Design Kit for rapid prototyping and developed a PureRef board to guide the visual and thematic direction.

The level reached a fully playable state early in development. Despite the minimal visuals, the core gameplay loop like exploration, reward discovery, and story progression was clearly communicated. This roughout provided a strong structural base for subsequent design and visual iterations.

Solution:

• Redesigned the Crash site to open with a short cinematic conversation, followed by a panoramic reveal and title card.
• Reworked the left-side perimeter entry: instead of a simple cut-down fence, the route now features a small environmental puzzle supported by breadcrumbs. This adds a moment of player agency, slows the pacing in a meaningful way, and reinforces the idea that the facility is secure and must be outsmarted rather than simply walked into.
• Introduced an early jump challenge using a broken cliff edge that naturally leads players toward their first enemy encounter, creating tension and engagement right from the start.
• Refined lighting, and sky atmosphere to establish a cohesive mood and enhance the sense of scale and realism.
• Game Mode upgrade: switched to ALS for smoother movement and interaction.

The redesigned introduction now feels alive, intentional, and narratively cohesive. Players begin with a cinematic overview, transition into a moment of tension, and naturally follow a guided path shaped by visual cues, environmental puzzles, and storytelling. The improved atmosphere, exploration opportunities, and refined gameplay systems create a stronger first impression and a more engaging start to the experience.

Solution:

• Improved player orientation by introducing a tall landmark structure with distinctively coloured structured pillars, creating a strong visual anchor that guides navigation. This landmark naturally draws players toward a key narrative reveal connected to the SEC K04 bunker.
• Identified a sequence break where players could enter through SEC K03 and miss key Commander Suite story beats. To fix this, I locked SEC K03 and redesigned the traversal flow to guide players naturally toward the Commander Suites, ensuring consistent narrative delivery while preserving player agency.
• Expanding Dormitory Spaces for Balanced Golden Path & Optional Exploration: Initially, the dorm building served as an optional exploration area with light rewards. After playtesting, I expanded the dorms into two distinct floors. Dorm A became part of the golden path, supporting core intel-gathering and narrative progression. Dorm B (Second Floor) was developed as an optional reward space, offering additional loot and traversal-based exploration opportunities. This adjustment created a healthier balance between required progression and optional discovery.
• Redesigned the Armory to expand its interior layout, improving pacing, combat readability, and tactical options through refined cover placement. Introduced a locked SEC K02 bunker door to subtly foreshadow deeper facility routes, and rebuilt a key narrative moment in the Armory Annex to strengthen story delivery during player exploration.
• Each area uses a consistent prefix-wing-depth code (e.g., LAB K12, SEC K03) to create a coherent world logic that supports player orientation and environmental storytelling.

The updated blockout layout delivered a stronger visual rhythm and a clearer spatial hierarchy, allowing players to read the environment more intuitively. The facility as a whole began to feel more alive, layered, and naturally navigable.

• Finalize the first tutorial enemy encounter.
• Polish the Right-Side areas, including the Armory Annex and Commander Suite, as well as the Left-Side Parking Lot, improving layout clarity, navigation flow, and environmental storytelling.
• Refine the Briefing Suite and Commander Suite, focusing on their connections from all entrance points to strengthen spatial hierarchy, and player orientation.
• Start working on lighting and post-processing to enhance overall atmosphere, improve visual hierarchy, and support gameplay readability throughout the level.

Solution:

• I originally planned the first enemy encounter right after the player descends the cliff, followed by a takedown and a cinematic showing the heavily guarded main gate. It felt like too much at once, so I moved the first encounter to the cliff edge to give the player a breather.
• Reworked the parking lot with props for stealth traversal, attention-guiding lighting, and Blueprints for interactions.
• In the Briefing Suite, my focus was on elevating clarity and purpose. I refined the geometry, rebalanced the lighting, and reorganized props to create a cleaner, more functional environment that feels lived-in and supports both player interaction and key narrative moments. All entrance points on the ground floor were also reworked to provide balanced combat encounters, ensuring fair and readable engagements from every approach.
• Color-coded non-interactive props (e.g. doors) in neutral grey to reduce visual noise.
• Introduced post-processing to reinforce a slightly oppressive mood and guide player perception.

The level became more readable, grounded, and tactically interesting. The updated layout offered players more strategic options during combat, while lighting and visual cues helped guide navigation and reinforced the setting's mood.

Solution:

• Added dynamic environmental storytelling. A truck entering the facility becomes a visual anchor that draws the player's eye as they slide down the cliff, using motion and composition as leading lines toward the main entrance.
• Expanded the Armory annex, blocking direct access & allowing player to foreshadowing of the scene, enemies & different approaches.
• Added narrative graffiti and environmental storytelling elements to convey the area's past and hint at what occurred here, enriching player context and deepening the atmosphere.
• Players were struggling to locate the ladder leading into the Security Command Center, so I replaced it with a rounded staircase supported by environmental leading lines and targeted lighting. This redesign creates a clearer visual path and naturally guides players toward the intended entry point.
• As the player approaches the facility via the left-side route, the container corridor features a small, broken entry point that subtly foreshadows the storage complex hidden beneath the Security Command Center. A brief cinematic beat provides the player's first glimpse into the facility's deeper operations, ensuring that both infiltration paths deliver balanced narrative setup and consistent environmental storytelling.

The dynamic truck-entry set piece that preserves player agency while supporting multiple approach options with narrative elements. The Armory Annex offered a more atmospheric, story-driven space, reinforcing the mystery of the facility and giving space for emotional pacing between combat sequences.