AA ACTION-ADVENTURE SCIENCE-FICTION PC / CONSOLE

APHELION

SENIOR GAME & LEVEL DESIGNER

A cinematic sci-fi adventure set on a mysterious frozen planet.

As a Game & Level Designer, I contributed to the creation of playable sequences, traversal mechanics and narrative-driven gameplay experiences, from early design to final polish.

MY ROLE &
CONTRIBUTIONS

I contributed to APHELION through level design, greyboxing and player flow, as well as the design and refinement of traversal mechanics. My work included gameplay challenges, tutorials, checkpoints, scripted events, camera adjustments and animation integration, alongside debugging and polish across multiple levels.

LEVEL DESIGN

Designed level layouts, blockmeshes, player routes and gameplay challenges, focusing on environmental guidance, pacing and readability.

GAMEPLAY DESIGN

Contributed to the design and refinement of traversal mechanics, movement physics, player controls, interactions and gameplay feedback.

INTEGRATION

Integrated gameplay features, tutorials, objectives, checkpoints, save systems and scripted events into playable sequences.

COLLABORATION

Collaborated closely with artists, animators, programmers, lighting artists and narrative teams to align gameplay, visual storytelling and technical constraints throughout development.

TESTS & POLISH

Refined gameplay through testing, debugging and iteration, collaborating across disciplines and adapting content to evolving production constraints.

SCENES

I contributed to the design, integration and polish of three key chapters: THE WRECK, THE PULSE and THE STYX, focusing on player guidance, gameplay challenges, narrative pacing and creating engaging, cohesive experiences.

THE WRECK

Level Design · Onboarding · Gameplay Integration

As the game’s opening sequence, The Wreck had to introduce numerous gameplay mechanics while delivering an engaging first experience. I contributed to its concept, layout and blockmesh, particularly in the second half, designing player routes, challenges and obstacles while balancing intense moments with quieter opportunities for tutorials and learning.

I also integrated gameplay features, narrative sequences, UI, tutorials, checkpoints and save functionality. Developed during a major project rescope, the level required extensive iteration, debugging and close collaboration with environment and lighting artists to maintain clear navigation and support the transition between legacy and revised systems.

THE PULSE

Level Design · Exploration · Beta Polish

I took ownership of The Pulse during its later development stages, focusing on bringing the level to beta through gameplay integration, debugging and polish. Following a significant scope reduction, I helped reshape the player route while preserving its pacing, gameplay challenges and narrative continuity.

As the game’s first fully outdoor level, The Pulse required careful environmental guidance to keep exploration within the intended playable space without relying on obvious barriers. I also worked on introducing an optional exploration mechanic, positioning its first interaction to encourage discovery, communicate its purpose and establish exploration opportunities for later levels.

THE STYX

Level Design · Narrative Gameplay · Encounter Design

I led The Styx from initial level flow and greyboxing through integration and final polish, translating narrative intentions into playable situations.

Set in near-total darkness, the level uses flashlight mechanics and environmental luminescence to guide players while maintaining tension. As the penultimate chapter, it also required carefully balanced challenges and two distinct Nemesis encounters designed around anticipation, gameplay and narrative impact. I additionally supported cinematic writing, multidisciplinary integration and the level-exclusive RIVER mechanic.

GAMEPLAY
FEATURES

Beyond level design, I contributed to the design, development, integration and polish of nine traversal and movement mechanics across six feature groups: SKID / RIVER, LEDGE, WALL RUN, BREACH / CRAWL, CORNICE / BALANCING and AUTO SPRINT.

My responsibilities varied depending on each feature’s development stage, from contributing to initial concepts and defining gameplay rules to refining physics, collision detection, animation transitions, camera behavior and player feedback.

A recurring challenge was balancing responsiveness, readability and player control while ensuring that each mechanic supported the intended experience. Some emphasized speed and momentum, others encouraged exploration or created moments of vulnerability, contemplation and tension.

Working across gameplay, animation and level design allowed me to approach these features as more than isolated movement systems, ensuring they contributed to the pacing, navigation and narrative intentions of the game.

SKID / RIVER

Movement Design · Physics · Gameplay Integration

I contributed to the development and integration of SKID, a slope-driven sliding mechanic, and helped design RIVER as a variation built on the same underlying system.

My work covered physics, collision handling, debugging and gameplay challenges involving kill zones and bump zones. A key challenge was balancing player control with constrained movement, while adjusting camera positioning to maintain environmental readability and allow players to anticipate upcoming obstacles, even at high speeds.

LEDGE

Traversal Design · Animation Integration · Player Feedback

I worked on improving an existing ledge-climbing mechanic, refining grab detection, approach angles, reach distances and animation transitions using Unreal Engine’s Animation Blueprint system.

A key challenge was ensuring that ledges remained readable and interactions felt fluid across contrasting environments, from the brightly lit areas of The Wreck to the darkness of The Styx. I also worked on player feedback to clearly communicate when a ledge was reachable, improving the clarity and responsiveness of traversal.

WALL RUN

Gameplay Design · Grappling Physics · Momentum

I contributed to the initial concept of WALL RUN, designing a movement mechanic built around the game’s grappling system and its physics.

A central challenge was developing a momentum system that rewards lateral swinging with increased speed, travel distance and jump range. I worked on defining maximum speed, movement curves and constraints based on the distance to the grapple’s anchor point, while ensuring that transitions between movement mechanics remained readable and the resulting motion felt natural.

BREACH / CRAWL

Traversal Design · Environmental Storytelling · Animation Integration

I worked on BREACH and CRAWL, two traversal interactions built on a shared system, designed to convey physical effort and support exploration through narrow or concealed passages.

My contributions included defining passage metrics for motion capture, refining interaction detection and entry/exit distances, and polishing camera positioning and animation alignment with the environment. Beyond their technical implementation, these mechanics helped reinforce the character’s physical struggle while creating opportunities for alternative routes, hidden passages and optional exploration.

CORNICE / BALANCING

Gameplay Design · Environmental Storytelling · Tension

I worked on CORNICE, a traversal feature designed to convey vulnerability through narrow, exposed paths. With minimal gameplay demands, it uses deliberate camera framing to emphasize danger while allowing players to take in the surrounding landscape.

I also designed BALANCING and contributed to its development and integration, introducing an active challenge where players counter the character’s shifting weight through directional inputs. Timing, the risk of falling and a last-chance recovery QTE turn a simple crossing into a moment of sustained tension.

AUTOSPRINT

Movement Design · Gameplay Pacing · Scripted Events

I contributed to AUTO SPRINT throughout its development, working on movement speed, animation synchronization, lateral control, jump distances and transitions between regular and automatic movement.

Beyond the movement system itself, I designed and integrated related obstacles, scripted events and systemic interactions to introduce unexpected situations and shape the pacing of gameplay sequences. A key consideration was maintaining responsive controls while adapting challenges to the constraints of automatic forward movement.

MISSIONS &
RESPONSIBILITIES

From early design to final polish, my responsibilities spanned gameplay implementation, multidisciplinary coordination and production support.

Beyond designing levels and gameplay mechanics, I contributed to the integration and refinement of playable sequences, tutorials, objectives, checkpoints, QTEs and cinematic events. My work also involved coordinating with multiple disciplines, adapting content to evolving production constraints, and ensuring gameplay quality through extensive testing, debugging and polish.

Level layout, blockmesh and player flow.
Traversal mechanics and gameplay integration.
QTEs, tutorials and player feedback.
Objectives, checkpoints and save systems.

Cinematic and narrative event integration.
SFX/VFX integration and coordination.
Cross-disciplinary production collaboration.
Gameplay testing, debugging and polish.

SCREENSHOTS

Explore the frozen world of APHELION through a selection of screenshots, showcasing its breathtaking environments, cinematic atmosphere and sense of scale.

Select an image to enlarge it.

GAMEPLAY
VIDEOS

Discover three key chapters of APHELION in motion, from the opening survival sequence to exploration across a frozen world and the tension of its darkest environments.