Yerba Buena

Unreleased game

The game is not yet released, so I can't show too much at the moment.

My Contribution

• Level Design I was the Level Designer for two of the game's areas. Some constraints like identity of the spaces, gameplay mechanics to use or desired game feel were given beforehand. From there I took over and owned my levels from start to finish.
• Puzzle Design The first step usually is to find something interesting on paper. The second is to test it out in the engine and third one is to iterate on the promising bits. I built way over 50 puzzles, not all of them ended up in the game, though. The ones which did, all come with a unique little twist or idea to them.
• Design and prototype mechanics Some mechanics that were intended for my levels only existed as a first draft on paper when I started. I turned them into something concrete that supports the gameplay and covers the edge cases. I also prototyped a working version of these mechanics with our tools to use them in my level design process.
• Design spaces Every puzzle needs a home. When shaping the environments, I took care to build them in ways that not only support the gameplay but also the narrative and art. My goal was to design geometry that frames the puzzles in appealing ways while providing meaningful verticality and underlining the narrative identity of the space.
• Collaborate I was in steady exchange with my colleagues from all departments. What narrative beats will be covered in the level? How can we incorporate them best? Can we make this shape work when art comes in or is it too abstract? What can I do to ensure good performance in the level? And so on...