Unannounced Project
General Project Information
An unannounced* 2.5D puzzle platformer based on an established IP being co-developed by Fishing Cactus and Treecastle. I participated in this project during my internship at Fishing Cactus. During that time, my skills were quickly recognized and within a couple of weeks and after a couple of successful proposals/presentations, I had been given lead designer responsibilities for the project. I spent the rest of the internship leading the team towards the creation of a vertical slice to be used to present the project to potential publishers.
​​My Responsibilities in the project:​
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Concepting
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High Level Design
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3Cs Design
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Feature Design
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Level Design
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Prototyping
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Balancing
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Bugtesting
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Playtesting​
At the end of my internship I graduated with Honors and received a recommendation letter from the game director and one from my supervisor, representing Fishing Cactus and Treecastle as the two co-development teams respectively.
Treecastle Recommendation Letter
Fishing Cactus Recommendation Letter
*details about the project are under NDA.
More About My Work
My Level Design Process
Context
In my tenure I was responsible, among other things, for the level design of a vertical slice level. Here I share my approach to the process.​
Design Process​
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Identify puzzle elements and possible interactions.
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Sketch out puzzle scenarios and test them internally.
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Plan out the intensity graph and intended difficulty curve of the level based on its purpose in the game (tutorial/introduction of feature/challenge)
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Select puzzle scenarios to satisfy the planning and intent, and implement them in engine.
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Sketch and implement transition areas, in collaboration with art, to achieve intended pacing.​
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Playtest result.
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Iterate steps 2 to 6 until satisfied (within the limitations imposed by production pipeline and deadlines).
End Result
First internal playtests were positive.
Within the second iteration cycle, issues with flow had been resolved and by the end of the third the design and art goals were both within scope and issues were reconciled.
The vertical slice was well received.
Level Puzzle Segment Sketch
Proactive Collaboration
​​​During my tenure I proactively collaborated with all the members of the team working on the project
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Stake Holders: I proactively called for meetings and presented proposals that were well received and contributed to the project.
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IP Holder: I worked with the IP holder to make sure the project aligned with the original IP and its worldbuilding.
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Programmer: I provided feature breakdowns and prototyped mechanics, to aid with implementation and reduce the chance of miscommunication and related delays.
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Artists: I provided block-outs for both levels and features to make sure that the interactable portions of assets are properly scaled and to make sure that set dressing can commence without delay when the required assets are created.
I consistently asked for feedback from my colleagues to improve the quality of my work and facilitate learning.
This was the first project in which I got to work on adapting an established IP into a game from a different medium. I am fond of the challenge this entailed and I am looking forward to doing so again in the future. I was also given full responsibility for the game design of the project, and I am very thankful for the opportunity, and glad that I didn't disappoint.
Feel free to read the recommendation letters provided by the game director and my supervisor.
I always like sharing my experience so if you want to know more contact me at odysseastsiridis@gmail.com or LinkedIn
