Sunderfolk
A couch co-op, turn-based tactical RPG where up to 4 players select from 6 classes and explore the Sunderlands together through their phones. Assisted development during summer internship and scheduled to be shipped to in 2025.
Highlights
A simple rundown of what I worked on in this project.
Role: Technical Encounter Designer
Engine: Unity
Studio: Dreamhaven (Secret Door)
Timeframe: 3 Months
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Designed, implemented, and tuned enemy and encounter mechanics in Unity.
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Designed and scripted interactive levels and enemy encounters, improving player experience.
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Facilitated discussions across multiple disciplines to ensure level designs and environmental elements within levels line up with the current narrative.
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Prototyped experimental and unique enemy AI behaviors and mechanics to add depth and variety to player encounters.
Trailer
Challenges
Mastering the Toolbox
One of my first challenges was getting up to speed with the existing tools. While I was familiar with Unity, I had to learn a variety of custom tools that were actively being iterated on. Adapting to this changing environment became my first focus
To learn efficiently, I experimented as much as I could. I built creatures, set specific goals, and tested different ways to achieve them using the tools. I also studied existing levels and creatures to understand how things were implemented.
Beyond hands-on learning, I took detailed notes on anything confusing or unintuitive. I shared this feedback with designers and engineers, highlighting areas for improvement and suggesting features to streamline the process.
By the end, I had a solid grasp of exactly how the tools worked and a record of improvements for future designers.
Bringing Creatures to Life
My first design task was to create a unique monster with as new mechanic or ability for players to strategize around. To do that, I first had to understand the existing creatures, their abilities, and the limitations of the tools and systems in place.
I started by reviewing all the implemented creatures and heroes to ensure that I wasn’t duplicating any ideas. Then, I focused on understanding the system’s capabilities. While some limitations only became clear during implementation, knowing what the system could support guide my design.
Once I felt I had a solid understanding of both the existing creatures and the systems, I began to brainstorm. However, I quickly found myself struggling with the blank page dilemma. At this point, I was introduced to the concept of a “bad ideas list”. I wrote down anything that came to mind. This helped me generate a wide range of ideas, which I filtered based on personal interest, existing creatures, and technical feasibility.
With a solid concept in place, I moved on to prototyping and playtesting. After implementing a few variations in engine, I ran an internal playtest with fellow designers and recorded their feedback. Through multiple iterations, I refined the creature until it reached a compelling state.
Stealth, Strategy, and Stolen Treasure
After gaining a solid understanding of the systems, levels, and creatures, I was tasked with improving an existing level. The setting, narrative, and objectives were already in place so my challenge was to work within these constraints to create something more engaging.
With a stronger grasp of the game’s world, I focused on the narrative elements that tied to this level. Set in the base of a specific monster type, I reviewed their lore and behavior for inspiration. These creatures were described as hoarders, which quickly sparked an ideas. What if their hoarded items became a core gameplay element?
Since this mission also involved infiltrating their base, a stealth approach made sense. I designed a mechanic were players had to sneak through the level while moving hoarded contains of goods without making too much noise. By arranging the environment in a puzzle-like fashion, players had to strategically shift objects or use their abilities creatively to progress.
With some internal playtesting and iteration based on feedback, this level became a hit within the studio.
Important Takeaways
Embrace Imperfections
I used to feel like every design needed to be perfect before I even started prototyping. But designs improve through iteration, and not every idea needs to be fully formed from the start. Writing down ideas freely while using the “Bad Ideas List” makes brainstorming easier and helps overcome creative blocks. Once the list is built, narrowing down concepts and experimenting becomes more natural. This approach helped me move past perfection paralysis and focus on refining ideas through prototyping.
Design With Purpose
When creating a new monster or encounter, my designs revolve around two key questions: What challenge does this present to the player? How are they expected to solve it? Every idea branches from these core principles, which guide the design to present interesting problems and encourage creative problem solving.
A crucial part of this process is understanding exactly what players have at their disposal during their run in with the encounter or monster. Their abilities, movement, passives, and items can vary depending on when they face a particular enemy, making player progression an essential factor to consider. As players advance and gain more tools, increasing difficulty not only keeps them engaged but pushes them to experiment with their abilities in new ways.
Additionally, the context of the encounter influences its design. An enemy found alone might haver higher health or deal more damage while those appearing in groups should be balanced differently. Considering these elements ensures that each interaction feels intentional, challenging, and rewarding.
Iterate, Test, Improve
No design is perfect from the start. Prototyping, playtesting, and iteration are the keys to creating something truly engaging. My focus is always on crafting an interesting core idea and refining it through player feedback. When playtesting, first impressions are invaluable. They very easily reveal what works, what doesn’t, and where changes are needed. Prioritizing the cycle of testing, feedback, and iteration leads to stronger, more polished designs.
Constraints = Creativity
Constraints are often seen as limitations, but I quickly realized that they can be a powerful tool in design. Every task I was given came with some set of restrictions, whether it be technical, narrative, or gameplay-related. Instead of viewing these as obstacles, I found that they helped focus my creativity and pushed my designs in new directions.
Having clear limitations also helps combat the blank page dilemma. When you know what can’t be done, it proves a starting point and a framework to build from. Constraints force problem-solving and encourage out of the box solutions that might not have been considered.
In every instance where I worked within constraints, the result was a more refined and intentional design. These restrictions didn’t hinder my creativity. They fueled and led to more exciting encounters and monsters.