
Project: Playtime
ROLE
Game Designer | Lead QA Tester
DESCRIPTION
WORK PERIOD
November 2022 - November 2023
GENRE
I served as a Design Generalist on Project: Playtime, overseeing the game's Phase 2 and Phase 3 releases (along with smaller seasonal updates). Throughout my time on the project, I acted as the primary liaison for designers, programmers, and artists, ensuring all gameplay features and systems were appropriately captured and realized throughout the on-going development. Additionally, I took point as the primary Economy Designer and UI/UX Designer for the game, helping to create a storefront that was more inviting to players and taking charge on a complete revamp the projects entire UI flow, increasing readability from Menu to Post-Match. My work helped to bring new and returning players to the game, with Phase 2 and Phase 3 both seeing a 50%+ increase in revenue and concurrent player numbers upon release.
Asymmetrical Survival Horror; Live-Service
PLATFORMS
Steam
Gameplay Design
From my first day on the project as a designer, I worked to clean-up the on-going design process for the game, implementing a new standard of documentation and prototyping that allowed the team to more effectively capture and present ideas. In under a month before the Phase 2 update, I personally gathered and presented all requirements for the update and distributed out those requirements in written documents to all stakeholders and team members for whom it was needed. These efforts helped to keep the Phase 2 update on course and resulted in a successful launch featuring a 100% increase in daily concurrent player count. Following the release of Phase 2, I took on a heavier creative role in the project, serving as a key force in shaping the Phase 3 update that was scheduled to release next. I worked directly with the project director to pitch, document, and prototype all ideas for Phase 3, championing regular playtests and feedback sessions to gather critical feedback about the future of the game. I pushed forward sweeping changes to the game's structure, improving the end-user experience when interacting with the game and adding a new layer of audio/visual polish onto the project. Phase 3 was another successful launch as we saw another 50% increase in concurrent player count when comparing pre and post update numbers.
Accomplishments
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Wrote and maintained over 200 pages of documentation covering a wide berth of game systems and mechanics
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Utilized Blueprints and C++ to quickly prototype new mechanics and features
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Improved game feel and polish by making major improvements to game structure and adding better avenues of audio/visual feedback based on playtesting and live-player response
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Designed and instituted a functional Host Migration system within one month of the game's release date
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Meticulously balanced gameplay systems to create a competitive, yet approachable multiplayer experience
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Regularly pitched new, innovative ideas that would keep the game fresh for both new and returning players
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Was the creative force behind two successful gameplay updates, both of which resulted in 50%+ increase in concurrent player count
Showcase

Modified and maintained "kits" of Monster Creatures to provide a balanced gameplay experience

Diagram I created to capture Huggy's control scheme to provide clarity to team and serve as a point of reference for other Monsters.

Simple chart I created to capture game flow and demonstrate player goals at each stage of the game.

Modified and maintained "kits" of Monster Creatures to provide a balanced gameplay experience
Characters

Improved initial implementation of Port-a-Lounges by adding features to discourage camping, improving feedback for both Specialists and Monsters when interacting, and improving speed of interactions with the object

To expand upon the function of the Port-a-Lounges, I pitched and prototyped additional Interactable Hiding Spots the player could utilize to evade the Monster. These spots took the form of beds, desks, couches, and other pieces of furniture that could be found in the environment allowing the player to roll under them to hide. Monsters could search these spots to remove players.

New implementation put the player directly under the surface of the hatch, providing them a free camera above the hatch they could use to survey the level. This implementation provided the player with a better understanding of the game board while deposited and allowed them to make better informed decisions after being rescued regarding Monster location and aggression

Improved initial implementation of Port-a-Lounges by adding features to discourage camping, improving feedback for both Specialists and Monsters when interacting, and improving speed of interactions with the object
Gameplay Mechanics/Systems
Economy Design
During the development of the Phase 3 update, I personally took on the task of overhauling the in-game economy and monetization scheme for the project to better leverage our team capabilities and lower the burden on the end-user. I designed and pitched a new monetization scheme, switching from a daily rotating shop of eight items to instead feature a persistent shop in which all standard skins would be available for all characters. I also made adjustments to the price of premium currency packs to more effectively fit within the pricing scheme used for cosmetic purchases. I then worked with appropriate frontend and backend teams to realize this functionality, including overhauling the storefront UI and backend confirmation requirements.
Accomplishments
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Completely rebuilt the in-game economy by adjusting the storefront interface and rotation of items, modifying prices of premium currency, and simplifying user interaction for purchasing in-game items
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Increased game revenue by over 50% upon release of the Phase 3 update featuring the new economic approach
Showcase

The original Storefront featured a small collection of Featured items and a daily rotating collection of eight random items

Given the small dev team working on the game, this led to an uneven distribution of items in the shop and a large quantity of repeats appearing on a regular basis

In-depth UI/UX chart to show step-by-step how the user would interact with each page in the shop when purchasing cosmetics

The original Storefront featured a small collection of Featured items and a daily rotating collection of eight random items
Economy Improvements
UI/UX Design
Worked directly with our UI artist to completely rebuild all in-game UI elements, refining their implementation to create a more stylized and professional look in the Phase 3 update. The UI artist and I worked together to take the simplistic white-box UI that the game launched with and update the presentation with a more Poppy Playtime-esque style and aesthetic while also addressing shortcomings in readability and player information. I took the lead on the update creating UI mock-ups and wireframes to illustrate intended functionality for our artist who would then take the mock-ups and translate them to final designs. Together, we remade every menu/HUD element in the game, streamlining the end-user experience and making critical information more readily available from within a match.
Accomplishments
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Overhauled all in-game UI systems to create a more streamlined, easy-to-read, and immersive interface
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Generated over 30 UI wireframes and mock-ups that were iterated on by UI team to create finalized assets
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Improved readability and clarity of all menus and HUD elements, improving end-use experience
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Created a more stylized approach to the game's UI, better matching the tone and style of the franchise
Showcase

Worked directly with UI team to completely rework game Menus



Worked directly with UI team to completely rework game Menus
Menus

Created a new Pre-Game cinematic title sequence to introduce the players to the match, adding more visual flair when loading into a match

Original Mock-Up of Pre-Game Title Cards

Added end-game scoreboard to allow players to compare their performance against their teammates and rivals, cultivating more healthy competition among players

Created a new Pre-Game cinematic title sequence to introduce the players to the match, adding more visual flair when loading into a match
