CRCT/BRKR
Game Jam - December 2025
Developed by 7 students at Full Sail University. Project Thunderclap consists of 3 designers/programmers and 4 artists. We created this game in three weeks, creating all game elements from scratch, including level design, gameplay, UI, and some assets. Assets were a mixture of free/purchased assets from stores and artist designs.
Link to itch.io page here
I worked on many aspects of this game’s development, but I spent most of my time working on the project as the level designer, systems/feedback designer, and project coordinator.
For the level design, I used Miro to make my level concept and layout. I used this blueprint in Unreal Engine to create the Blockmesh and eventually add assets to create the final product. Assets were a mixture of created assets from our artists, free assets on Fab, and an asset bundle I purchased from Humble Bundle.
The goal of the project was to be a 2-5 minute experience showcasing our skills as designers, so I decided to make one level with two sections.
Due to the time and scope constraints of the project, I focused on creating smaller but engaging gameplay spaces where the player could be introduced to our mechanics, practice them, and then master them in the second area, with one area of refuge to resupply health and ammo.
Another role I served on the team was Project Coordinator. I was responsible for scheduling weekly standups and creating agendas for those meetings, so artists and programmers alike were on the same page for what needed to be completed first. I also managed the project scope as deadlines approached, making decisions on what needed to be prioritized and what could be cut so that the main experience of the game was not hindered.
When I was not working on level design or scheduling meetings, I spent my time working on player feedback. We wanted the game to have limited mechanics, but have what mechanics we did add feel good to interact with and react based on what the player does. Every interaction, ability cast, and combat scenario needed to have a balance of visual, audio, and system feedback that reacted to the player’s current state.
I was also responsible for two of the game’s systems: The Leveling/Experience system and the Interact System.
This video is an example of some of the feedback in the game. I used Mixamo to find animations for the shooting, melee, and casting. Then, when importing them into Unreal Engine, used the animation retargeting tool to make the animations work on our player character. I also used Pixabay to find SFX and music. The voice-over narration I recorded myself speaking into a modulator I found on Voicemod.
The interact system highlights objects that can be interacted with and creates a prompt for the player. This system would trigger events that the designers created based on that function. For example, the door would swing open and shut when the player interacted with it and the keycard would be picked up, allowing them to progress to the second area.
The Leveling system heals the player to max health and resupplies their ammo once enough experience has been acquired. The initial design for the system was that the player would get statistical upgrades and unlock their three abilities as they progressed. Unfortunately, this had to be cut due to time constraints.
Gallery
