DANIEL
GUNNARSSON

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CONTACT

DANIEL
GUNNARSSON

projects
group work
More
CONTACT

Summary

Playthrough

Overview

Design Tech.

Combat Scen.

Production

Reflections

Summary

Playthrough

Overview

Design Tech.

Combat Scen.

Production

Reflections

Summary

Playthrough

Overview

Design Tech.

Combat Scen.

Production

Reflections

Summary

Playthrough

Overview

Design Tech.

Combat Scen.

Production

Reflections

My PROJECTs
01

"Cheyenne Bunker"

"Cheyenne Bunker"

"Cheyenne
Bunker"

Summary

The player infiltrates a futuristic bunker to sabotage a weapon reactor deep within the facility.

The level is designed around variation in combat scenarios, shifting from controlled engagement into high-pressure scenarios, before ending with a power reversal.

GOALS

  • Third-person action/stealth combat

  • Encounter design

  • Traversal & combat readability

  • Variation in encounters

  • Cohesive gameplay experience

Breakdown

PROJECT Breakdown

  • 5 weeks half time (4h/day)

  • Unreal Engine 5

  • AGLS V1.5

  • FAB: LowPoly Sci-Fi Corridor

  • 4,5 weeks half time (4h /day)

  • Created using Unreal Engine 5

  • Focus on creating a combat adventure in a sci-fi setting

  • AGLS V1.5

  • FAB: LowPoly Sci-Fi Corridor

PlayThrough

Play through

Overview

1. reveal weapon
1. reveal weapon
2. a way in
2. a way in
3. reveal reactor gate
3. reveal reactor gate
4. Fight through bunker
4. Fight through bunker
5. clear out control room
5. clear control room
5. clear out control room
6. activate bridge
6. activate bridge
7. Get across the bridge
7. Get across the bridge
8. overload reactor
8. overload reactor
9. fight last wave & escape
9. fight wave & escape
9. fight last wave & escape

Design techniques

Design
techniques

Core Design PilLars

Core Design PilLars

  1. Disadvantage & Pressure

  2. Choke Points & Sightlines

  3. Denial & Reward

  4. Power Reversal

Progression &
Anticipation

Progression & Anticipation

Denial and reward is used to build tension and progression.

I revealed the objective early, then repeatedly hide it, creating anticipation with each new glimpse.


The tunnel before the bridge acts as a funnel before reveal.
During the sniper segment, it also becomes a death zone for the enemies.

Guidance & Readability

Though it is a linear level, red emissive lights are used for signposting, guiding the player toward traversal paths and climbable surfaces.

Though it is a linear level, I used red light emissive lights to hint to the player on where to go and where they can climb. I thought it fit well in with the Sci-Fi theme and environment.

Flow & Subversion

The level is largely unobstructed, allowing the player to progress without obstacles. this can become boring.


To break this flow, I introduced bait and switch moments to subvert player expectation.

Combat Scenarios

Combat
encounters

combat encounters

first encounter

The first encounter introduces low-risk enemies, allowing the player to establish control while framing the objective.

This creates a safe starting point where the player can engage at their own pace before the level introduces higher pressure scenarios.

The first enemies that the player encounter are classic snack kills, strategically placed to give the player a vista of the objective and what is to become the extract

The first enemies that the player encounter are classic snack kills, strategically placed to frame the objective and what is to become the extract

Vantage Point

Leading up to the first major combat space, the player is given a vantage point overlooking the arena.


This allows the player to safely read the layout, identify enemy placement, and form a plan before entering the encounter.

Bunker

Bunker

At the first major combat space, the player has a positional advantage.

The bridge acts as a choke point with height advantage over enemies below, while maintaining clear sightlines across the space.


A sniper controls key sightlines from the balcony, applying pressure and limiting safe movement. Periodic smoke blocks the sniper's line of sight, creating windows for repositioning.


The pillar acts as a circulation zone, offering full cover and angle options, allowing more dynamic movement while in combat.

The yellowed railings provides half cover for both player and enemy, and their spacing is designed to promote player movement and repositioning.

At the first major combat space, the player has a positional advantage.

The bridge acts as a choke point with height advantage over enemies below, while maintaining clear sightlines across the space.


A sniper controls key sightlines from the balcony, applying pressure and limiting safe movement. Periodic smoke blocks the sniper's line of sight, creating windows for repositioning.


The pillar acts as a circulation zone, offering full cover and angle options, allowing more dynamic movement while in combat.

The yellowed railings provides half cover for both player and enemy, and their spacing is designed to promote player movement and repositioning.

In the first combat area with the player having the advantage. The bridge acts as a choke point and also as height advantage on the enemies below.

The smoke is deployed every six seconds to block the balcony sniper's line of sight, creating opportunities for the player to reposition.

The yellowed pillar by the batteries acts a a "circulation zone", giving the player full cover and angle options on the enemies if the push or flank.

The yellowed railings provides half cover for both player and enemy, and their spacing is designed to promote player movement and repositioning during combat.

After play-testing I received feedback that the railing was too tall to comfortably shoot enemies below, this made me lower the height slightly and not completely follow my metrics for covers.

Generator

Generator

The player enters the final combat space at a disadvantage, positioned on the ground level while the enemies control the surrounding high ground.


Playtesting revealed hesitation in the entrance area, so cover was repositioned deeper into the space to pull the player forward.


Two shotgun enemies apply pressure on the bottom floor, preventing passive play behind cover.

The player enters the final combat space at a disadvantage, positioned on the ground level while the enemies control the surrounding high ground.


Playtesting revealed hesitation in the entrance area, so cover was repositioned deeper into the space to pull the player forward.


Two shotgun enemies apply pressure on the bottom floor, preventing passive play behind cover.

In the last Combat area the player enters on the ground and therefor in a disadvantage of the enemy has the high ground. I did this to increase difficulty towards the end of the level.


Play-testing showed that the player wanted to stay in the decompression zone between the room and outside. Therefore I placed the cover 10m in from the door, in order to pull the player in to the area.


I placed 2 shotgun enemies on the ground level that tries to get close to the player to prevent the player from staying in the entrance.


The player is rewarded for clearing this area by over loading the reactor (objective), then gets the sniper to pick off the reinforcing enemies trying to get across the bridge to stop them.

In the last Combat area the player enters on the ground and therefor in a disadvantage of the enemy has the high ground. I did this to increase difficulty towards the end of the level.

Play-testing showed that the player wanted to stay in the decompression zone between the room and outside. Therefore I placed the cover 10m in from the door, in order to pull the player in to the area.

I placed 2 shotgun enemies on the ground level that tries to get close to the player to prevent the player from staying in the entrance.

The player is rewarded for clearing this area by over loading the reactor (objective), then gets the sniper to pick off the reinforcing enemies trying to get across the bridge to stop them.

Climax - Power Reversal

Climax - Power Reversal

The player initially moves through a disadvantage state on the bridge that serves as a choke point, under pressure from a sniper and soldiers, and with limited cover.

When the objective is completed, this dynamic reverses.


Now the player is the sniper and can pick off the incoming enemies one by one, before finally escaping the exploding reactor.


This is designed to grant the player a payoff after fighting tense battles.

The player initially moves through a disadvantage state on the bridge that serves as a choke point, under pressure from a sniper and soldiers, and with limited cover.

When the objective is completed, this dynamic reverses.


Now the player is the sniper and can pick off the incoming enemies one by one, before finally escaping the exploding reactor.


This is designed to grant the player a payoff after fighting tense battles.

Production

production

Iterations

After sketching a rough paper design of the area I started blocking out on top of the heightmap.

Early iterations focused on large-scale layout to establish player flow, sightlines and pacing.

After sketching a rough paper design of the area I started blocking out on top of the heightmap.

Early iterations focused on large-scale layout to establish player flow, sightlines and pacing.

Individual areas

I wanted each space in the level to feel purposeful and believable, as if the world exists with or without the player.


To achieve this, I designed areas with clear functions, such as control panels for the conveyor belt, a locker room, transports parking garage and the weapon generator.

Each space was given its own identity, and the layout of the environment was shaped to support that specific purpose.

I wanted each space in the level to feel purposeful and believable, as if the world exists with or without the player.


To achieve this, I designed areas with clear functions, such as control panels for the conveyor belt, a locker room, transports parking garage and the weapon generator.

Each space was given its own identity, and the layout of the environment was shaped to support that specific purpose.

Buffer Zones

Buffer Zones

In order to help the player move I designed the combat areas with varius buffer zones between cover islands. I wanted to give the player options and angles when engaged in combat

Gathering References

To start the process, I gathered a lot of references.

Since the level is inspired by a real location, I used online maps to get references of the biome and height map of the location. I also looked up floor plans, videos documentation I could find for inspiration.

I created a color palette that I combined with concept art and brutalistic architecture references to create my own futuristic spin on this existing area.

To start the process, I gathered a lot of references.

Since the level is inspired by a real location, I used online maps to get references of the biome and height map of the location. I also looked up floor plans, videos documentation I could find for inspiration.

I created a color palette that I combined with concept art and brutalistic architecture references to create my own futuristic spin on this existing area.

To start the process, I gathered a lot of references. Since the level is inspired by a real location, I used online maps to get references of the biome and height map of the location. I also looked up floor plans, videos documentation I could find for inspiration.

I created a color palette that I combined with concept art and brutalistic architecture references to create my own futuristic spin on this existing area.

Metrics

In order to minimize camera clipping and set my cover metric, I created a player gym. Here I also established comfortable walkways and door frames. After playtesting I had to adjust some half covers where to be lower where the player and enemies has height advantage.

In order to minimize camera clipping and set my cover metric, I created a player gym. Here I also established comfortable walkways and door frames. After playtesting I had to adjust some half covers where to be lower where the player and enemies has height advantage.

Reflections

+46 761310549

+46 761310549

danielgunnarsson96@gmail.com

danielgunnarsson96@gmail.com

This Project was a major learning experience for me. The focus of this level was on the combat scenarios and their intensity, and I am happy with how they turned out.


However, if I were to remake the level I would have given the player more options on how to approach thece scenarios. Right now the level is too linear.

I did plan to incorporate more interactability for the player; loot, pushable objects and a puzzle in order to open the bridge, in order to slow the pacing down.


However, with time restrictions and a few too many techical difficulties those features had to be cut completely. That is definitely something I would incorporate to avoid gaming fatigue due to a lot of combat.

+46 761310549

+46 761310549

danielgunnarsson96@gmail.com

danielgunnarsson96@gmail.com

+46 761310549

+46 761310549

danielgunnarsson96@gmail.com

danielgunnarsson96@gmail.com

+46 761310549

+46 761310549

danielgunnarsson96@gmail.com

danielgunnarsson96@gmail.com

NEXT PROJECTS

NEXT PROJECTS