Planet X
- Genre: FPS
- Type: Blockout
- Engine: Unreal Engine 5
- Tools: UE5, Blueprints, PS, Low Poly Shooter Pack, Level Design Kit, Elite Landscapes: Skybox Bundle Pack, FANTASTIC - Nature Pack
- Iterations # 7
- Playtests # 5
- Role: Level designer (research and concept, blockout, scripting, narrative, encounter design)
Goal
My goal for this project is to bring to life an idea I’ve been chewing on that blends Mars like space fantasy with zombie horror like The Last of Us, combined with narrative-rich FPS experience driven by immersive environmental storytelling.
I also used this project as an opportunity to practice designing these shooter specific level elements:
- Combat spaces
- Encounter pacing
- Enemy placement
- Cover layout
In parallel, I joined a level design bootcamp led by Mike Madden (designed levels for the Modern Warfare and Black Ops series) to get hands-on guidance in FPS specific techniques and workflows.
Iterative Progression
Top View
Other Areas:
Wheat fields
Spaceport
Main square
Level Overview and Highlights
Setting: Future (distant planet), Apocalyptic, Mysterious
Tone & Mood: Loneliness, mystery, danger, uncertainty
Constraints:
- Engine: Unreal Engine 5
- Perspective: First-person (FPS)
- Platform: PC
Synopsis: A remote colony on Planet X has gone dark. No messages, no signs of life.
The Galactic Police dispatch a detective to investigate.
The settlement is nearly abandoned – those who remain act strangely, some no longer recognizably human. At first, it seems like a virus.
But the truth is far worse: the planet was never empty. Something ancient and unseen is using the colonists to survive…
…and it won’t stop until it fully takes their place.
Narrative-Driven Environment Storytelling
- Used environmental storytelling to create the world that feels alive and to reflect the colony’s current state during the disaster.
- Told the story of the colonists before and during the catastrophe through datapads scattered throughout the level.
- Used environmental “breadcrumbs” – blood trails, bodies, bottles, ruined furniture – to deepen immersion.
Supports Multiple Playstyles
- Designed two combat arenas supporting multiple playstyles – stealth, direct combat, and ranged takedowns from elevation.
- Added alternate paths, climbable spots, and visual guides (lights, silhouettes) to encourage creative thinking and reward players for outsmarting enemies.
- Left sticky notes in-editor to clarify intended routes for the team.
Rewarding Exploration
- Placed hidden and visible rewards throughout the level to drive exploration and give players a sense of meaningful discovery and support both casual and completionist players:
- 11 currency chests
- 6 ammo pickups
- 6 lore datapads
- Positioned meshes and props to subtly guide the player toward secrets – curious shapes, broken walls, or visual gaps invite exploration.
Different Enemy Types
- Designed 3 enemy types to support narrative and gameplay progression:
- Slow infected (melee) – dangerous in groups
- Static plants (AOE) – test player awareness
- Fast infected (melee) – test player reflexes
- Placed enemies to gradually increase difficulty and vary combat scenarios.
- Each type encourages different strategies, keeping players engaged and adapting.
Walkthrough
Beat 1: Spaceport
The colony on remote planet X has gone silent. A detective arrives to investigate – but even from above, something feels… too quiet.
- Arrival at the colony: No ships in sight. Colonists left in a hurry?
- A calm start: explore the empty landing zone and scan the horizon.
- Posters promoting agriculture hint at a well-functioning colony.
Beat 2: Ruined bridge
The descent to the surface reveals a collapsed bridge, strewn with communication towers. A platforming sequence adds tension and pace. Was there a desperate escape?
- The elevator ride offers a panoramic view of the colony.
- A sudden shift in tone: the player must leap across broken bridge.
- Scattered comm towers hint at a hasty escape – did fleeing ships knock them down?
Beat 3: Wheat field
Peaceful wheat fields lull the player into a false sense of calm – until they stumble upon a corpse. An old guard speaks of a virus and sends the detective to find a backup battery to open the colony gates.
- The player feels calm and safe as they walk through the peaceful fields.
- Suddenly, a body lies in the wheat: the illusion shatters.
- At the colony gate, an old guard speaks of a virus, lockdown, and lost control – the player must find a backup battery to proceed.
Beat 4: Colony entrance
Inside the colony, the tone shifts dramatically – bodies hang from walls, and the first infected enemy attacks. The path to the central square is blocked, forcing the detective to take a detour.
- The player feels calm and safe as they walk through the peaceful fields.
- Suddenly, a body lies in the wheat: the illusion shatters.
- At the colony gate, an old guard speaks of a virus, lockdown, and lost control – the player must find a backup battery to proceed.
Beat 5: Main square
The town square is partially destroyed – barricades, debris, and signs of a shootout between colonists. Infected roam the area, and multiple approaches to combat allow for player agency. A glowing bar offers the next destination.
- The main square shows signs of recent conflict. Infected wander among the remains.
- The player chooses how to approach: sneak around, use verticality, or fight head-on.
- A brightly lit bar catches the detective’s eye – maybe someone is still alive inside.
Beat 6: Bar
The bar is trashed and eerie. A drunk colonist speaks of a “witch hunt” and offers a secret route to City Hall before going mad and attacking. Tension builds as trust erodes.
- The detective enters the only lit building – a wrecked bar filled with overturned furniture and eerie silence.
- A drunken man claims he’s infected and talks of a witch-hunt, barricaded leaders, and a secret route to City Hall.
- Mid-conversation, he attacks the player.
Beat 7: Aggressive plants
In dark alleys a new enemy emerges – aggressive plants that shoot spikes. The player must adapt tactics. A locked lab and a note point them toward City Hall for the key.
- The detective reaches a new district – the path to City Hall is blocked, forcing a detour through dark alleys.
- Strange alien plants appear, launching spikes if approached – a fresh combat challenge.
- Near the locked Lab entrance, a notice says the key is in City Hall.
Beat 8: City hall
Hopes for uninfected survivors are crushed. The administration is infected too. After combat, the detective finds the lab key on the meeting room table and sets out again.
- Hoping to find uninfected people, the detective instead discovers that the Administration has also turned.
- The player clears the area either from above or head-on and retrieves the Laboratory key.
Beat 9: Laboratory
The lab holds mutated scientists and one tired researcher who reveals the truth: the infection is sentient. The guard reappears and betrays us by releasing new, stronger enemies. After the battle, the detective and scientist agree to join forces.
- Inside the Lab, the detective meets a scientist – still sane.
- He explains: the “virus” is a native, invisible lifeform using colonists as hosts.
- The guard reappears and unleashes mutated enemies – faster, deadlier. After the fight, the scientist joins us.
Top-Down View of Beats
Techniques
Use Breadcrumbs to Guide Players
Framing
Points of Interest (PoI)
Affordances
Landmarks
Spatial Composition
Environmental Storytelling
Contrast & Composition
Process
1: Research, ideation and planning
Goal: generate a compelling, cohesive level idea from scratch
Solution:
- Used Miro to brainstorm ideas across categories: Setting, Locations, Events, Enemies, Mechanics → see board on the right.
- Asked peers to vote on top concepts to identify strongest directions.
- Created a short concept doc (LDD draft) — early location vision, player goal, and core gameplay loop.
- Gathered visual references for mood, tone, and setting.
Result:
The ideas began to crystallize into a playable vision (see concept preview + refboard).
2: Game beats & 2D Map
Goal:
Structure gameplay pacing and environment layout from a raw level idea;
Create 2D map and LDD.
Solution:
- Broke down the story into a quest chain, split it into gameplay beats, and assigned intensity values.
- Visualized pacing through an intensity graph (V1), then iterated based on feedback: expanded intensity range (1–5) and added visual references to the map (V2).
- Sketched the layout in ReMarkable, recreated it in Photoshop, and aligned it with visual storytelling goals.
Result:
The second version of the LDD offered a much clearer overview of player flow, emotional pacing, and environmental context. The updated 2D map helped communicate design intentions more effectively during peer reviews and team syncs.
3: The First Roughout
Goal: Build the playable roughout fast.
Solution:
- Transitioned from 2D map to UE5 and blocked out the level using simple geometry and color coding to reduce clutter.
- Iterated in play mode to evaluate readability, navigation, and flow.
- Added placeholders for enemies, NPCs, quest chains, and loot chests to simulate gameplay structure.
- Used a Level Design Kit for prototyping, plus created a PureRef board for visual direction.
Result:
The level became fully playable and readable. Even though visuals were basic, the core gameplay idea came through clearly – players could explore, find rewards, and follow the quest flow.
This set a solid foundation for the next iteration.
4: Iterating the Roughout
Goal:
Transform the spaceport and surrounding areas into a visually and narratively compelling introduction. The aim was to improve player immersion, guide narrative flow, and ensure that environmental storytelling supports gameplay progression from the very start.
Solution:
- Redesigned the spaceport: raised it to offer a panoramic view, added narrative props, and included an early jump challenge with destroyed bridges and fallen towers.
- Enhanced storytelling: scattered 1940s-style agricultural posters, added a hidden battery quest behind a locked shed, accessible through environmental breadcrumbs.
- Improved visuals: replaced yellow blocks with nature assets from FANTASTIC – Nature Pack, and added animated sprinklers. Changed the sky material using Elite Landscapes: Skybox Bundle to boost mood.
- Game Mode upgrade: switched to ALS for smoother movement and interaction.
Result:
The area now feels alive and purposeful. Players start with a cinematic overview, experience a moment of tension, and follow a more engaging narrative flow through enhanced visuals and environmental storytelling.
5: Moving to the Blockout
Goal:
I assessed the level using core level design principles and identified that the lower part of the colony lacked spatial depth, player guidance, and purposeful encounters.
Solution:
- To fix this, I added elevation by placing key buildings on raised platforms. This not only improved the visual composition but also introduced verticality into exploration and combat.
- I also introduced “aggressive plants” near the Main Square as the first enemy type. To help players understand their attack range, I marked a clear danger zone on the ground. Cover objects were added nearby for tactical depth.
- At this stage, the upper area was optional and included a few chests. After playtesting, I decided to tie it into the golden path for stronger gameplay relevance.
- To improve orientation, I added a tall landmark tower visible from the colony entrance. I also rebuilt a narrative moment at the red-lit bloody door to enhance story delivery.
Result:
The new blockout layout brought stronger visual rhythm, clearer spatial hierarchy, and gave early combat more purpose. The colony began to feel alive, layered, and easier to navigate.
6: Iterating the Blockout
Goal:
The main focus of this iteration was to:
- Finalize the first tutorial enemy encounter,
- Polish the Main Square combat arena,
- Refine the lower part of the Slums (from the Entrance Gate to the Square),
- And start working more intentionally with lighting and post-processing to improve both readability and atmosphere.
Solution:
- Switched Game Mode to the Low Poly Shooter Pack for built-in FPS mechanics (shooting, damage, etc.).
- Reworked the lower colony layout: added lights, simplified enemy setup (replacing several “aggressive plants” with one “corrupted” enemy).
- Changed the main path to the Square: player now takes an alternate route via ladders.
- Rebuilt the Bar area with props, lighting, and Blueprints.
- Designed 3 tactical approaches to the Square encounter: stealth, frontal assault, and sniping from elevation.
- Color-coded non-interactive props (e.g. doors) in neutral gray to reduce visual noise.
- Introduced post-processing to reinforce a slightly oppressive mood and guide player perception.
Result:
The level became more readable, grounded, and tactically interesting. The updated layout offered players more strategic options during combat, while lighting and visual cues helped guide navigation and reinforced the setting’s mood.
7: Refining the Blockout
Goal:
This iteration focused on deepening the player experience in the City Hall and Laboratory areas by:
- Improving pacing and route design,
- Adding verticality and strategic options,
- Expanding environmental storytelling and mood through lighting and narrative setups.
Solution:
- Changed the path to City Hall, blocking direct access and forcing the player to find an alternative route.
- Introduced the “aggressive plant” enemy in a narrow area to raise tension; increased attack range and added a narrative warning.
- Rebuilt City Hall as a two-storey combat space, allowing players to choose between direct confrontation or ranged tactics from the second floor.
- Added narrative elements to explain who built the barricades and what happened in this part of the colony.
- Expanded the Laboratory with new rooms, lighting setups, and locked doors. Introduced a friendly but initially unsettling NPC to create tension and a payoff through dialogue.
Result:
The City Hall section became a memorable combat set piece with player agency and multiple approaches. The Laboratory offered a more atmospheric, story-driven space, reinforcing the mystery of the colony and giving space for emotional pacing between combat sequences.
