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Project Portfolio

Professional Shipped Titles

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​Borderlands 3
I worked on around a dozen different maps in various stages of their development for 3 years but was most focused on designing The Pyre of Stars layout and combat from start to finish, as well as many of the Trial maps and Slaughter maps which are combat heavy rerunnable maps.
​For: Gearbox Software
Roles: Level Designer
Date: September 2019
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Battleborn
During my contract at Gearbox Software I worked on on multiple map and game ideas for Battleborn DLC, eventually leading to Rocket Brawl, a unique game mode and map event in Battleborn based around Benedict's abilities in the game.
​For: Gearbox Software
Roles: Level Designer
Date: July 2017

Modding Examples

​Canyon of Thorns - A modded map for Blade & Sorcery
Blade & Sorcery is a First Person Fantasy Combat game in VR. 

Canyon of Thorns was a map mod I created in Unity to practice a little bit of lighting and simple set dressing, as well as leverage my level design talents into a fun level for one of my favorite games. See the first image to the left for more information about the design.

Download Page
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​Various Weapon & Content Addon Mods
I've created hundreds of weapons and interactive objects inside of modding SDKs working with existing tech and making some of my own in a process that involved a lot of precision, design and game balance with the existing game, as well as making each pack have a unique and distinct theme. Community feedback has been a big help in guiding design decisions and the reception has always been awesome.

YouTubers showcasing and using my mods have collectively amassed millions of views and Forbes and PC Gamer both wrote an article about my mods!
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Numerous Original Maps/Levels
     I've created a bunch of map mods from the ground up designed specifically for Blade & Sorcery, putting a lot of thought in how players and enemies interact with the map and going beyond that to work on things like optimization, lighting and set-dressing.
     Most of these maps have arena based layouts and are relatively simple since enemies can't function very well on anything but perfectly flat ground, but a lot of the character comes from how players navigate and fight in the space, where the player starts the battle, where enemies approach from, where enemies hang back to fire projectiles at the player, where the player can take cover from said projectiles and so on, and I put a lot of thought into these elements as well as observing feedback from the community! I especially love adding hazards such as lava and pits to add a little bit of ambient tension to the map and to keep enemies and players from being pushed up against walls during combat.
     These maps were created with asset kits with a few simple models or extra geometry made by myself.
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Archived Projects (2016 and earlier)

Demo Reel (Spring 2016)

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Going Nowhere: The Dream

Going Nowhere

Going Nowhere is a 3D platforming adventure game made in 3 months. Players use a variety of "parkour" style maneuvers to navigate a dream-like urban environment and discover the mystery behind the town they find themselves in.
Going Nowhere was featured both on Newgrounds and GameJolt, and received very positive feedback from the community for its level design, aesthetic style and game mechanics, leading to dozens of "Let's Play" videos from fans.
For: Independent Work
Team: 4 Members
Role: Designer & Project Leader
Date: August 2015

PLAY HERE
CLICK FOR MORE DETAILS
Play Here

Relic

A 3D action/adventure grappling hook platformer. Players grapple their way through a derelict space ship to find an ancient spear.
For: DigiPen
Team: 22 Members
Role: Level Designer
Date: May 2015

CLICK FOR MORE DETAILS
Play Here

Unearthed

A 3D, first person beat-em-up! Up to two players (split-screen) must overcome an army of undead as they travel through an abandoned mineshaft, using a combination of arms, and the very environment itself. Pick up an unconsious zombie and beat up her friends with her own body. Throw a boulder at a skeleton and watch as he collapses on to his friends, domino style. The combat is heavily driven by physics so the fun never stops.
For: DigiPen
Team: Solo
Role: Creator
Date: April 2016
Download Here

Heart of Clay

A story adventure game about a clay golem brought to life. Discover the grim reason behind your existence as you explore the town and meet the villagers.
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This game is a ~20 minute experience where players are guided through the town to learn the story of their existence as a golem by interacting with the townsfolk and examining the environment. While most of the story is delivered via dialogue, the environment gives a lot of context to the events that took place before the golem was brought to life. The world and characters come together to create a memorable and engaging experience for players.

For: DigiPen
Team: Solo
Role: Creator
Date: April 2015

CLICK FOR MORE DETAILS
Play Here

Other Works & Experience (By Date)

Thru The Floor
A 2 player split screen shooter where each player must try to shoot the floor out from the other player to win a round. The winner of 2 out of 3 rounds wins the match as each floor below the players gets more unstable. Developed in 2 months as a competitive shooter and received a lot of praise for its fun and replayability.
For: DigiPen
Team: Solo
Date: December 2015​​
PLAY HERE ; WATCH VIDEO
Operation Clarion
Operation Clarion is a 3D exploration based platformer where the player assumes the role of an astronaut on a rescue mission crashed on a strange planet. It has unique but simple tank-based low gravity movement controls and an unfolding environmental narrative, with a playtime of around 15 minutes. It was developed and completed within two months at DigiPen.
For: DigiPen
Team: Solo
Date: October 2015​
PLAY HERE ; WATCH VIDEO
SuperSensory
SuperSensory is a 2D puzzle/platform game where players navigate obstacles using telekinesis to reach the end of each level. With about 20 minutes of content, the game contains puzzles, collectibles, dynamic narrative and elements of exploration.
For: DigiPen
Team: Solo
Date: December 2014
PLAY HERE ; WATCH VIDEO
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Blood Stone
An asymmetrical turn based combat board game. One player controls the Blood Witch and her Minions. The other player controls 3 Mercenaries. Exchanging health and allowing the death of units are key elements of the game, creating a unique and interesting playing field.
For: DigiPen
Team: Solo
Date: December 2014
DOWNLOAD RULE BOOK ; DOWNLOAD MAP ; DOWNLOAD CARD PACK
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Click For More Details
Team Fortress 2: Attack & Defend
A Team Fortress 2 board game adaptation licensed by Valve for educational purposes. 2 players control 6 class units in a fast paced capture point game mode.
For: DigiPen
Team: Solo
Date: November 2014

CLICK FOR MORE DETAILS
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Red Rapture
A short score-attack game with physics based gameplay and destruction. Made in two weeks.
For: Independent Work
Team: Solo
Date: June 2014
PLAY HERE
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 Gun Peeps: Revolution
A run-and-gun platforming game with a high degree of challenge featuring 11 detailed missions. Gun Peeps: Revolution won second place (out of over 100 entries) in the Newgrounds 2014 Construct 2 competition.
For: Independent Work
Team: Solo
Date: June 2014
PLAY HERE
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Mini-Metal
Mini-Metal is a 4 player team based shooter where players capture bases, earn money, and buy powerful mech vehicles to influence the tide of combat. Mini-Metal was developed in a custom engine within 4 months by a team of 4 programmers, 1 designer (me) and 1 sound designer.
For: DigiPen
Team: 6 Members
Roles: Designer, Prototype Developer, Artist
Date: April 2014
PLAY THE PROTOTYPE
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Frontier to Nowhere
A point-and-click story game, featuring great detailed art and voice acting. Created and finished in two weeks for Ludum Dare 28.
For: Independent Work
Team: 3 Members
Roles: Programmer, English Localization, UI and Interface Designer
Date: December 2013
PLAY HERE
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The Depths
An underwater adventure game based on exploration, resource gathering and progressive upgrades.
For: Independent Work
Team: 2 Members
Roles: Designer, Programmer
Date: July 2013
PLAY HERE
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Kishin's Lab
An adventure map for Minecraft featuring challenging puzzles and obstacles driven by a narrative.
For: Independent Work
Team: Solo
Date: August 2012

VIEW HERE ; WATCH VIDEO
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The Abandoned City
A map created for Minecraft based on the mod "Smart Moving". The map includes a short tutorial for the mod and about 20 minutes of platforming puzzles. The map serves both as a tutorial and introduction to the Smart Moving mod, as well as a challenging platforming map for experienced players.
For: Independent Work
Team: Solo
Date: July 2012
VIEW HERE ; WATCH VIDEO
© Stephan Haldaman
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