LEVEL DESIGN · GAMEPLAY DESIGN
ZIMO LIU
Focused on gameplay-driven level design, with an emphasis on player flow, spatial guidance, encounters, pacing, and gameplay mechanics.
University of Utah Games graduate, admitted to Abertay University for graduate study. Experienced with UE5, UEFN, and Unity, with supporting skills in implementation, cinematic design, and 3D game art that help me collaborate across disciplines
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PAST PROJECTS
ISLAND RAID
August 2026-Fortnite Creative Level Demo
Genre: 1–2 Player, Third-Person Shooter, PvE Raid
SOFTWARE -UEFN(Verse), Project Graph
Level Length: 30 mins
WORK: Level Design, Gameplay & Systems Design, Encounter Design, Verse Programming, Cinematics, Environment Art
I designed and built this 1–2 player PvE raid level from the ground up in UEFN, covering level layout, gameplay systems, encounter flow, and environmental presentation. Players deploy onto an island and must complete a series of objectives within a time limit, while choosing how to approach each phase—fighting on foot, using vehicles, or exploring the island to learn weapon, item, and supply locations and optimize their route.
My goal was to create a level that rewards route planning, exploration, and player choice rather than forcing a single solution. I also created the opening cinematic and used environmental art, landmark placement, visual guidance, and obstacles to strengthen navigation, pacing, and the overall sense of progression across the island.
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PORTFOLIO MONTAGE
- Projects Up To March 2026
SOFTWARE -Adobe Premiere
A short video introduction to my current work, featuring four of my recent projects(Plague, Way, Cleaning House, Pivot Of Light) and the game art I am most proud of.
（03:27）
MY ROLE - Level & Gameplay Designer
SOFTWARE -Unreal Engine 5 · Project Graph · Google Docs
CLEANING HOUSE
Genre: First-Person Horror Roguelite Extraction Shooter
Apr 2026-TEAM PROJECT -16 People Team
WORK: Level Design · Gameplay & Systems Design · Blueprint Prototyping · Level Production Workflow · Environment Art & Lighting
Cleaning House is a first-person horror roguelite shooter with extraction elements, developed by a 16-person capstone team in Unreal Engine 5 and released on Steam.
I worked primarily as a Level & Gameplay Designer, contributing to the core game loop, system design, gameplay prototypes, level whiteboxing, and the production workflow that took rooms from blockout to final environment art and lighting. I also worked across engineering and art to support implementation, integration, playtesting, and iteration throughout development.
PIVOT OF LIGHT
Nov 2025-Level & Gameplay Demo
Genre: Single Player, Third Person, Action, Adventure
SOFTWARE -Unreal Engine 5, Project Graph
Level Length: 15 mins
WORK: Blueprint Features, Gameplay & Level Design, Gymnasium
In my level and game design work, I draw directly from everyday experiences to inspire gameplay, enemy systems, and spatial design. The Pivot of Light is the project that best represents this approach. The idea originated when I was searching for a new apartment and discovered how building orientation affects sunlight. This realization formed the foundation for a mechanic where enemies slow down under light, and a mechanism that allows the player to rotate the light direction and entire game level, utilizing tools like a flashlight or camera flash to deal with enemies.
PLAGUE
MY ROLE - Gameplay Designer, Level Designer, Game Tester
SOFTWARE -Unity(C#), Photoshop
Genre: Side Scroller, Stealth, Platform
Apr 2025-TEAM PROJECT -6 People Team
WORK: Gameplay & Level Design, Prototyping, Gymnasium, Game Tester
The Plague is a side-scrolling platform stealth game, a group project demo created in Unity. I worked as the gameplay and level designer on the team, also including writing code prototypes and improving the game based on player feedback. It involves a team-based collaboration throughout the entire pipeline, from concepting and prototyping to testing, adjusting, and decorating a complete game level.
ADDITIONAL CROSS-DISCIPLINE WORK
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WAY
MY ROLE - Environment Art & Cross-Discipline Study
SOFTWARE -Game maker, Photoshop, Asprite
Genre: Single Player, Narrative, Platforming, Pixel
Dec 2024-TEAM PROJECT -3 People Team
WORK: Pixel style Tilable, tilesheet, VFX, Pixel Assets, Background
A 3-person narrative platformer where I owned the environment-art pipeline from visual research and asset planning to in-engine implementation and playtest iteration. I used parallax, material contrast, layered foregrounds, and VFX to guide players, improve spatial readability, and convey progression through the mountain.
The project also gave me first-hand experience working on the art side of the Level Design pipeline, helping me better understand how level, narrative, and environment-art requirements need to communicate across disciplines.