Hello there!
I’m Max, a level designer with a striking passion for narrative experiences.
I love to build immersive worlds that tell a story in a way only games can.
My Best Work
The Eclipsed Sanctum
Level Designer
Project Overview
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Team Size: Solo
Project Timeline: 8 weeks | 2024
Engine: TrenchBroom | Ironwail
The Eclipsed Sanctum is a single-player level for the original 1996 Quake, with a heavy focus on caution, dread and fear of the unknown. The goal was to challenge the limits of what a Quake level could be, whilst remaining true to the original’s player experience.
Personal Responsibilities
Created a level from concepting to release.
Gathered, sketched and painted over reference images and architecture.
Experimented, measured and tested player metrics in metric gyms.
Blocked out, built and iterated on the layout and gamespaces.
Scripted, designed and implemented combat encounters and gameplay beats.
Playtested, analysed and iterated based on data from external playtesters.
Lit, textured and iterated on the dark aesthetics.
My Other Endeavours
Inferno
Producer / Game Designer
Inferno is a third-person movement shooter with a heavy focus on speed, quick response times and mastery. Discover shortcuts and new movement techniques to improve your time and become the Queen of Inferno.
Genre: Third-Person Movement Shooter
Team Size: 18 developers (scaled from 6)
Project Timeline: 16 weeks | 2025
Engine: Unreal Engine 5
Scaled and managed a team of 18 developers.
Defined and broke down the scope together with lead developers.
Aligned the creative vision together with lead developers.
Divided the team into smaller interdisciplinary strike teams for efficient development.
Supported and facilitated sprint planning, reviews and retrospectives.
Ensured quality through QA guidelines and weekly build reviews.
Anticipated and prevented risks.
Designed, tested and iterated on game feel and feedback systems during concepting.
ORTUS
Level Designer
ORTUS is a twin-stick shooter set in the desolate remains of a once-thriving civilisation. Shoot your way to the top as you power up in this arcade-like experience. Can you outpace the storm and emerge victorious in this relentless climb?
Genre: Twin-Stick Shooter
Team Size: 13 developers
Project Timeline: 8 weeks | 2024
Engine: Unreal Engine 5
Researched the level design of the reference game Nex Machina.
Sketched and implemented gameplay scenarios.
Iterated on level lay-out based on playtesting feedback.
What It’s Like Working with Me