"Invein"

Type: Developed by a 40-person team over 8 months in an academic studio environment at UT Dallas.

Development: August 2025 - May 2026

Description: A story-driven single-player horror experience that focuses on exploration with classic puzzles while trapped inside a hospital.

Tools used: Unreal Engine 5

Link: InVein on Steam

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

GAME DESIGNER

-IV System: Collaborated with the Lead Designer to implement the player health system

-Enemy: Collaborated with the Lead Designer and Narrative Design for enemy behavior and sound feedback

-Player Movement: Collaborated with the Lead Designer to implement player movement

-Level Interactable: Collaborated with the Lead Designer and Level Design team to decide where interactables should spawn or be positioned in the map for use such as IV bags, keys, hiding spots, crawl spaces, and doors

-Atmosphere: Worked with the Level Design team and Lead Designer to ensure gameplay represented the design team's narrative.

-GDD: Helped create a detailed Game Design Documents (GDDs) to help communicate the vision and mechanics to other disciplines effectively

DESIGN LEAD

-Took over as design lead in the second half of the games development

-Created new sequences to enhance player experience and guarantee multiple playthroughs

-Expanded on previous game mechanics and created several innovative ways for players to interact with their environment.

- Developed, scripted, and refined all game levels, ensuring a cohesive game experience through iterative design and incorporating feedback using Blueprints.

-Collaborated daily with 40+ students across multiple departments to bring gameplay systems from concept to full, polished implementation

Final Thoughts

This experience was both challenging and rewarding. I had the honor and privilege of collaborating with thirty-nine incredibly talented individuals to create what I believe is one of the best games the University of Texas at Dallas has ever produced. Throughout this process, I learned how to work effectively with like-minded people and grew as a game designer. I was continually pushed to think outside my comfort zone, as this was my first time creating a horror-based game. I approached the challenge with a positive attitude, researching and referencing various media sources throughout development. This project taught me to be more confident in my ability to understand what makes a game successful and, more importantly, why it succeeded in the first place.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse