Level & Game Designer
Playtonic Games Internship - Level Design
Role: Level & Game Design Intern
Engine: Unity
Year: 2O23
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Over a 3 month period I undertook an internship with Playtonic Games in Burton on Trent. This was conducted as the Advanced Practice module of my Masters course, and I am incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to work and learn in that renowned space with developers of such a high standard.
During my time at the studio I had a wonderful time developing my level design skills and understanding of industry standard practice and workflows. Being given charge of my own level was an exciting challenge that pushed me and my work to new heights. As well as
level design, I had the opportunity to design a range of props and systems and to take part in meetings and discussions for other aspects of the project, providing me the chance to input and ideate on core design decisions.
Beyond this I took the opportunity to build on my interpersonal abilities, pushing myself to further develop communication skills and to join members of the team in out of office activities.
Details (Under NDA)
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Methodology:
Playtonic has a very particular level design methodology which I had to learn and understand while I was on the job. This methodology has now carried over into my personal work and proved exceedingly useful, allowing me to quickly iterate on ideas, identify fun gameplay opportunities and create in-engine "vignettes" ready for testing efficiently. Knowing this method elevated my skills and offered me a new perspective that I can carry on to future roles and projects.
I also had to get to grips with Playtonic's proprietary level design tools, which I did quickly and to great success. This experience of learning new tools under time pressure was enlightening and gave me confidence that I would be able to do it again.
My Level:
Using these skills I took charge of my own level, tasked with creating gameplay around a unique level mechanic and framing it within a well paced and organised sequence. I was able to ideate on interesting ways to utilise the mechanic completely freely, reporting my designs back to the senior designers for constructive feedback, this level of responsibility was incredibly exciting for me and the freedom I was offered allowed me to work to the best of my ability. I also came up with level design ideas outside of the mechanic, such as mini-games and player focused obstacles, many of which where well received by the senior designers who kept my documents after my internship ended.
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Communication:
During the development of my level I was interfacing directly and frequently with other members of the design and level design team, the senior designers, and the creative director, for feedback and design discussions relating to my work and theirs. This continued practice offered me the unique opportunity to ideate with and learn directly from true industry veterans. My ability to portray my work and accept constructive feedback was greatly bolstered by this experience and I feel more comfortable discussing my ideas, designs and thought process at an industry level because of it.