Mine. Upgrade. Survive the Unknown
This project was created in 4 weeks, with a team of 14.
Asteroid Explorer is an old-timey sci-fi-inspired space exploration game where players control a service robot sent by an incompetent crew to save their ship. Players mine ores for fuel, collect resources, and gain upgrades to traverse the handcrafted asteroid and overcome environmental challenges.
This school project in Unreal helped me deepen my skills in level design, pacing, and environmental storytelling.
I contributed as a level designer, focusing on:
Designing level layouts and resource placement to guide exploration
Creating blockouts for the overall map and navigation flow
Defining structure, pacing, and player progression
Directing the intro cutscene and contributing foundational story elements
I began by sketching rooms and upgrade paths in Miro, then collaborated closely with another level designer to stitch them together. In Unreal, I blocked out levels and iteratively refined pacing, resource distribution, and progression, ensuring mechanics like mining and upgrades integrated smoothly into the gameplay loop.
ASTEROID EXPLORER
Watch the trailer!
My work
The project began with a pitch meeting. I proposed the mining mechanic, inspired by games like REPO, where players pick up and handle tools. After a team vote, we chose to move forward with that idea.
My main focus was level design, which I collaborated on closely with another game design student. Together, we created individual rooms with unique goals, then selected the strongest ones and stitched them together into a cohesive game world centered around a hub. As designers, we held the overall vision of the game while supporting the team’s creativity and ensuring our contributions fit the gameplay loop.
I also directed and built the intro cutscene. I requested specific assets from the VFX and art team and constructed the scene in Unreal to present the story, aiming for a 1960s sci-fi vibe. Given the short timeframe, I’m proud we managed to include it, and even if it could use more polish, it remains my favorite part of the project.
Intro for the game.
An early concept showcasing a mechanic where the robot collects items by hand and places them into its backpack. This was later scrapped after some feedback.
Level design
For this project, our goal was to create something inspired by a Metroidvania. The idea was to let players unlock powers that help them explore deeper into the level. We started with a central hub, set inside a crater on the asteroid where the ship has landed.
The story centers around a black hole that grows larger as the game progresses. We wanted that growth to feel present in the hub itself. As players advanced, the black hole became more dominant in the background, and even the music shifted to reflect the change. Each time you returned from one of the caves, you would see the black hole again, now slightly larger. The idea was to create a sense of urgency and remind the player that time was running out.
From this hub, paths lead to different cave rooms. All of them except one are blocked off until you get the right powerup to move forward.
This setup gave us a clear structure to build around. There were two of us working on level design, and our first big step was whiteboxing in Miro. We brainstormed different room ideas, mapped out the flow of the game, and voted on which ones to move forward with. Once we had a direction, we started building those rooms with simple shapes to get the feel of the layout.
It was a smooth way to collaborate since we could both work on the same space at the same time. Looking back, I think we were a bit too ambitious in the beginning. The world we built was massive, and by the end we had to cut a lot of areas that were almost finished so we could focus on what mattered most.
Despite that, it was a great experience. I learned a lot about pacing, game flow, and how important it is to balance scope with quality.
Here is some gameplay!
A bird’s-eye view of the full level layout, where each section outside the hub represents a separate cave room. This layout guided how we approached the overall game flow.
challanges
This project presented several challenges, primarily related to leadership and team structure. While we had a producer, communication within the group was limited, and many team members focused mainly on their own tasks rather than the overall project direction. This lack of coordination affected the workflow and made it difficult to maintain a clear vision.
Despite these issues, I stayed focused on my responsibilities and worked to deliver quality results within the circumstances. The experience strengthened my understanding of teamwork, communication, and the importance of clear project structure.
An example of our process for choosing which rooms to include. Each was built modularly so we could easily add or remove them when needed.
Refflection
Looking back at this project, I am glad I could focus on my strengths and contribute in a meaningful way. The level design approach we used worked well, and while there are certainly things I would handle differently now, we were generally prepared to tackle the challenges that arose.
I also had the opportunity to learn and work with the sequencer, which was a lot of fun. I have always had an interest in film, and given the time I spent with it, I feel the sequences turned out polished. Of course, there are areas I would improve if I revisited them, but overall it was a valuable learning experience.
Although this is not my favorite project, I am proud of both the team and myself for pushing through and completing it successfully.