Game Designer
About Me
Hi! I'm William, a game designer from Canada.
I specialize in artistic surreal games, blending unexpected atmosphere with innovative design. I've been making games since I was young, and then I studied game design at the University of Toronto.
My Philosophy
By integrating aesthetics into gameplay, I aim to make immersive atmospheric experiences. I like to make things that are dream-like but fun with a unique twist that will leave you entertained.
Each project explores unique visual storytelling while focusing on the player's experience, ensuring engagement and surprise at every turn.
Here you can see some of the projects I've had the opportunity of contributing to, and some of the things I've been working on.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me :)
Artistic Surreal Games
Creating engaging, atmospheric experiences with artistry.
⬆ Make the video full screen and turn the volume up for an immersive experience! ⬆
Genre: First-Person Surreal Immersive Experience / Puzzle Prototype
Engine: Unreal Engine 5.7
Platform: PC
Status: Prototype
Roles and Responsibilities
Game Design
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Created the surreal, immersive concept and player experience.
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Designed the main progression loop: explore, solve puzzles, avoid enemies, unlock portals, and advance to the next level.
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Balanced atmosphere, challenge, and player feedback.
Level Design
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Designed and built playable levels with distinct visuals and gameplay.
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Created player progression through puzzles, portals, enemy encounters, tunnels, and environmental gates.
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Designed puzzle spaces that use drawings, flashing feedback, sound cues, and visual rewards to guide the player.
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Used portals, statue heads, eyes, and environmental landmarks to give the player goals and orientation.
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Designed enemy spaces with patrol routes, chase zones, kill triggers, and respawn points.
Environment Design
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Built surreal environments to support the feeling of being outside normal reality.
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Used Modeling Mode to create tunnels.
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Used landscape visibility tools so players could enter underground spaces.
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Added atmospheric details such as statue heads, eyes, portals, lasers, and bobbing ducks.
Gameplay Programming / Blueprint Scripting
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Created sliding doors, portal triggers, respawn systems, puzzle logic, flashing click feedback, wrong-answer sounds, and success sounds.
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Built an arrow puzzle based on a drawn sequence.
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Built a memory puzzle with similar feedback systems.
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Created a puzzle manager that tracks puzzle completion and unlocks the portal when both puzzles are solved.
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Replaced a cursor-based interaction system with a Line Trace system to improve player controls.
AI Design and Programming
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Created demon NPCs that move randomly using NavMesh navigation.
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Added Pawn Sensing so demons chase the player when they enter a certain radius.
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Created statue head NPCs that follow set paths between triggers.
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Added kill triggers so enemies respawn the player on overlap.
Cinematic Design
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Created the intro sequence in Sequencer.
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Designed the opening to feel like the player is being flown into the starting platform.
Sound Design and Music
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Composed all music for the prototype.
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Added sound effects for puzzle feedback, wrong answers, success states, and clock ticking.
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Used sound attenuation to make sounds feel localized in the game world.
Lighting and Visual Effects
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Used rect lights, point lights, and black-and-white post-processing to create a cinematic atmosphere.
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Created a custom laser material for the third level.
The Hanged
Prototype
You dreamed of this place once…
The Hanged is a first-person immersive, surreal prototype made in Unreal Engine 5.7. The player enters a simplified world beyond any known universe, where they are the first human employee promoted to the role of Seer. The prototype focuses on surreal level design, environmental puzzles, enemy navigation spaces, portals, cinematic lighting, and atmosphere.
My goal was to build an experience where the player moves through strange spaces, solves environmental puzzles, avoids hostile NPCs, and unlocks portals to progress deeper into the world.
I designed connected levels with distinct spatial goals: an introductory platform with puzzle gates, a tunnel-based exploration level, and a laser-focused third level. I used puzzles, enemy paths, portals, lighting, and environmental landmarks to guide the player through each space. I built Blueprint systems to support level progression, including sliding doors, puzzle feedback, shattering geometry, portal unlocks, enemy patrols, chase behavior, and respawn triggers. I also changed the interaction system from cursor-based clicking to a Line Trace system so the player could explore and interact more comfortably.
The final prototype became a surreal, immersive level design piece with clear progression, puzzle gating, enemy danger zones, cinematic presentation, and atmospheric worldbuilding. It strengthened my ability to design levels that combine player guidance, mood, interaction, and technical implementation.
Check out my GDD below
Genre: First-Person Immersive Experience / Surreal Atmospheric Prototype
Engine: Unreal Engine 5.7
Platform: PC
Status: Prototype
Roles and Responsibilities
Game Design
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Created the concept, tagline, and player experience goal.
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Designed the prototype around a small-space immersion challenge.
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Focused the experience on mood, discovery, and atmosphere rather than complex mechanics.
Level Design
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Designed a compact playable space that still felt immersive and alive.
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Guided the player’s attention using layout, lighting, movement, and environmental details.
Environment Design
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Built the dreamlike outdoor environment.
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Used moving foliage, fireflies, water effects, birds, fish, and surreal eye mushrooms to make the space feel alive.
Blueprint Programming
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Created Blueprint systems for tracking mushroom eyes, flying birds, swimming fish, and rustling bushes.
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Implemented a multimedia player inside a widget for the intro sequence.
Sound Design
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Added localized environmental sounds using sound attenuation.
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Created audio moments for the fountain, birds, and rustling bushes.
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Removed footstep sounds after testing to improve the overall soundscape.
Lighting and Visual Effects
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Used Niagara for fireflies and fountain effects.
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Created wind-based materials for moving trees and bushes.
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Used dynamic day-night lighting to create moving shadows and shifting blue-purple dream colors.
Dream
Go to sleep
Dream is a small first-person immersive prototype created in Unreal Engine 5.7. The project came from a challenge to build an atmospheric experience in a very limited space.
My goal was to make the player feel like they had entered a strange but peaceful dream world, using sound, lighting, movement, and environmental detail.
I designed a compact outdoor environment around sensory details and player attention. I used moving foliage, fireflies, water effects, birds, fish, rustling bushes, and mushrooms with tracking eyes to make the space feel alive. I used blue and purple dynamic lighting, moving shadows, sound attenuation, and environmental audio to create a localized dreamlike soundscape. I also removed repetitive footstep sounds after testing because they distracted from the atmosphere.
The final prototype became a focused environmental experience that showed how a small level can still feel immersive when lighting, sound, movement, and spatial composition work together.
I hope you enjoy it. Sweet dreams!
Games
Innovative, surreal prototypes that captivate and thrill.
I focus on creating engaging environments that resonate with players, combining artistic visuals with thought-provoking narratives.
Design
Artistic
Each game aims for a captivating aesthetic, from character design to immersive worlds. My creations invite players into a unique artistic landscape, transforming gameplay into a vibrant experience.
Development
Technical
My development process ensures high-quality gameplay, with a focus on smooth mechanics and engaging narratives that draw the player deeper into the world.
Integration
Cross-Platform
My games seamlessly integrate with platforms like itch.io, providing players easy access to my work, allowing for broader reach and community engagement.