Level Designer

Alex Chen

Crafting immersive game worlds and unforgettable player experiences. Specializing in environmental storytelling and player-driven exploration.

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About

I'm a level designer passionate about creating worlds that players want to explore. My work lies at the intersection of gameplay mechanics and environmental storytelling, crafting spaces that guide players naturally while rewarding curiosity.

Currently, I'm a Senior Level Designer at Horizon Games, where I lead the design of open-world exploration zones and narrative set pieces. I specialize in creating memorable landmark moments that become the screenshots players share.

I've had the opportunity to work on titles across multiple genres — from sprawling open worlds to tight competitive arenas. Each project has reinforced my belief that great level design is invisible: players should feel like they discovered the path themselves.

Unreal EngineUnityWorld MachineHoudiniMayaSubstancePhotoshop
Experience
2022 — Present

Senior Level Designer

Horizon Games

Lead design of open-world exploration zones for an unannounced AAA title. Responsible for landmark creation, player flow optimization, and environmental narrative integration.

Unreal Engine 5World DesignTeam LeadershipDocumentation
2019 — 2022

Level Designer

Vertex Interactive

Designed and iterated on multiplayer arena maps for a competitive shooter. Collaborated closely with QA and balance teams to ensure fair and engaging gameplay.

UnityMultiplayer DesignPrototypingPlaytesting
2017 — 2019

Junior Level Designer

Indie Collective

Created puzzle environments and traversal challenges for an award-winning indie platformer. First professional experience shipping a commercial title.

UnityPuzzle DesignScriptingAsset Integration
2015 — 2017

QA Tester & Level Design Intern

GameWorks Studio

Started in QA before transitioning to level design intern. Learned the fundamentals of game development pipeline and player experience testing.

Bug TrackingPlaytestingLevel EditingDocumentation
Projects
01
Open World RPG2024

Echoes of the Forgotten

Lead level designer for the Northern Wilderness region — a 12km² explorable area featuring dynamic weather systems and emergent gameplay scenarios.

Region layout & landmarksQuest integrationVertical exploration+1 more
View Project
02
Competitive Shooter2021

Tactical Grounds

Designed 4 competitive multiplayer maps shipped with the game launch. Each map balanced tight sightlines with multiple approach vectors.

Competitive map designBalance iterationCommunity feedback integration+1 more
View Project
03
Puzzle Platformer2019

Whispers in Stone

Environmental puzzle design for an award-winning indie title. Created interconnected temple ruins with layered puzzle mechanics.

Puzzle sequencingTutorial flowEnvironmental storytelling+1 more
View Project
04
UE5 EnvironmentsOngoing

Personal Projects

Collection of personal environment art and level design experiments exploring new techniques in Unreal Engine 5.

Nanite & Lumen studiesProcedural generationCinematography+1 more
View Project
Inspiration

"The best level design is invisible. Players should feel like they discovered the path themselves."

Design Philosophy

Games

  • Dark Souls

    Environmental storytelling mastery

  • Breath of the Wild

    Freedom through level design

  • Half-Life 2

    Seamless narrative flow

  • Journey

    Emotional landscape design

Designers

  • Hidetaka Miyazaki

    FromSoftware

  • Fumito Ueda

    Team Ico

  • Cliff Bleszinski

    Epic Games / Boss Key

  • Kim Swift

    Portal, Left 4 Dead

Resources

  • GDC Vault

    Level design talks archive

  • World of Level Design

    Tutorials & breakdowns

  • Gamasutra

    Industry analysis

  • Polycount

    Community feedback

"Every corner should reward curiosity. Every vista should create a moment."

Personal Mantra