GAME DESIGN PORTFOLIO

Game Postmortem: The Cursed Stone

Developer: James Bessinas 

Engine: Unreal Engine 5
Genre: FPS
Development Time: 2 weeks
Team Size: 4-person team

What Went Well

1. Core Mechanics Were Fun and Functional

   • The shooting mechanics felt satisfying (especially with custom VFX and SFX integration).

   • For the cardboard western game, the stylized aesthetic helped distinguish it from other shooters.

2. Use of Unreal Engine 5 Tools

   • Blueprint scripting helped implement interactivity quickly (enemy AI, door unlocking, mission triggers).

   • Sequencer and lighting tools were useful for environmental storytelling.

3. Strong Audio Integration

   • Audio design (ambience, gunshots, zombie growls, and western flair) enhanced the tone of each project.

   • Being both designer and audio engineer gave me full control over the mood of each moment.

4. Level Design Flow and Objective Clarity

   • Players knew where to go, and the goals were clear (e.g., find the water filter, clear out the town, defeat heavies).

   • Good pacing between combat and exploration areas.

What Could Be Improved

1. Environment Polish

   • Some environments lacked detail or clutter, making them feel too empty (especially in early versions).

   • More visual storytelling (props, decals, lighting cues) would help immersion.

2. Combat Variety

   • Enemy AI behavior was serviceable but could use more variety (e.g., flanking, range attackers).

   • The game could benefit from more weapons or player abilities (grenades, melee, upgrades).

3. Mission Depth & Replayability

   • Missions were short and could use branching objectives or narrative twists.

   • Adding a progression system (score ranking, unlockables) would give more reason to replay.

4. Time Management

   • Balancing level design, scripting, and polish as a solo developer was tough under a 2-week deadline.

   • Next time, I’ll prioritize prototyping before diving into aesthetics.

What I Learned

• How to rapidly develop playable levels using modular kits and Blueprint scripting.

• The importance of early sound design to support gameplay and reinforce player feedback.

• How to build stylized, readable art directions that match the tone (e.g., hand-drawn western aesthetic).

• That enemy placement and pacing matter just as much as environment layout in combat-heavy games.

Next Steps / Improvements for Future Projects

• Add save/load or checkpoint systems to improve playability in longer sessions.

• Create more layered objectives (e.g., puzzles, side quests) to deepen gameplay.

• Begin user testing earlier to catch design or readability issues.

• Collaborate with another developer or artist to elevate scope and polish.