Hi everyone, Just a quick video update which updates my progress so far. Jump and crouch To address the design…
Tag: Bioshock
BioShock – Level design project – Planning
Hi everyone, In this post I’ll be going through my research, planning and timeline creation. Level Design Research I began…
BioShock – Mad God
BioShock – Mad God | Personal Project | UE 5 | 2022
NOTE: This is an live page which I’m using to document my level design process. Apologies if its a little all over the place.




This level was a personal project about designing a fictional first level for a DLC for the original BioShock. I wanted to focus on pacing, atmosphere, environmental storytelling and introducing the player to mechanics and a new plasmid.
Level Design work
- Created level blockout inside UE5 using cube grid and modeling toolset.
- Collected reference, designed level layout, planned gameplay beats, spaces and encounters, designed and implemented puzzles
- Used blueprints and sequencer to script player interactions, gameplay events and enemy routes us
- Conceptualized and scripted narrative moments.
Download and play the current version of the level here
Gameplay & narrative beats, intensity and level flow

Gameplay & beats
- Arrive at the lighthouse
- Bathysphere Gas trap
- Collect Radio/Meet the stranger
- Jumping and crouching (TUTORIAL)
- Collect the wrench
- Melee Combat (TUTORIAL)
- Plasmid puzzle
- Exit level
Further reading: BioShock – Level design project – Planning
Blueprints & Sequencer
The following shows some of the various gameplay blueprints that I’ve scripted for the level e.g. actor blueprints for the Secruis doors so I can reuse them throughout the level, a teleport blueprint contained in the Level Blueprint and the sequence which plays the lighting event as the player enters the lighthouse.



Level Design Research
I began by replaying BioShock, BioShock 2 and Minerva’s den to get a general feel for how the levels are designed. As I played, I noted down, the general layout of the levels, environmental storytelling aspects, story events, splicer attacks and pickups.
Planning & Reference





Further reading: BioShock – Level design project – Planning
Related pages
BioShock – Level Design Project – Reference
Around 6 years ago I began working on an idea for a personal level design project based on the original…