Level Designer

Bitwave

Engine: Unreal Engine 5

Project: Gimmick! 2 (2D Platformer)

Focus: Level design, scritpting, and gameplay iteration

Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch

At Bitwave, I worked as a Level Designer on Gimmick! 2, where I was responsible for designing and implementing levels from early blockout to final in-game polish.

I worked independently on my levels, but with regular playtests and feedback sessions with my lead. This meant I had full ownership of my levels, while still iterating based on external feedback and testing.

How I Designed My Levels

My level design process always started with movement and flow, rather than visuals or mechanics.

("Disclaimer not actual art from my time at Bitwave, these are just examples")

I began by creating a greybox blockout, working within the size constraints for each level. At this stage, I focused on shaping the space and understanding how the player would move through it, where they would jump, stop, fall, or change direction.

The goal here wasn’t to make something “fun” yet, but to make something that felt good to move through. If the base movement didn’t work, no amount of mechanics or visuals would fix it later.

Building Gameplay

Once the structure of the level felt solid, I started introducing gameplay elements.

This involved working with the mechanics and tools available in the game to build challenges, secrets, and player guidance. I experimented a lot during this phase, trying different combinations of mechanics to see what created interesting situations.

One important part of this was using collectables as guidance. Instead of explicitly telling the player where to go, I placed collectables in ways that subtly led them through the level or hinted at hidden paths.

I also focused on creating optional challenges and secrets, giving players reasons to explore beyond the main path.

Iteration and Testing

A large part of my work was iteration.

After implementing gameplay, I would play through the level directly in the editor, looking for things that felt off, sections that were unclear, too easy, too difficult, or simply not interesting enough.

From there, I reworked parts of the level, sometimes making small adjustments like changing spacing or timing, and sometimes reworking entire sections if they didn’t meet the intended experience.

Playtesting & Feedback

Once I felt a level was in a solid state, I playtested it together with my lead.

During these sessions, my lead would play through the level while I observed. This was important because it revealed things I wouldn’t notice myself, where players hesitated, misunderstood something, or approached a challenge differently than expected.

I took notes both on:

• Direct feedback
• Unintended player behavior

After that, I returned to the level and continued refining it based on what we found.

Mechanics & Scripting

Beyond level layout, I also spent a lot of time working with the game’s mechanics.

I tested how different mechanics interacted with each other and with environmental elements, often trying to find edge cases, bugs, or unexpected behaviors. This helped improve both the stability of the game and the quality of the gameplay.

I also contributed by creating and scripting some mechanics myself, which gave me a better understanding of how design decisions affect implementation.

Working this way allowed me to:

• Design with technical limitations in mind
• Quickly prototype ideas
• Adjust gameplay directly in the engine

What I Focused On & Learned

Across my work on Gimmick! 2, I focused on creating levels with a strong sense of flow, where the player could move naturally through the space without needing explicit instructions. I used collectables, layout, and positioning to guide the player, while also adding secrets and optional paths to encourage exploration.

A big part of this process was iteration. I learned that strong levels are not built from a single idea, but through many small adjustments over time. Player behavior often differed from what I expected, which made playtesting an important part of the process. Even small changes, like spacing between platforms or timing of mechanics, could have a noticeable impact on how the level felt.

Overall, this experience reinforced the importance of designing with the player in mind, testing ideas in practice, and refining them until they feel right.

What I Learned

Working on Gimmick! 2 helped me better understand how important iteration is in level design.

I learned that:

• A good level is built through many small improvements, not one big idea
• Player behavior often differs from what you expect, and you need to design for that
• Even small changes in spacing or timing can have a big impact on how a level feels