A team platformer project focused on route clarity, rhythm, and readable traversal challenges. The page is ready to present layout intentions, iteration notes, and team production choices.
Lead Level DesignUnity3D PlatformerTeam ProjectShipped
TomoTomo is a colorful 3D platformer developed over five months, built around movement, exploration, combat, collection, and racing challenges across a connected set of urban levels.
As Lead Level Designer, I established the shared design language, coordinated four Level Designers, and designed the Wallrun District presented in this case study.
Genre
3D Platformer
Type
Team Project / Shipped Game
Engine
Unity
Team Size
15 people / Led 4 Level Designers
Iterations
8+
Playtests
10+
Role
Lead Level Designer / Wallrun District Level Designer
Tools
Unity, blockout, layout design, shared metrics, playtest iteration, team coordination
Pre-Production
What is TomoTomo?
Game Overview - Level Design Document
TomoTomo is a semi-open-world 3D platformer set in a vibrant Y2K-inspired Japanese city. The player controls Tomo, a small robot who explores four districts, learns traversal abilities, and collects Batteries to restore power to the central Hub.
Each district can be entered, left, and revisited freely. Abilities unlocked from the merchant remain available everywhere, opening new shortcuts and alternate routes throughout the city. This structure allows exploration without sacrificing clean traversal, readable objectives, or consistent level flow.
World structure: one central Hub connected to four thematic districts.
Core progression: Skill, Time Trial, and Exploration Batteries.
Team structure: each designer owned a district while following shared mechanics and progression rules.
Battery-based progression
Each district contains three complementary objectives. The Skill Battery validates mastery of the district's traversal mechanic, the Time Trial Battery tests route execution under pressure, and the Exploration Battery rewards observation through a challenge contextualized by an NPC.
Abilities that reshape the city
Movement abilities are unlocked progressively but remain usable throughout every district. Returning to a previous area can therefore reveal shortcuts and alternate routes, supporting replayability while preserving the identity of each designer's level.
The Wallrun District translates TomoTomo's shared progression rules into a dense vertical playground. Wallrun surfaces and floating platforms interlock to create continuous movement chains, while their placement preserves a readable golden path through the district.
A Shinto-inspired torii and shrine create a deliberate contrast with the modern skyline. This landmark supports orientation and environmental storytelling while hosting Otemo, the NPC who introduces the Exploration Battery objective and reports the player's progress without a traditional UI counter.
Exploration Battery: activate roughly nine buttons distributed across the district.
Time Trial Battery: complete a timed route through holographic rings.
Skill Battery: reach the central reward after mastering chained wallrun sequences.
Because TomoTomo's wallrun surfaces are carried by advertising panels, Shinjuku became the main visual and thematic reference. Its dense facades, illuminated signs, and strong vertical rhythm naturally support a district designed around chained movement across buildings.
A landmark that deliberately breaks the pattern
The shrine and torii use a traditional architectural language that strongly contrasts with the surrounding towers and advertisements. Their silhouette immediately stands out, creating a memorable landmark that helps the player orient themselves within the district.
Layout Iterations
From the first city footprint to the final production layout
The three layouts show how the district became more compact, how its traversal loops gained clarity, and how the shared game systems were organized into a readable production plan.
Final Production Layout
Compact city with connected traversal systems
The final layout connects the Golden Path, race route, wallrun surfaces, bumpers, checkpoints, enemies, collectibles, and vertical transitions around a denser central city structure.
Final refinement: the right-hand district and skyscraper connection were reorganized, while the routes and legend were clarified so the complete level logic can be understood at a glance.
Level Design Breakdown
This section follows the level from its first metric-driven blockout to a playable production space, covering shared scale rules, traversal, guidance, landmarks, objective placement, and iteration.
Early Blockout & Shared Metrics
Establishing a common scale for the whole game
As Lead Level Designer, I first defined the maximum playable footprint that every district had to respect. This created a shared production boundary and prevented individual levels from drifting toward incompatible scales.
At the same time, the team established an initial metric set for the blockouts. Tomo's controller and movement values were still being developed, so these measurements were treated as a stable first reference rather than a final constraint. Building heights, street widths, traversal distances, and transition spaces were already considered directly inside each map design.
This first blockout translates my initial layout into three dimensions. It tests the overall footprint, central density, main circulation loop, and the way surrounding buildings frame the playable space.
What each blockout color means
The colors let Level Design and Level Art identify the intended role of every mass before final assets exist: circulation, residential tiers, perimeter buildings, central towers, and landmarks.
Yellow: ground and circulation
White: low-rise and support volumes
Turquoise: residential tiers
Pink: medium perimeter buildings
Purple: tall central buildings
Orange: largest landmark volumes
Shared scale references
Every measurement uses Unity units as meters and Tomo as the human-readable reference. The same document covers buildings, roads, billboards, traversal platforms, collectibles, enemies, and rooftop props.
Unity Scale1 unit = 1 meter
Tomo ReferenceApprox. 1 × 2 × 1 m
Building Heights11 m to 125 m
Road Widths10 m / 15 m / 20 m
LayoutBlockout↔
Level Art Brief & Production Metrics
Level Art Brief
The brief was created during the first blockout pass as an early production tool, not after the level was finished.
An early Lead Level Design decision
While the team was building Blockout V1, I decided as Lead Level Designer to send the most essential asset requests to the artists immediately, especially the building families. Prioritizing them early meant we could replace primitive volumes sooner, test the level with more representative assets, and identify scale, readability, navigation, and integration problems before they became expensive to correct.
What the brief contains
The document consolidates the core production requests for the Level Art team: building families and variants, roads, signage, traversal props, collectibles, enemies, and rooftop elements. For each family, it specifies the expected format, required variants, gameplay compatibility, and implementation notes needed to turn the blockout into a testable art pass.
From blockout volumes to the first playable building pass
After the first building assets arrived, I progressively replaced the temporary blockout volumes while preserving the established footprint, height hierarchy, streets, and traversal routes. This made it possible to evaluate the district with forms that were much closer to the intended production result.
The first in-game tests were especially encouraging for the Wallrun District. The building spacing, readable green wallrun surfaces, and transitions between facades already supported the core movement mechanic effectively. These tests confirmed that the main gameplay structure worked before the complete art pass was available.
Clarifying the major gameplay intention
To keep the team aligned, I created another annotated gameplay diagram showing the level's central intention: players should be able to read several ways of crossing the same urban gap. A standard jump provides the accessible route, while a jump-and-dash sequence toward the wallrun surface offers a faster and more expressive movement option.
Before - Colored BlockoutAfter - Building Assets↔
Major Size Rework After Internal Playtests
Problem identified - structural solution
The original map was too large
Internal playtests exposed a major Level Design issue: the first version of the district was significantly oversized. Travel time was too long, the rhythm became inconsistent, and some spaces felt weaker simply because the strongest gameplay moments were spread too far apart. This was not limited to my level; the same scale problem affected several maps across the project.
01 - Admit the problem
Playtests challenged the initial plan
Instead of protecting the original layout, I treated the feedback as evidence that the map's structure needed a substantial rework, not a few local adjustments.
02 - Lead by example
I reduced my own map first
As Lead Level Designer, I chose to demonstrate the solution on my district before asking the other designers to reconsider theirs. This created a concrete production example rather than an abstract instruction.
03 - Defend the change
Density over empty scale
I argued that reducing the maps was necessary to remove low-interest traversal, concentrate the strongest challenges, improve pacing, and ensure that each area earned the player's attention.
Before - Oversized Asset PassAfter - Reduced Blockout↔
Gameplay Population & Objective Pass
Filling the denser map with meaningful gameplay
Once the size rework stabilized the district's scale and pacing, I populated the map with the systems that structure the full player experience. The goal was no longer simply to cross the city, but to create a readable network of objectives, optional rewards, combat encounters, traversal challenges, and interactions.
Buttons & interactionsInteractive buttons activate nearby elements and make the environment react to player actions.
Batteries & progressionBatteries provide major district objectives and reward mastery of the strongest traversal sequences.
Race routeThe race reuses the map through a faster, timed route with checkpoints and a different reading of familiar spaces.
EnemiesCombat encounters are positioned to create pressure without breaking the movement flow.
RAM collectiblesRAM strips serve as the game's coin-like collectible, guiding movement and rewarding exploration like coins in a Mario level.
NPC placementNPCs give the district character and provide readable points of interest between traversal challenges.
Blockout Advanced - Version 2. Click the numbered locations to highlight each major gameplay intention.
Point 01
Skill Battery
The central battery rewards mastery of the district's main wallrun sequences and acts as the level's primary skill objective.
Point 02
NPC at the Torii
The NPC is positioned near the Torii landmark, creating a readable meeting point and giving this important space a clear narrative function.
Point 03
Exploration Battery
Placed above the Torii area, this battery encourages players to look upward, leave the main route, and explore the surrounding vertical space.
Point 04
Race Start
The race begins at the lower-left intersection, where several streets meet and the player can immediately understand the direction of the timed route.
External Playtest Session - Lyon Game Dev
Presenting and testing TomoTomo with external players
With the team, I took part in a Lyon Game Dev session where we presented TomoTomo and invited attendees to play it. Lyon Game Dev is a local association and community that brings together game creators and professionals around meetups, project presentations, workshops, and informal exchanges.
This session was particularly valuable because players discovered the game outside our usual development environment. Observing them directly exposed issues across our levels as well as broader problems in the game: unclear information, uneven pacing, navigation friction, interactions that needed stronger feedback, and moments where the intended experience did not match what players actually understood.
A recorded session as production evidence
I recorded the complete playtest so the team could review player behavior afterward instead of relying only on memory or immediate impressions. The long version documents the session as it happened. A shorter commented breakdown will be added later to explain the key gameplay and Level Design findings.
Commented gameplay breakdown
This commented breakdown is used to review the playtest sequence, compare each iteration, and explain how the feedback informed the final Level Design decisions.
IGuidance and objectives were not always clear enough.
IIEnemy density created too much pressure in some areas.
IIIWallrun sequences felt too punishing for first-time players.
IVNPC dialogue needed clearer context and pacing.
VButton activation feedback was not readable enough.
Post-Playtest Solutions & Polish
From observed problems to visible solutions
Applying the playtest findings
After reviewing the external playtest recording and the team's observations, I used the final production phase to address the clearest Level Design problems: weak guidance, inconsistent pacing, unclear objectives, uneven gameplay density, and spaces that still felt visually unfinished. This phase connected iteration with polish rather than treating them as separate tasks.
Clearer guidanceRoutes, landmarks, wallrun surfaces, collectibles, and objectives were made easier to read from the player's position.
Denser gameplay rhythmLow-value spaces were reduced or repopulated so traversal consistently led toward a challenge, reward, interaction, or decision.
Commented solutions breakdown
This commented breakdown reviews the main problems found during playtests, then shows how the final production pass addressed enemy density, guidance, NPC placement, quest clarity, cinematics, race flow, and skill challenge readability.
Guidance and objective readability
BeforeAfter↔
The final pass strengthens landmark visibility, lighting contrast, and objective framing so the player reads the route faster.
NPC and landmark framing
BeforeAfter↔
The Torii, props, NPC placement, and lighting make the meeting point more memorable and easier to recognize from the street.
Density and polish pass
BeforeAfter↔
Low-value space is repopulated with clearer collectibles, stronger street dressing, and denser visual feedback around the path.
Final Version - Post-Playtest Polish. Click the numbered locations to review how the major gameplay intentions remained readable after the final asset and polish pass.
Point 01
Skill Battery
The central Skill Battery remains the main mastery objective, now framed by final assets and stronger visual contrast.
Point 02
NPC at the Torii
The Torii and NPC were moved to the right side of the final composition while preserving their role as a clear landmark and meeting point.
Point 03
Exploration Battery
The Exploration Battery is positioned below the Torii/NPC area in the final version, creating a distinct optional objective in the same sector.
Point 04
Race Start
The race still begins from the lower-left side of the central structure, keeping the timed route easy to identify and access.
Wallrun District Walkthrough
Final level walkthrough and gameplay beats
This walkthrough focuses only on the Wallrun District segment, from 2:16 to 7:23. Use the chapters to jump directly to the main Level Design beats and gameplay intentions.
Release & Final Project Presentation
Shipped project - public presentation
Presenting TomoTomo to an audience of around 100 people
For the final project presentation and release, I presented TomoTomo with the team in front of an audience of approximately one hundred people. This was an opportunity to explain the game's concept, demonstrate the finished experience, and communicate the production journey behind the project.
I specifically presented my work as Lead Level Designer: how I established shared rules for the levels, coordinated the design direction across the maps, supported iteration after playtests, and designed the Wallrun District from its initial layout to its final playable form.
Public communicationExplaining design decisions clearly to an audience beyond the development team.
Lead Level Design responsibilityPresenting both my own district and the shared decisions that supported consistency across the full game.
Project closureConnecting the shipped result with the iterations, mistakes, playtests, and solutions that shaped it.
What I Learned
Mistakes, iteration, and leadership
A strong level is not the first idea - it is the result of evidence-based iteration
TomoTomo taught me that Level Design leadership is not about defending the first layout. It is about spotting problems, proving them through playtests, communicating solutions clearly, and helping the team transform feedback into a stronger player experience.
My main mistake
I initially designed the map too large
The first version prioritized scale and possibility over density. Internal playtests showed long travel times and uneven interest between areas. The solution was a structural size rework, not a cosmetic polish pass.
Leadership mistake
Assigning one district per designer was too optimistic
I assumed each designer could independently drive their district at the same pace. In practice, some faced delays, others split their time with system design responsibilities, and available production time varied more than expected. I also used my own speed and communication style as a default reference, which did not reflect every designer's situation.
Leadership lesson
Lead through evidence and example
The scale issue was not limited to my district. As Lead Level Designer, I reduced my own map first, documented the result, and used it to argue for a broader team decision with concrete evidence.
Playtest lesson
Player behavior reveals invisible problems
The Lyon Game Dev session exposed issues that were harder to see internally: unclear objectives, high enemy density, punishing wallrun sequences, NPC dialogue pacing, and weak button feedback.
Production lesson
Gameplay must be tested before final polish
Testing with blockout assets, early building replacements, gameplay population, and final art showed different problems at each stage. This prevented polish from hiding unresolved Level Design issues.
Communication lesson
Diagrams turn intentions into shared tools
Layouts, color codes, metrics, annotated screenshots, and gameplay diagrams helped the team understand not only where elements belonged, but why they supported the intended player experience.
Collaboration lesson
Level Art needs clear priorities early
Sending essential building and metric references during blockout helped artists start production sooner. This made it possible to replace placeholders earlier and test problems in a more representative environment.
Final takeaway
Running the full pipeline is the best way to learn
Going through the complete development cycle, from first intentions to public release, taught me more than any isolated task. I understood which instincts were right, where my lead decisions needed more structure, and how to make better use of production time across the team.
