Intent

The project was designed around a core tension: forcing the player to rely on a system that is inherently dangerous. My goal was to create a gameplay loop where progression requires intentional risk-taking, transforming the monster from a traditional threat into a systemic tool. This design emphasizes player agency, readability, and emergent outcomes driven by manipulation of AI behavior rather than scripted sequences.

Gameplay Overview

Players control Christina Lyon, a death row inmate trapped in a corporate prison facility after a biological experiment escapes containment. The creature is attracted to sound, which the player must generate to influence its movement and break through blocked paths. However, excessive or poorly timed noise escalates the creature’s aggression, creating a constant push-pull between control and chaos. Progression is achieved through deliberate provocation, spatial awareness, and timing.

Systems Design & Technical Implementation

My primary contribution was designing and implementing the monster-facing gameplay systems that define the core loop. This included:

• AI behavior architecture (state-driven responses, escalation logic, and attack conditions)
• Sound-based perception system with tunable thresholds for detection, investigation, and aggression
• Scream mechanic used as both a punishment and a spatial control disruptor
• Designer-facing parameterization (ranges, timers, cooldowns, aggression curves) for rapid iteration

All systems were built in Unreal Engine 5 using modular, data-driven logic to ensure scalability and cross-discipline usability. A key priority was readability: designers needed to quickly understand how changes to variables would impact player experience without requiring engineering support.

Supporting Mechanics

• Stealth and hiding systems to give players recovery options within high-tension states
• Modular interaction triggers for encounter scripting and level design integration
• Sanity system that alters player perception to reinforce psychological horror through gameplay, not cutscenes

The Sanity system in particular was designed as a narrative delivery mechanism through systemic distortion, aligning mechanics with theme rather than relying on linear storytelling.

Process & Collaboration

I approached development iteratively, beginning with rapid prototyping of the sound-to-AI interaction loop and expanding into a fully tunable system. Playtesting was central to this process:

• Organized and hosted playtests to evaluate clarity, difficulty, and player behavior
• Identified failure points in player understanding and adjusted feedback systems accordingly
• Balanced aggression thresholds and pacing through repeated iteration cycles

I also documented each system with intent statements, dependencies, tunable variables, and edge cases to improve team-wide usability and iteration speed. In addition, I presented the project during Champlain’s Greenlight process, advocating for design decisions and incorporating cross-disciplinary feedback.

Leadership

Due to my contributions in system design, documentation, and cross-team coordination, I was nominated as Lead Designer. In this role, I helped align design goals across disciplines, ensured consistency in player experience, and maintained focus on the project’s core tension throughout development.

Conclusion

With It We Leave represents my approach to technical design: building systems that are expressive, tunable, and deeply tied to player experience. Rather than relying on scripted outcomes, I focus on creating mechanics that generate emergent tension through interaction. This project demonstrates my ability to translate design intent into functional systems, collaborate across disciplines, and iterate based on player behavior to achieve a cohesive and compelling result.