Nicholas John

Level designer in Vancouver. I lead players with landmarks, light and sightlines, from layout to final lighting.

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CoreUndeadUEFN · Game design
Cursebreaker: Bringer of DeathUE5 · Action RPG
Spark: Skypiea IslandUE4 · Platformer
Spark: DragonWingUE4 · Platformer

Designing spaces with a reason to move.

I'm a level designer working in UEFN, Unreal and Unity. In my own projects I take a level the whole way: blockout, combat encounters, set dressing and lighting.

Level Designer, Visceral Technology

Mar 2025 – Aug 2025 · Richmond, BC

Built and iterated Fortnite levels in UEFN, and wrote the level design documents behind them: concepts, objectives and gameplay.

Right now I'm building a roguelike in UEFN with Verse.

Level DesignGame DesignCombat Design WhiteboxingSet DressingLightingDocumentation

UEFN · VerseUnreal EngineUnityBlender

CoreUndead

Action Adventure / Shooter · Game Design, Level Design, Combat Design, Set Dressing, Lighting

My first complete game in UEFN, taken from the first design document to a published, playable island. All gameplay built with Fortnite's creative devices.

The glowing Core is visible from every part of the map, always pulling players toward the goal
Unique "special trees" act as landmarks so players never lose their bearings

View project Play in Fortnite Read breakdown

CoreUndead, beat by beat

The layout is linear, with secret areas that open up when the player destroys barriers. Each point of interest rewards exploring with loot or story moments, and some end in a boss fight.

The six points of interest in order: Passageway, Garden, Caves, Swamp, House, Floating Island. — Six points of interest in a straight line, from the Passageway to the Floating Island, with secret areas off the main path.

Intensity builds through the Caves to its peak in the Swamp, drops in the House, then climbs again for the Floating Island finale. The Swamp's peak doesn't come from enemies: it comes from a pressure mechanic I keep secret from players.

Reveal the spoilerHide the spoiler

The water keeps rising on a timer, and the player has to reach the end of the Swamp before it does. The pressure comes from the clock, not from enemies, which is why combat drops right where intensity peaks.

Combat spikes in the Caves and eases off in the Swamp, where the pressure comes from somewhere else, then stays high from the House to the end.

Intensity chart: low through the Passageway and Garden, rising through the Caves to a peak in the Swamp, dipping in the House, and climbing again at the Floating Island. — Six points of interest in a straight line, from the Passageway to the Floating Island, with secret areas off the main path.

Intensity builds through the Caves to its peak in the Swamp, drops in the House, then climbs again for the Floating Island finale. The Swamp's peak doesn't come from enemies: it comes from a pressure mechanic I keep secret from players.

Reveal the spoilerHide the spoiler

The water keeps rising on a timer, and the player has to reach the end of the Swamp before it does. The pressure comes from the clock, not from enemies, which is why combat drops right where intensity peaks.

Combat spikes in the Caves and eases off in the Swamp, where the pressure comes from somewhere else, then stays high from the House to the end.

A five-week solo project in UEFN. After the first alpha I sent it out for playtesting and collected notes on platforming feel, narrative and combat. Read the full breakdown (opens in a new tab)