SNOUK DESIGN NOTES BLOG
An open space where I could keep on experimenting on game design.
I also consider this to be my unprofessional space where I could just be my weird and silly self.
Be sure to check it out to get to know about my side projects & ventures!
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
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Owner of 3Cs, skills, enemy design, and overall combat gameplay experience for a PvEvP extraction title.
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Audited 3Cs and combat systems to identify high-impact, low-cost improvements.
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Led a major gameplay descoping exercise to ensure timely external milestone delivery.
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Iterated on frame data, AI behaviours, and melee combat rhythm.
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Collaborated with programmers and animators in Unreal Engine 5 using tools such as GAS, State Tree, Anim Montages, etc.
PROJECT SHOWCASE
STUDIO
TEAM SIZE
ROLE
TAGS VIEW PLAYERS ENGINE PLATFORM DURATION
CALENDER
Studio Ellipsis, FunPlus
~30
Combat Design
Horror, Action, Extraction
Third Person
Multiplayer (1-3 Squad)
Unreal Engine 5
PC
8 Months
2026 February - 2026 September
Nightholme is a PvEvP atmospheric cosmic horror game where you can play solo or team up to hunt eldritch horrors, or other rival players.
Channel corruption and transform into a monstrous Grimspawn for devastating bursts of power at the cost of your Sanity.
Survive the run. Extract the prize. No one leaves unchanged...
Coming soon to Early Access.
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EXPERIENCE
TOOLS
UE 5
AI Tools
Word
Miro
Excel
PowerPoint
Confluence
Photoshop
Outlook
Teams
JIRA
Perforce
I joined the project during a critical phase, with a significant backlog of gameplay design work.
Worked within a small team and tight production constraints, my focus is to:
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Stabilize core gameplay systems.
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Improve combat gameplay experience.
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Reduce scope while preserving the intended player experience.
RESPONSIBILITIES
3Cs
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Refined player locomotion and gameplay actions to enhance horror-style gameplay experience.
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Used GAS to tweak and iterate on existing implementations.
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Refined the control scheme to ensure an intuitive gameplay experience.
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Iterated on existing camera states and introducing new cameras where necessary.
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Collaborated with programmers and external partners to extend camera functionality and address missing features.
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COMBAT ANIMATIONS
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Created a Frame Data Chart to control animation timing and distances to support fair PvP combat.
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Reduced the perception of ghost hitboxes.
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Collaborated with animators to improve timing, silhouettes, and combat readability while staying within production constraints.
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Retimed animations directly using Anim Montages to enhance game feel.
ENEMY & AI SYSTEMS
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Created new enemies and redesigned existing enemy archetypes to support both PvE and PvEvP scenarios.
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Worked with State Trees to directly tweak and iterate all AI behaviours.
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Designed Core AI systems, including but not limited to:
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Improved attack ticketing systems for AI coordination.
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AI multiplayer repositioning logic.
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Enhanced perception systems for improved stealth gameplay.
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SYSTEMS DESIGN
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Defined and balanced formulas for all Core Gameplay Attributes (such as health, stamina, etc.).
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Redesigned and balanced the Noise system, improving gameplay consequences.
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Led the redesign of Sanity (core gameplay system), aligning it with overall creative direction.
PRODUCTION IMPACT
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Transferred workflow learnings from Ubisoft to improve development practices.
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Audited 3Cs and combat systems to identify high-impact, impact, low-cost improvements.
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Led a major gameplay descoping exercise to ensure timely external milestone delivery.
This was one of the most challenging projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on. The ceiling is super ambitious, with many evolving systems, and ongoing iteration.