Escape Room

Level Designer

My Role

As the sole Level Designer, I designed and built the entire 107-level Escape Room from start to finish in UEFN. My work included conducting initial market analysis, building the full spatial layout and blockout, setting up all gameplay mechanics and UEFN devices, decorating the environment with detailed set dressing, conducting playtests, and managing post-launch updates.

Role

Description

As the sole Level Designer, I designed, built, and published a 107-level Escape Room in UEFN. I handled the full production pipeline, from market analysis and blockout to device setup, set dressing, playtesting, and live-service updates.

The project was developed as a solo project over 9 weeks.

Year

2026

Genre

Puzzle

Platform

PC, PS4, PS5, XBox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 1&2, Android, iOS

Engine

UEFN

Level Design Process

The project started with an extensive analysis phase where I played and analyzed four existing Fortnite Escape Room maps. I recorded my gameplay and documented key aspects such as difficulty, puzzle mechanics, objectives, and themes in a spreadsheet. This research helped me identify common puzzle patterns, understand what keeps players engaged, and avoid repetitive design elements in my own map.

During the blockout and technical implementation phase, I built the fundamental spatial layouts using UEFN prefabs and assets. At this stage, the focus was on visual readability, clear navigation, and testing the core device setups. I implemented various Fortnite devices, such as Door Locks, Teleporters, Triggers, and Mutator Zones, combining them to create functional puzzle mechanics.

Following the research phase, I structured the concept and layout for the 107 levels across 12 unique themed worlds, including a Garden, Villa, Factory, Galaxy, and Ice World. To maintain player motivation over a long playthrough, I designed a rhythm that constantly alternated between different puzzle types, search tasks, agility challenges, and parkour sections. Initial concepts were sketched on paper before being organized into a detailed Level Design Document.

Once the layout and mechanics were working, I focused on set dressing and visual polish. Each theme was decorated to create a distinct aesthetic atmosphere while keeping paths readable. I also added environmental storytelling, including custom 3D character models for a story arc featuring IShowSpeed, Ronaldo, and Messi. To ensure high performance across all 107 levels, map areas were strategically spaced out across the grid to control memory usage and asset loading.

Playtesting and Iteration

Playtesting and iteration were essential throughout the development process. Early testing revealed technical bugs and logic issues, such as doors remaining open after use, which were fixed by implementing reset triggers. Testing also helped balance parkour difficulty and refine puzzle feedback to ensure a smooth player flow. Additionally, after discovering that rocket launchers caused an unwanted 12+ age rating, I replaced them with non-violent items to achieve a 6+ rating and reach a broader casual audience.

After publishing the map, I adopted a live-service approach to maintain and improve the project post-launch. During the first week after release, I implemented five updates to fix unexpected live issues, refine settings, and improve the overall player experience based on real player feedback.

Key Learnings

Working on this project deepened my understanding of designing large-scale level structures and keeping long player experiences engaging. It taught me how to analyze existing market references to inform design decisions and how to build complex puzzle mechanics using modular engine devices. Additionally, the project provided valuable experience in managing a live-service release, handling platform compliance, and continuously updating a published game based on player data and feedback.

Map Code: 7711-2052-2516