Kiefer Smith
Junior Game Designer
Role: Level Designer
Whiskers Revenge is a 2D mobile platformer developed in Unity during a two-week university project. Working as part of a four-person team, the objective was to create a fun, fast-paced platforming experience for Android devices that combined exploration, combat, and collectible mechanics.
As the Level Designer, I was responsible for designing the level layouts, structuring player progression, balancing enemy encounters, and ensuring the game maintained a smooth and engaging pace. My goal was to guide players naturally through each level while encouraging exploration and rewarding curiosity.
The project strengthened my understanding of mobile level design, gameplay pacing, and collaborative development. Through continuous playtesting and iteration, I refined level layouts and obstacle placement to improve player flow and create a more enjoyable gameplay experience.
Designing an engaging mobile platformer within a two-week development schedule required balancing level difficulty, exploration, and combat while ensuring the gameplay remained accessible for mobile devices. During development, a bug affecting player animations and shooting mechanics prevented the planned boss encounter from functioning correctly, requiring us to redesign the final section of the game within the project's limited timeframe.
I designed each level around clear player progression and readable layouts, using visual landmarks and carefully positioned platforms to naturally guide players through the environment. Enemy encounters and collectible placement were used to create moments of challenge while maintaining a steady gameplay rhythm suitable for short mobile play sessions.
Regular playtesting highlighted areas where player flow, platform spacing, and enemy placement could be improved. Feedback from the team informed multiple iterations, allowing the levels to become more balanced, readable, and enjoyable while improving the overall pacing of the experience.
The completed prototype delivered a polished 2D mobile platformer that successfully combined platforming, exploration, combat, and collectibles within a short development timeframe. The project strengthened my understanding of level design, gameplay pacing, and collaborative game development while reinforcing the value of rapid iteration and playtesting.