GAME / LEVEL DESIGNER
STEVE VATKOV
Experienced creative designer with 7 years in delivering innovative game design solutions, emphasizing mechanics, scripting, and user experience. Proficient in game design principles, innovative gameplay systems, and 3Cs player control experience.
With a passion for creativity and a commitment to delivering high-quality gaming experiences, below you can find my portfolio highlighting my game development work.
EXPERIENCE
2024
REAL-TIME STRATEGY
GAME DESIGNER
Homeworld 3 is the long-awaited follow-up to the all-time classic RTS series making its debut almost 20 years later. With a focus on terrain gameplay; combat, environment, and level design are as intertwined as ever in a game in the RTS-genre. A rich narrative filled campaign permeates this game to the core, with many returning and new units to be unlocked along the way. Homeworld 3 also features several game modes including PvP and a brand new rogue-like War Games mode, where Unit Design is pushed further with randomized upgrades and fleets.
Engine: Unreal Engine 4
Platforms: PC
Role(s) and responsibilities:
Core Design:
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Key focus on creating, balancing, and tuning factions, as well as each individual unit.
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Ship design at the core, emphasizing subtle details in movement, combat engagement, and overall behavior of individual ships.
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Emphasized an iterative design process, considering the look, "feel", and balance of ships.
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System design, documentation and management.
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Abilities design across existing and new units, from prototype to final.
3Cs Design:
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Conducted and implemented research findings to for improvements on 3Cs (Character, Controls, Camera) for more engaging interaction across both Modern and Classic control schemes.
General Game Design:
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Involvement in various aspects, including enemy encounters, level layout and scripting, camera, controls, interaction design, new UI elements, and progression gating.
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Crafted over 50 upgrades within War Games (rogue-lite) mode.
2022
ACTION-ADVENTURE SIMULATIION
GAME DESIGNER
Hardspace: Shipbreaker is a game where players accrue a massive debt joining the Lynx Corporation and must work hard salvaging ships to pay it off. In this game, players begin their shift at the bay, overlooking their monumental task at hand. The ships in Hardspace function primarily as the game's "levels" and can be considered puzzle boxes, tasking players to take apart the ship and place parts into their correct destination. Hardspace features several different game modes, ranging from Open Shift (no timer) to No Revival (one life) for a range of different playstyles.
Engine: Unity3D
Platforms: PC · PS5 · XS · Xbox Game Pass
Role(s) and responsibilities:
Level Design:
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Designed, whiteboxed, and iterated on Atlas ship class.
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Developed a new gameplay element involving a large thruster as a puzzle piece, ensuring it was challenging, procedural, and engaging for players.
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Worked on enhancing procedural level design for all ships in the game.
General Game Design:
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Designed and implemented the Salvage parts feature and suite of game mechanics, including repairing the Armadillo.
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Supported the narrative team in crafting scenes for the Career mode.
2019
SIDE-SCROLLING ADVENTURE
GAME DESIGNER
Dune Sea a side-scrolling adventure goose game that lets you fly like a bird.
The game features a goose protagonist flying over 12 individually handcrafted levels, each with its own original music track composed by Jake Butineau, creating a unique atmospheric experience.
Engine: Unity3D
Platforms: PC · Nintendo Switch
Role(s) and responsibilities:
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Worked as both a level designer and environment artist on Dune Sea.
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Focus on designing levels and environments to enhance core mechanics and create a unique gameplay loop centered around movement.
Level Design:
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Goal to support and improve core mechanics, contributing to a satisfying and distinctive gameplay experience unique throughout over 12 levels.
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Ideation, iteration, and finalization; starting from design and prototyping, and continuously refining them for release.
Visual Design:
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Utilized shaders, particle systems, and post-processing techniques to create dynamic and vibrant environments for each level.
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Resulted in memorable environments that contributed to the sense of a grand journey for players throughout the game.
2017
STRATEGY DECK BUILDER
Unity Developer
Rival Books of Aster is a collectable card game and strategy deck builder that features
hand illustrated cards, with a large focus on ease-of-use. With a unique take on familiar game mechanics and PvP matchmaking & ranking systems, players find endless gameplay possibilities as they mix and match Starter and Expansion Decks.
Engine: Unity3D
Platforms: PC · iOS
Role(s) and responsibilities:
General Development and Design:
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Dual responsibility for creating and implementing art assets in collaboration with Programmers and Art Directors.
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Creation and implementation of effects and animations for spells and cards within the game.
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Tasked with establishing visual representations of crucial game mechanics, including the game timer and resource pool.
2021
HORROR GAME JAM
GAME DESIGNER
Created an experimental project created as part of Scream Jam 2020; Under the Redwood Motel is what we like to call a Rhythm Action Horror Game.
Working with fellow developers, Hugh Kha and Tim McIlveen, we challenged ourselves with infusing traditional horror mechanics with rhythm elements, two genres we thought would be interesting to blend. Enemies in Under the Redwood Motel are amalgamations of common noisy objects, telephones and televisions, and will rhythmically generate noise that disguises your footsteps, allowing you to sneak by.
Engine: Unity3D
Platforms: PC
Role(s) and responsibilities:
Game Design:
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Took on the main responsibility for tackling design goals and challenges in creating a nostalgic late 90s horror title with contemporary design standards.
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Focused on implementing systems supporting core mechanics, including movement, examining, and a basic puzzle and inventory system.
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Developed enemy AI systems to make them wander and integrate them seamlessly into the game world.
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Specifically worked on the rhythm side of enemy design, ensuring a harmonious blend of art, audio, and mechanics to encourage players to attempt to sneak past creatures unnoticed.
2018
Extra Credits Game Jam
GAME DESIGNER
Moment is a personal project created for the Extra Credits Holiday 2018 Game Jam alongside two other developers, Mitchell Alfaro and Will Chen. With the theme of “Present” in mind, we sought to create a game using the term in the “here and now” sense. Moment tasks you to navigate through a series of 10 8-bit puzzle levels where stopping to take a moment to clear your mind illuminates the path forward.
Engine: Unity3D
Platforms: PC
Role(s) and responsibilities:
Game Design:
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Held key roles in game design, art, and level design for Moment, crafting 10 levels
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Addressed the challenge of making waiting a fun and meaningful main mechanic in the game; player's circle of vision shrinks with each step and expands when the player chooses to wait.
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Designed and developed puzzles and obstacles.
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Hand-made pixel art assets across entire game.
ABOUT ME
STEVE VATKOV
GAME DESIGNER
My Story
Hello! I am a passionate and dedicated Game Designer with a diverse background in the gaming industry, most recently contributing to the success of Blackbird Interactive Inc.
My journey began as a New Media student at Ryerson University, where I truly fell in love with the idea of games as art. I wanted to explore the connection players could have with video games as an interactive experience, and I sought to explore that across each and every art piece created through my 4 years there. Indie Games matured during my time as a student, and I realized the beauty in the psychology a piece of art as interactive as games could craft such amazing experiences for players.
I later ventured into game and level design at Stitch Media (Rival Books of Aster) and later Qublix Games, where I crafted hundreds of levels for free-to-play mobile puzzle games. This role allowed me to analyze user feedback and data metrics, refining my ability to balance levels and design based on key performance indicators.
As a Unity Developer/Designer at Frolic Labs, I took on the responsibility of ideating, iterating, and finalizing level design for the Dune Sea. Through extensive play-testing and collaboration with programmers and designers, I ensured the creation of a unique and satisfying meditative gameplay experience.
At Blackbird Interactive, I applied and skyrocketed my developing design skills, crafting innovative gameplay systems for acclaimed titles such as Hardspace: Shipbreaker and Homeworld 3. I specialize in designing and iterating on core gameplay and multiplayer systems, achieving balance through data-driven insights for a fair and satisfying player experience.
Taking end-to-end ownership, I have improved console design feature sets across 3Cs (Camera, Character, Controls), collaborating seamlessly with internal and external stakeholders. At Blackbird, I could finally use my knowledge of player psychology in a way that enhanced player interaction with games, cemented my pursuit for the nuance in which control can dictate a player's immersion.
Through this journey, my goal became ever clear: to skillfully create experiences that have left a lasting impact on me, contributing to the person I have become today.
EDUCATION
BA in New Media - Ryerson University
2011 - 2015
