DM-SPACEMALL
Unreal Tournament — Deathmatch Level Design
Research & Inspiration
The aesthetic was born from researching high-end brutalist architecture fused with 1980s retro-futuristic malls. Technically, I analyzed classic UT maps like DM-Rankin and DM-Deck16 to understand how verticality was used not just for combat, but as a traversal tool.
Design Planning
Fast Traversal
Ensuring unobstructed paths to maintain momentum during high-speed chases.
Vertical Combat
Leveraging multiple elevations to create distinct height advantages and risks.
Balanced Distribution
Strategically placing weapons to avoid dead zones and encourage exploration.
Multiple Routes
Preventing bottlenecks by providing at least three exit points for every room.
Clear Landmarks
Using architectural focal points for instantaneous player orientation.
Continuous Encounters
Tightening the geometry to ensure players meet every 15-20 seconds.
Design Pillars
Fast traversal
Verticality
Movement flow
Leashing
Gameplay ingredients
My Design Responsibilities
Level Design
- ▪Blockout and Greyboxing
- ▪Node map pathing optimization
- ▪Sightline and occlusion management
Gameplay Design
- ▪Weapon and item placement logic
- ▪Jump pad and lift physics tuning
- ▪Health/Shield pickup economy
Production
- ▪Continuous playtest coordination
- ▪Rapid iteration based on feedback
- ▪Performance profiling in UE5
Node Map Evolution
Observation
Central room was too large; players spent too much time searching.
Action
Added a second floor and four jump pads to bridge the vertical gap.
Optimization
Redistributed power-ups to fix central camping issues.
Validation
Flow confirmed via smoke tests; encounter rate hit 18-second target.
Level Breakdown
Center Arena
Primary focal point housing the Shield Belt. Its exposed position creates a high-risk, high-reward objective
Cafeteria
Sightline breaks and tight corridors for close-quarters combat specialists.
Tech Room
Medium-risk combat zone containing the Flak Cannon, connecting the lower mall to the main atrium
Art Gallery
A long-range engagement zone designed for snipers and flanking maneuvers.
Spawn points
Positioned near outer-room entrances facing the central combat ring. Nearby weapons support quick re-entry, while sightlines into the ring guide players toward active encounters and reduce downtime between fights.
Playtesting & iteration Loop
Tested whether the level size supported the pace of a deathmatch
Reduced oversized spaces and tightened routes to increase encounter frequency
The layout became more compact and better suited to fast-paced combat.
Tested spawn locations for fairness, orientation and immediate exposure to combat.
Adjusted spawn placement around the map to reduce unfair starts and improve access to multiple routes.
Players could enter the match from different areas without one spawn providing an obvious positional advantage.
Tested weapon, health, armor and power-up placement, including how different pickups worked together.
Repositioned pickups and adjusted combinations to avoid creating overly valuable areas while encouraging movement between combat spaces.
Better and more interesting player encounters and variations.
Validated whether the final map scale supported full-lobby deathmatch
Conducted a full-lobby deathmatch playtest.
The final full-lobby playtest produced relatively close kill counts across players, with no clear advantage tied to a specific area of the map. This suggested the final layout supported reasonably balanced encounters.
Project Outcomes
Balanced level
Kill counts remained relatively close across players, with no clear advantage emerging from a specific area of the map. This suggested that the level layout, routes, and resource placement provided players with a reasonably balanced opportunity to compete.
What worked
- ●●Architectural silhouettes as landmarking.●
- ●Tonal contrast for objective highlighting.●
- ●Asymmetric layout design to prevent cognitive mapping fatigue.
ITERATION IMPACT
From oversized to purposeful Playtesting helped identify unnecessary space, weak encounter routes and uneven item distribution, leading to a more focused final layout.
“Build from the player outward, not from the level inward. Starting too large made scale, traversal, and balance harder to control.”
Final Level Production
Reflection
What Worked
Movement Chains
Players naturally discovered infinite loops using wall dodges and jump pads.
Visual Orientation
The central spire served as a perfect North Star for navigating all sectors.
Weapon Pacing
Weapon density supported the fast pace of Unreal Tournament combat and kept players moving between encounter spaces.