Cindy Vu - Game Design Portfolio

"Mount & Mail" is a multiplayer VR climbing game where players play as Berald, a determined but clumsy mountain mail carrier. Using only their hands and stamina, players scale towering peaks, battle gravity, and deliver packages where drones can’t.

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Genre: Platformer/Action

Engine: Unity

Time: ~1 month until EoD

Platform: Meta Quest VR

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Role(s)/Responsibilities: Game Designer

• Designed and built the full game map in Unity, creating engaging routes and numerous secrets for traversal and exploration.

• Designed the player character model and turnaround, balancing style with readability in VR.

• Authored detailed design documentation covering power-ups, movement mechanics, and core gameplay systems.

• Managed social media platforms until EoD.

"The Lost Village: Wita" is a horror game where players control a young boy who's gotten lost in some kind of "Mirror World" and must escape. All he has at his side are his trusty dog and some strange time device he must uncover the truth to.

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Genre: Horror/Exploration

Engine: Unreal Engine

Time: ~10 months

Platform: PC (for now)

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Role(s)/Responsibilities: Lead Game Designer/Executive Producer

• Set up and onboarding team members to a collaborative workspace with project resources.

• Led meetings on game mechanics, narrative, and level design to ensure alignment.

• Coordinated with cross-functional teams to ensure clear communication and alignment on the game’s progress.

"Skyweaver" is a dynamic digital trading card game set the world of Sky. Players construct decks and engage in strategic battles, enjoying fast-paced gameplay and even actual tradable cards.

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Genre: Strategy TCG

Time: ~10 months until EoD

Platform: PC (Browser), Mobile (iOS, Android)

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Role(s)/Responsibilities: Junior Game Designer

• Developed conceptual designs for various in-game elements including card designs, collectibles, and UI enhancements.

• Designed gameplay mechanics and UX for card designs, collectibles for F2P, and UI enhancements, ensuring a cohesive visual experience for 200+ cards.

• Enhanced narrative design for over 20 of Skyweaver's factions, refining lore and proposing innovative mechanics for new cards and game modes.

• Evaluated and proposed innovative mechanics for upcoming cards, game modes, and other features to enrich gameplay experiences.

• Conducted playtesting and QA on prototype modes, resolving bugs, optimizing flow, and enhancing gameplay balance.

Made as the capstone project for my degree, "Choco" is an exploration game. Playing as the bird himself, the player must explore the island and its various biomes to collect the missing eggs. Beware the puzzles and enemies that bar your way!

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Genre: Third Person Puzzle-Platformer

Engine: Unity3D

Team Size: 3

Time: 8 months

Platform: PC (Windows)

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Role(s)/Responsibilities: Game/Level Designer

• Created and iterated on environment concepts, level flow, and puzzles to ensure coherence and player engagement, utilizing Clip Studio Paint.

• Utilized experimental Unity packages to hand-sculpt 3D Tileset systems, shaping five unique areas for enhanced player immersion.

• Designed a player-guidance collectible system for enhanced engagement.

• Designed block textures for 3D blocks using Clip Studio Paint to meet lead designer’s requirements and ensure consistency with game’s aesthetic.

• Coordinated with team members to maintain up-to-date design documentation for efficient workflow and future reference.

"Marble Madness Remake" is a remake of the 1984 game by Midway Games West Inc. with the same name.​ A puzzle-platformer game where the player has to guide a marble through various courses with a time limit. Enemies and obstacles threaten to slow you down. Race to get the highest score!

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Genre: Platformer, Puzzle, Racing

Engine: Unity3D

Team Size: 5

Time: 1 month

Platform: PC (Windows/MacOS)

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Role(s)/Responsibilities: Level Designer / 3D Artist / Audio Programmer

• Successfully designed 1 of 5 challenging levels using an experimental Unity package for 3D Tileset systems, contributing to the overall gameplay experience.

• Helped break down original game to determine workflow and game design for HD remake.

• Created 3D models and textures as per project requirements using Autodesk Maya and based on art direction from the lead director.

• Optimized audio programming to ensure precise timing of SFX and BGM.

"When Sorrows Come" is hack n' slash platformer game where the player must defeat enemies to save the Chief of the village... Or spare them? Watch your timing as you go or you may face certain death. This game was developed during TOJam 2021.

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Genre: Action-Adventure, Platformer

Engine: Unity2D

Team Size: 7

Time: 1 week

Platform: PC (Windows/MacOS/Linux)

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Role(s)/Responsibilities: Environmental Artist / Concept Artist​

• Designed background parallax layers and title screen card using Aseprite.

• Developed concept art for characters to help establish game theme and direction.

• Produced additional art assets (such as particles, UI assets) upon request from technical artists.

• Coordinated with technical artists to meet quality standards for art assets.

Acting as the fourth and final game in my series so far, "(Spacemen, Strategists)^2" is a local-multiplayer level editor where up to 4 players can build their own levels. Once the levels are finished, players will race against one another to reach the finish first.

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Genre: Local-multiplayer, Level-editor, Platformer, Racing

Engine: Unity3D

Team Size: 6

Time: 4 months

Platform: PC (Windows/MacOS) | (Special Site)

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Role(s)/Responsibilities: Lead Game Designer/Director

• Developed gameplay systems, platform mechanics, and aesthetics for player immersion.

• Iterated gameplay and platform design through five user play tests, enhancing engagement.

• Defined game aesthetic with concept art and visual assets for 4 characters.

• Created 28 unique character animations, four victory screens, one animated trailer, and over 100 art assets (blocks, particles, UI) using Clip Studio Paint to elevate game aesthetics.

• Collaborated with programmers, audio designers, and artists to develop a compelling multiplayer game, receiving positive player feedback.

• Hosted weekly SCRUM meetings to track progress and plan future design and gameplay revisions.