My Role: Game Designer & Level Designer

As both a Game Designer and Level Designer, my focus was on arena layout, weapon and power-up balancing, and combat pacing to ensure each match felt dynamic and competitive. My key contributions included:

• Arena Design & Layout: Designed and tested multiple arenas, ensuring they offered balanced gameplay, no unfair hiding spots, and an engaging flow for both aggressive and defensive playstyles.

• Trap & Power-Up Design: Created various environmental traps and power-ups, such as the Inverto Power-Up, which temporarily reverses an opponent’s controls, adding a strategic layer to fights.

• Weapon Design & Balancing: Designed the weapons system, including damage output, attack speed, durability, and spawn frequency, ensuring a balance between risk and reward in weapon use.

Challenges & Ongoing Development

Balancing combat flow and match duration was a major challenge. Matches needed to be long enough to be engaging but not drag on, which led to the implementation of the Death Zone—a shrinking battlefield mechanic that forces confrontation if players are too passive. Finding the right balance between map complexity and clarity was also key; arenas had to be visually engaging without being overly distracting or difficult to navigate.

Players requested an expansion to 4-player battles, requiring adjustments to level design, trap placement, and weapon spawn rates to maintain fairness and intensity. This 4-player mode is currently in development and set for an upcoming update.

Tools & Software Used

• Unity (Game Engine, weapon balancing, level design)

Outcome & Future Updates

Duel Arena continues to evolve based on player feedback. The upcoming 4-player mode will bring new strategic dynamics, making fights even more chaotic and engaging. Further refinements to combat feel, weapon durability, and map interaction are also ongoing to enhance the overall gameplay experience.