Tower Lab
Game Designer, 3D Artist
•Aug 2024 - Present
•Play Tug Studio
Project Overview
Tower Lab is an innovative physics-based tower defense game that pushes the boundaries of emergent gameplay. As both game designer and 3D artist on a two-person team, I've been responsible for crafting every aspect of the player experience.
Project Impact
Generated over 10,000 organic wishlists and more than 2 million organic views across official social media platforms through strategic community engagement and compelling visual content.
Core Responsibilities
Game Design
- Designed core gameplay systems emphasizing emergent player expression
- Balanced physics-based mechanics to create satisfying tactical depth
- Created progression systems that maintain player engagement
- Iterated on difficulty curves based on playtesting feedback
3D Art & Visual Design
- Modeled and textured all in-game assets using industry-standard workflows
- Established cohesive art direction that supports gameplay clarity
- Optimized assets for real-time performance without sacrificing visual quality
- Created marketing materials and promotional imagery
UI/UX Design
- Designed intuitive interfaces for complex physics-based interactions
- Prototyped and refined user flows through extensive iteration
- Ensured accessibility and readability across different display sizes
- Implemented responsive layouts that adapt to player needs
Community Management
- Built and nurtured an engaged community across multiple platforms
- Created regular content updates to maintain audience interest
- Responded to player feedback and incorporated it into development
- Managed social media presence and community events
Design Challenges
Emergent Physics Systems
One of the biggest challenges was creating physics-based gameplay that felt both predictable enough to strategize around and dynamic enough to create emergent moments of excitement.
Performance Optimization
Balancing visual fidelity with performance in a physics-heavy game required careful optimization of assets and systems.
Technical Implementation
The game is built in Unity, leveraging C# for gameplay systems and Unity's physics engine for core mechanics. Custom tools were developed to streamline content creation and iteration.
Status: Currently in active development with regular updates and community engagement.
