Ariane Laferrière
As a designer, my main motivation is to build thrilling experiences and stimulating universes to bring extraordinary stories to life for players to enjoy. My dream is to have a direct impact on what players experience and feel in these adventures as a Level designer and Narrative designer.
Bubble Buds (2024)
LEVEL DESIGN
UX DESIGN
UNREAL ENGINE 5
MIRO
NOTION
Bubble Buds is a 3D co-op puzzle prototype created for Ubisoft’s 2024 Game Lab Competition. As a team of 8 university students, we had 10 weeks to develop a complete prototype based on the theme « Dream », while incorporating 7 specific constraints—such as « Include an online multiplayer experience with a synchronous interaction mechanic » and « Implement at least one mechanic governed by AI. »
At the end of the competition, our game was nominated for five awards, including Best Prototype, Best Game Design, and Best User Experience.
In this project, I took on the roles of puzzle-focused level designer, UX designer, and game designer. My responsibilities included:
- Designing player onboarding and puzzle-based level progression
- Applying design thinking methodology inspired by Celia Hodent’s UX framework during prototyping
- Creating a structured UX testing protocol to iterate on puzzles and improve the overall player experience
- Collaborating with teammates on the design and refinement of core game mechanics
- Maintaining a user-centered approach throughout the entire development process
Hopeguard (2025)
LEVEL DESIGN
NARRATIVE DESIGN
UNREAL ENGINE 5
MIRO
NOTION
Hopeguard is an adventure game where you play as a proud Hopeguard, one of the most respected knights tasked with finding and defeating the last known dragon that has taken possession of the Forge. However, in a twist of events, you only manage to injure the dragon before it severs your arm, leaving you to fall into a strange and forgotten part of your land. Now without your arm or sword, you must find your place in the world and redefine honor as you navigate through the wilderness.
This project was developed by a team of 24 individuals as part of my university course, where I serve as the Lead Level Designer. In short, I was responsible for:
- Leading the design and implementation of the Village level, from flowchart to blockout in Unreal Engine 5
- Collaborating with the Game Director and design team to craft puzzles, tune gameplay, and solve design challenges
- Designing and iterating the onboarding experience to support smooth pacing and player progression
- Ensuring cohesive visual and gameplay direction by working closely with the Lead Environment Artist
- Attending milestone playtests and providing feedback on level flow, player experience, and narrative alignment
Spirit Link (2024)
LEVEL DESIGN
GAME DESIGN
TECH DESIGN
UNREAL ENGINE 5
MIRO
NOTION
Spirit Link is a 3D puzzle-stealth single-player game where you simultaneously control a little girl and her newest friend, a little ghost. Together, they must use their complementary abilities to navigate a manor filled with Ghost Hunters and their gadgets, avoiding capture to save the little ghost’s family.
In this prototype, I took on the roles of project lead, game designer, puzzle-focused level designer, 3C designer, and gameplay programmer. In these roles, I was responsible for:
- Co-defining the core game design and mechanics with the design team
- Developing and implementing key gameplay mechanics
- Designing three level segments to showcase the intended range of gameplay intensity
- Creating a mechanics gym that also serves as a tutorial for the First Playable Product
- Establishing an onboarding plan to guide players smoothly through early gameplay
Puzzle-oriented level design research (2024)
LEVEL DESIGN
UNREAL ENGINE 5
MIRO
NOTION
This prototype is a short, puzzle-oriented level in which I applied a level design process built upon my research and specialization in puzzle design. In this level, players must navigate a maze to reach three different points of interest and unlock the exit. Along the way, they can collect projectiles to break color-coded walls and clear paths to their objectives.
This project was my first prototype created as part of my specialization in puzzle-oriented level design, which I began during my Bachelor’s degree in video game design. The goal was to create a short level that applied both the puzzle design principles I had studied and a UX-driven methodology throughout the production process.
For this puzzle design project, I was responsible for:
- Designing a short tutorial using a maze-style puzzle to introduce core mechanics
- Applying puzzle design principles from Jesse Schell (The Art of Game Design) and Wallace Wang (The Structure of Game Design)
- Integrating UX concepts from Celia Hodent’s Dans le cerveau du gamer to enhance player understanding and engagement
Escape room (2024)
LEVEL DESIGN
UNREAL ENGINE 5
For this project, I took inspiration from a scene in the movie City of Ember (Kenan, 2008) to create a prototype of a puzzle-oriented level based on escape room mechanics. This project was developed for my Level Design class as part of my Bachelor’s degree in video game design.
The result is a 10-minute escape room featuring:
- An initial starting state
- Three distinct puzzles, each with its own unique mechanic
- A single ending sequence to complete the level
My Little Puppet (2023)
DESIGN NARRATIF
TWINE
MIRO
NOTION
The Little Puppet is a Twine-based narrative simulation for a potential video game inspired by The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me (Supermassive Games, 2022). It’s a short interactive story created in collaboration with two other designers for my screenwriting class.
In this project, I contributed to:
- Analyzing the storyboard and gameplay of The Devil in Me to use as a narrative and structural reference
- Creating a narrative and gameplay pitch, including a one-pager and a three-act story summary
- Designing the narrative bible, which included the universe backstory, moodboard, character arcs, an actantial diagram, and a 15-beat story structure
- Building a narrative flowchart mapping the various decision paths and their outcomes
- Integrating the story, choices, and interactive elements into Twine to simulate the game’s narrative and potential gameplay