Ellie Tsamouli
World/Level Designer
ECHOES OF RUNES
Engine: Unreal Engine 5
Status: Prototype
Echoes of Runes is a solo-developed stealth level prototype. The goal was to create an infiltration experience focused on choice, tension, and player agency. In this prototype, players take on the role of a fire bender tasked with stealing a sacred flame from a guarded Eastern Temple and escaping through a desert village.
My process began by defining the narrative context of the level, which informed the spatial needs and overall structure of the environment. From there, I studied architectural references and selected areas based on their ability to support the intended gameplay and stealth scenarios. I then developed a top-down map and translated these ideas into a layout that balances open public spaces with tighter alleys and temple approaches, creating meaningful opportunities for stealth, exploration, and risk-reward decision-making.
During production, I first prototyped key mechanics and tools — including basic AI patrols, stealth blending zones, crouching, and traversal features — to give the level tangible feedback. With those components in place, I moved into blocking out the village and temple spaces, iterating on layouts, enemy placements, and sightlines to ensure both challenge and readability.
Genre: Adventure, Exploration
Development Time: 3 Weeks
Title: World/Level Designer
Tasks & Responsibilities
Level Design
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Designed and implemented a blockout using landscaping, NPCs and props
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Designed spaces around stealth, player choice, and risk–reward decisions
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Iterated on layouts, sightlines, and enemy placement for tension and readability
Gameplay Design
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Prototyped core stealth mechanics, including AI patrols, blending zones, crouching, and traversal props
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Designed encounters that rely on spatial layout and pacing rather than mechanical complexity
World Design
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Defined space characteristics, architectural layouts, and the overall world tone to support gameplay and mood
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Established spatial hierarchy and landmarks to support navigation and player orientation
Pre-production
Blockout
Reflection
This project is significant to me as it was the first open-world blockout I designed. Creating a stealth level with a single objective and simple mechanics meant I couldn’t rely on complexity to carry the experience—the space itself had to do the work.
That pushed me to be more intentional about layout, pacing, sightlines, and how player choice emerges through level design. The biggest takeaway was learning to trust and consistently apply core level design principles, which helped clarify my decisions and strengthen my reasoning throughout the process.
With the experience I have now, I would revisit the level to introduce more elevation changes, greater variation in building heights, and additional interior spaces to further support traversal, add variation, and enrich environmental storytelling and player choice.