PROJECT: Diluvian
The Project
Project Diluvian is a Half-Life-inspired first-person shooter set aboard a mysteriously abandoned deep-space research vessel. Players step into the boots of Master Sergeant Richard Kikkam, a hardened “Soldier of the Future” deployed to investigate a distress signal sent from the derelict ship. What begins as a routine mission quickly spirals into a fight for survival, as Kikkam discovers the vessel is crawling with grotesque, unnatural horrors—twisted remnants of both man and monster. As you explore the ship’s dark corridors, you’ll uncover disturbing secrets buried deep within its rusting hull—truths that were never meant to be found. Your objective: survive, uncover what happened… and escape before it’s too late.
Narrative
My team consisted entirely of history enthusiasts, many of whom were particularly passionate about the Cold War era. So when the discussion shifted toward a backdrop steeped in Cold War tension, political intrigue, and espionage, I quickly realized I had a steep learning curve ahead of me. While my team members were an invaluable resource—offering extensive knowledge on historical events, ideologies, and cultural nuances—I was tasked with the challenge of shaping the central narrative structure, creating compelling characters, and developing their personalities.
One of my primary responsibilities was not only to design each character's backstory and motivations but also to give them a distinct voice. I spent a lot of time ensuring each character's dialogue reflected their background and the complex, high-stakes world they inhabited. This required balancing authenticity with the dramatic needs of the story, making sure their interactions felt true to the era while still driving the plot forward.
Throughout this process, I gained an in-depth understanding of how to weave a narrative into a game. Crafting a story that felt organic within the gameplay was a challenge, particularly when it came to maintaining the tone of the game. Ensuring that the political and emotional weight of the Cold War setting was conveyed authentically, while also keeping the tone consistent across the story and gameplay, was an intricate balancing act. By the end of the project, I felt far more confident in my ability to create narratives that not only resonated with players but also enhanced their immersion into the world we had built.
Level Designer
When I first joined the project, my primary responsibilities were focused on narrative and documentation for the team. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, I was soon thrust into the role of level designer in addition to my original duties. The game’s levels were set both inside and outside a ship, so I needed to gather extensive reference materials for the ship’s interior design. Using Unity's greyboxing tool, I was able to create effective block-outs for various pieces of furniture and layout elements. My main objective was to establish the core atmosphere of each level, providing our 3D modeler with a strong foundation to build original assets.
Based on the feedback I received, I was able to successfully craft immersive ship interiors that not only fit the visual style but also made for compelling, playable environments. One area where I was especially praised was my integration of visual storytelling into the levels, which helped convey the narrative through the environment itself.
Unfortunately, due to time constraints, much of the content I designed in the later stages of the game wasn’t incorporated into the final version. Among the missing elements was a climactic final level that I had envisioned as the culmination of all the game’s mechanics and narrative themes—a final arena leading into the ultimate boss battle. Sadly, due to limited resources and time, this segment was never completed, and the project ultimately came to a halt as the team disbanded.