A Squirrely Story
Single-Player Puzzle Platformer
Product Owner & Designer
14 Developers
Unreal Engine 5
Jira, Confluence, SVN
PC
Jan - May 2025
"Go out on a limb—it’s OK to be a little nuts! - Advice from a Squirrel"
Are you ready for an adventure?
When a mischievous Owl swipes Spire’s treasured Lichen Staff and scatters his belongings, it’s up to you to track them down! In this Single-Player Puzzle Platformer, you’ll play as Spire, tossing acorns to navigate through the treetops, swiping your tail to move objects, solve puzzles, and recover all your lost trinkets in A Squirrelly Story!.
Working on this game with 13 other talented developers was an incredible learning experience in scope management, and understanding how projects can evolve over time, especially considering our protagonist was initially a penguin throwing magic cards!
My Contributions
Create Platforms with Acorns!
Creating the Experience
Since the acorn spawning mechanic is unique to our game, the level design had to cater towards the use of the mechanic. It was incredibly important to create the level in a manner that introduced the concept of throwing an acorn to create a platform before letting the player run free to explore the forest. This early introduction allowed players to understand how the world worked while getting them one step closer toward beating the game. After that brief introduction the players would then be able to utilize their skills to explore the forest, and embark on their Squirrely Story.
Product Ownership
As the Product Owner, my primary goal was to maintain project scope and facilitate interdisciplinary communication. I ensured all 14 team members were aligned to create the game under one consistent vision. I actively maintained project documentation, oversaw QA testing phases, and researched ESRB ratings to guarantee our content and vision fit our target audience appropriately.
Game & Level Design
I authored the Game Design Document (GDD) and oversaw the narrative and atmospheric design. On the technical side, I implemented the levels within Unreal Engine 5. Working with my team was crucial as I provided feedback on and implemented their level designs into engine, so we could test, and create our intended experience. In addition, also designed the Trinkets UI for clear, rewarding visual feedback.
Visualizing the Process
Game Design Document
To ensure the team was on the same page, I put together the main Game Design Document. It breaks down our goal of making a relaxing, exploratory platformer, explains how our core mechanics function, and includes risk assessments to prevent scope creep.
Early Blockout
Final Level Evolution
Trinkets UI
