I joined the team working on Hypatia somewhat early on, just after an initial prototyping phase. I began by converting playable prototypes made with Blueprints into more maintainable and performant C++ code.

Next, I moved on to creating my own playable prototypes for design concepts the team was interested in exploring. This helped us identify what interactions worked in the emerging paradigm of VR, and identify what new functionality was needed to expand on our ideas.

I was then selected to lead a new Design team, created to match the existing Code and Art teams. I took direction from the Game Director, and with two other level designers designed the layout of the game world. In addition to specific levels which utilize and highlight different mechanics, I also designed the “Street” hub levels which connected the world together.

Leading up to the launch, I was heavily involved with external playtesting, working in our convention booths, and running demos for current or potential investors. Seeing new players interact with the game first hand, in combination with playtesting notes and survey results, helped me to iterate on designs and interactions to improve them before launch.

After launching Hypatia, I continued working to make updates for the game. These updates included multiple new levels, new gameplay mechanics like musical instruments, and expanded player customization options. One major update was the introduction of Player Housing, which allowed players to select an apartment address, and decorate it with their art and collectable items from across the game world. The last update I worked on for Hypatia introduced event scheduling, which allowed friends to coordinate times to meet in-game and notify participants with event information.