UNTIL DAWN

Lead Level Designer at Sony London Studio, helped develop the concept for the original Until Dawn and lead the level design team in production.

I was Lead Level Designer on the original PS3 version of Until Dawn, and part of the small group that first conceived the project. The idea emerged from an early brainstorm exploring first-person horror built around a flashlight, which evolved into a narrative-driven, episodic experience. I worked closely with the Game Director and wider team to develop the concept and help secure greenlight.

During development, I led a small design team in defining the game’s structure, pacing and mission design, overseeing the creation and iteration of all episodes from early blockout through to gameplay, puzzle and action sequence implementation.

Although the PS3 version was ultimately cancelled during wider cuts at Sony, much of the work carried forward into the released PS4 version - including the core narrative structure, key characters, major locations and the overall tone and pacing of the experience.

As Lead Level Designer, I helped define the core structure and design principles for Until Dawn, shaping it as a cinematic, replayable horror experience built around episodic storytelling and player-driven outcomes.

Episodic, Bingeable Structure

  • Designed as a playable TV series inspired by The Wire, Lost and The Sopranos, etc

  • Eight episodes, each 45-60 minutes long, ending on cliff-hangers

  • Character-driven narrative with seamless gameplay and cutscenes

  • Levels structured to support pacing, framing and dramatic reveals

Shared, Turn-Based Play

  • Designed for two players alternating control every 3-5 minutes

  • Encourages social play and shared decision-making

Branching and Reactive Narrative

  • Eight main “friend” characters that live or die based on player actions

  • Player decisions ripple through story and gameplay

  • Dynamic responses to player reactions using feedback from controller accelerometers and microphone

Core Gameplay & Replayability

  • Exploration, interaction, puzzles and interactive cutscenes

  • Careful control of suspense, escalation and scare delivery

  • Replay driven by outcomes, secrets and collectables

Together, these principles shaped a horror experience designed to feel like a playable TV series - where structure, pacing and player choice drive both tension and emotional impact.