Trailmakers: Level Design Across 5 Major Updates
Role: Level Designer | Studio: Flashbulb Games | Engine: Unity
🔍 Project Overview
Trailmakers is a creative sandbox game where players build custom vehicles to explore a physics-based world filled with environmental challenges, races, combat encouters and puzzles. As a Level Designer, I was responsible for crafting dynamic, traversal-rich environments, creating races and puzzles that encourage experimentation, problem-solving, and creativity.
My Tasks
I worked closely with design, art, and programer teams to develop levels that blend open-ended exploration with problem solving gameplay. My design approach focused on sculpting terrain that meaningfully interacts with multiple types of player-built vehicles, supports varied gamemode types and naturally introduced new mechanics through world layout and obstacle design.
🔍 My history on Trailmakers
I joined the Trailmaker team around the 31st of October, 2023, as an assistant level designer on the 1.7 SpaceBound update and ended my time on the project with the 2.0 Pioneers update as the main level designer for the game's largest open-world map.
 2.2 Frozen Tracksstart to end ownership and leveldesign |  2.0 Pioneers2.0 Massive open world map |  1.9.5: PVP mapLarge Archepelego, setup and layout. |
|---|---|---|
 1.9 F1 Race trackCommunity beloved race track |  1.8, Seasonal events and secret new islandSeasonal events, small island, thinking outside the box, |  1.7 space terrainAsteroids, set dressing and bug fixing. |
Projects
2.2: Frozen Track
Open World Sandbox and team collaboration
Overview
"The frozen moon of Hoff is Trailmakers’ first all-snow map and the perfect playground for people seeking a new challenge on rough terrain with deep snow, steep cliffs, shimmering ice, and freezing dark waters."
Our goal was to make a much shorter campaign based dlc for Trailmakers after Pioneers 2.0.
The Terrain focused on an artic setting and a better designed map that works way better in sandbox mode.
Project/Design Goals
The goal of the project was to help new players ease into Trailmakers by slowly introducing its complex features through a structured and familiar MMO medium. The hope was to make the initial experience more engaging for new players and eventually turn them into longterm players.
I was responsible for designing a large open world that supported this direction. I worked closely alongside our mission designers and the art team to create a landscape filled with mission, points of interest and distinct areas that would encourage our players to explore, giving them a reason to keep coming back.
My Contributions
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Level Design & Puzzle Design for both the Tutorial level and the open world campaign map. Here I owned implementation from the concept to the final version.
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Sculpted the terrain using Blender and designed the layout of each sub biome to ensure they feelt unique. A player should always know where they are, even when traversing areas that share similar terrain textures and without having to use the minimap.
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Designed and implemented missions that challenged the player to use the vehicle builder creatively. Including puzzle based objectives that required players to craft specialized vehicles and approach traversal and problem-solving in non-linear ways.
2.0: Pioneers- Open World design and implementation
Overview
I worked as the main level designer on Trailmakers’ largest open-world campaign, Pioneers. A narrative driven campaign inspired by survival and MMO gameplay.
It introduced land, sea, and air traversal in a linear quest line, using an open sandbox environment, designed to onboard new players to the game through a familiar medium.
Project/Design Goals
The goal of the project was to help new players ease into Trailmakers by slowly introducing its complex features through a structured and familiar MMO medium. The hope was to make the initial experience more engaging for new players and eventually turn them into longterm players.
I was responsible for designing a large open world that supported this direction. I worked closely alongside our mission designers and the art team to create a landscape filled with mission, points of interest and distinct areas that would encourage our players to explore, giving them a reason to keep coming back.
My Contributions
-
Level Design & Puzzle Design for both the Tutorial level and the open world campaign map. Here I owned implementation from the concept to the final version.
-
Sculpted the terrain using Blender and designed the layout of each sub biome to ensure they feelt unique. A player should always know where they are, even when traversing areas that share similar terrain textures and without having to use the minimap.
-
Designed and implemented missions that challenged the player to use the vehicle builder creatively. Including puzzle based objectives that required players to craft specialized vehicles and approach traversal and problem-solving in non-linear ways.
1.9.5 Update: Pedal to the metal
Text
Was the main level designer for the project’s largest open world level in the game. Taking ownership and responsibility for the map’s state throughout production, and often taking responsibility to fix any issues that arose in late development.
Role and responsibilities
-
Main level Designer for the updates large open world map
-
Custodian of quality.
-
Mission and puzzle design
-
Enemy combat encounters and bases
1.9.0 Update: Pedal to the metal
Text
Was the main level designer for the project’s largest open world level in the game. Taking ownership and responsibility for the map’s state throughout production, and often taking responsibility to fix any issues that arose in late development.
Role and responsibilities
-
Main level Designer for the updates large open world map
-
Custodian of quality.
-
Mission and puzzle design
-
Enemy combat encounters and bases
Text
Briefly describe your degree and any other highlights about your studies you want to share. Be sure to include relevant skills you gained, accomplishments you achieved or milestones you reached during your education.
Post Mortem
1.8.0 Update: Pedal to the metal
Text
Was the main level designer for the project’s largest open world level in the game. Taking ownership and responsibility for the map’s state throughout production, and often taking responsibility to fix any issues that arose in late development.
Role and responsibilities
-
Main level Designer for the updates large open world map
-
Custodian of quality.
-
Mission and puzzle design
-
Enemy combat encounters and bases
Text
Briefly describe your degree and any other highlights about your studies you want to share. Be sure to include relevant skills you gained, accomplishments you achieved or milestones you reached during your education.
Post Mortem
1.7.0 Update: Pedal to the metal
Text
Was the main level designer for the project’s largest open world level in the game. Taking ownership and responsibility for the map’s state throughout production, and often taking responsibility to fix any issues that arose in late development.
Role and responsibilities
-
Main level Designer for the updates large open world map
-
Custodian of quality.
-
Mission and puzzle design
-
Enemy combat encounters and bases
Text
Briefly describe your degree and any other highlights about your studies you want to share. Be sure to include relevant skills you gained, accomplishments you achieved or milestones you reached during your education.
Post Mortem