Ramifications is a personal project I started to learn Unreal Blueprints some time ago. It's been a fun way to explore aspects of Unreal Engine that I wouldn’t typically encounter as a level designer. While level design is crucial for highlighting the themes and mechanics of great game design, I’ve often felt the urge to express my ideas for game and system design. Ramifications is largely the result of that.
I have a notebook full of game ideas, but this one seemed more manageable than my earlier concepts. It’s based on an old billiards game I remember playing in my grandpa's basement as a child. In pool, and similarly in Ramifications, the cue ball must hit two other balls for the player to take another turn. If they scratch, they lose their turn to the next player. In Ramifications, the balls double as both your opponent and your target.
It’s been incredibly liberating to dive into player abilities, physics, art, enemy types, VFX, SFX, menu screens, mobile resolutions, and more—getting my hands dirty outside the bounds of level design.