ZOOM is a fast-paced, silly FPS with bouncy physics and strategic gun-and-skill swapping. This stylized 3D DOOM-like was made in Unity using C#, Maya, Blender, Substance Painter, and assets from the Unity Store. in collaboration with Tyler Zhang and Cecelia Powell from August 2024 to May 2025.
My contributions to this project include level design direction, game design, environment art, system mechanics, production, and store page and social media management. I designed and implemented the environment art for the tutorial, the arenas, and the boss fights. I also designed the player abilities, combat mechanics, enemy systems, and map mechanics.
You can play the game here:
ZOOM Trailer
Game Play Mechanics
Swapping Gun Play Styles
Scan different animals to change firing pattern, damage, and abilities.
Movement Abilities
Grapple, hover, and charge your way through arenas and movement puzzles.
Formidable Enemies
Enemies that can do unique attacks like melee, range, charges, and jumps.
Interactable Environment
Grapple points, jump pads, moving platforms,
and medkits are placed around the map.
The Tutorial
Initial Tutorial
The initial tutorial draft
Level Design
Tutorial Overhaul
The initial draft for the tutorial of this game was made with the initial game mechanic concepts in mind. Originally, we wanted this game to be more puzzle-movement oriented. I blockmeshed this tutorial with a focus on teaching the player how to use their abilities to maneuver the environment.
Teaches the player basic movement. WASD, Jump
Teaches the player that scanning monkeys gives you the hover ability
Introduces the player to obstacle maneuvering
Teaches the player how birds attack and that scanning birds give you the dash ability
Teaches the player how hippos attack and that scanning them gives you the grapple ability
Gives the player a chance to test out their learned abilities in the arena against all the previously encountered animals
Play test feedback revealed that the tutorial failed to teach players how to shoot or fight the animals. This led to the final arena being jarring for some. The transition from the tutorial to the more combat-focused map was too abrupt. At the same time, we decided to change our combat and ability system to be less movement puzzle-focused and more frenzy shooter-focused. We also placed more emphasis on having ZOOM serve as both a challenge for players who enjoy doom-like games and an entry game for people getting into the boomer shooter genre by playing a visually and narratively subversive game of the genre such as ZOOM. This meant the tutorial had to be overhauled.
I had the perfect idea on how to convey this new combat-oriented tutorial, and felt that returning to paper prototypes was most effective in planning and communicating the design with our programmer.
The images on the left is the paper prototype I drafted out. It’s a bit hard to read, but the gist of the design is this:
Knowing our target audience of players already familiar with the fps genre, the beginning is a simple hallway in which the player learns to use WASD to move.
Afterwards, the player is teleported to three separate rooms in the following order: monkey, bird, dolphin/hippo. In each room, the player learns how to first scan the animal for its ability and to defeat the harmless hologram to progress to the next part of the tutorial. This teaches the player that scanning refills their ammo, changes their gun firing type, and changes their ability depending on the animal they scan. The level then transforms into a movement platform tailored to the abilities the player has from the animal in the previous room. They learn to use their movement ability in order to progress. Then, they are teleported to a small arena where they fight each animal individually. The final tutorial piece teaches the player to collect “essence” in order to fill their ultimate bar, and to hit the “R” key in order to use their instakill melee ult.
At the end of the tutorial, a comic cutscene reveals that the tutorial was a VR company-issued training program. This allowed for more unrealistic and simple layouts in the tutorial that were able to quickly teach the player how to play the game.
Of course, this is hard to imagine with just words, so here is a video of the tutorial playthrough. Below are some GIFs of the aforementioned tutorial as well.
Instructions on how to scan and progress are written on the box in the top left. The player scans the animal hologram, shoots to defeat the monkey, and uses the ability to get across to the goal. In this way, they learn what ability the animal gives them, that scanning the animal refills their ammo, the firing pattern of the gun, and that they must defeat the enemy.
Instructions on how to use the ability button and what it does is on the top left UI window. The level transforms into a movement challenge tailored to the ability the player got from the animal in the previous room. They learn to use and get used to the ability in order to get to the goal.
Instructions on how to use fill the ultimate bar and use the ultimate button are on the top left UI window. The player learns that the essence balls dropped by the animals fills the ultimate bar. They also learn that the ultimate is a very strong melee instakill skill.
Arena 0: Entrance to the zoo
Overview of Arena 0
Panning shot of Arena 0.
Environmental assets lead to the entrance of the zoo.
The player is dropped off from a helicopter and spawns in at the star symbol. The environment indicates there is some sort of operation and construction going on at the zoo. The inconvenient obstacles hint that the physical and power structure has changed.
The player is made to go straight, and the fence forces the player up the ramp. At the top, the player can see the tree house from far away (end goal of the map) as well as all assets creating leading lines toward the zoo entrance. The zoo entrance is the most detailed asset in this area, which further pulls the player toward the next arena. As the player is focused on the goal, the moment they step over the fence, two monkeys spawn as an “ambush” in front of them (where the circle symbols are marked). This prepares the player for harder fights ahead with a surprise from two relatively easier enemies.
Arena 1
Overview of Arena 1.
For this level, I first looked at images of the entrance areas and overall formats of existing “zoos” like Animal Kingdom, the Bronx Zoo, and the Central Park Zoo. I chose these as real life references because of the advantage I had being in NYC as well as the reputation that the Animal Kingdom has for level design. I noticed that many of the layouts are cyclical in design, allowing for entry and exit. I felt that was fitting for an arena as well. I added a statue in the middle as the landmark of the area, enemy cover, and circular layout reinforcement. I also took inspiration from the references to add fitting Solar Punk zoo environmental assets.The areas around the arena allow for optional traversal for vantage points and sightseeing. The four yellow circles are grapple points, and may look familiar because zoos have these for monkeys to travel around the area.
The enemies chosen for this level are primarily charge and jumper based. They are difficult to deal with, but the area provides many assets that can be used to block their attack trajectories. If the player dies, they respawn in the arena with the amount of enemies reset. The amount of ground assets in this area are beginner friendly, allowing for players to be introduced to the unique attacks of each animal while offering non-ability based options to avoid the attacks. This allows for a moderate challenge for experienced players, and a forgiving learning experience (should they need it) for new players.
Panning shot of Arena 1.
Combat game play of the arena, you can see how the environment helps the player avoid charging enemy attacks.
Pathway 1
Overview of the pathway between Arena 1 and Arena 2.
Walk through of Pathway 1.
Pathways in this game were created shortly in response to the play test feedback of the first draft of the level as a way to immerse the player in the narrative of the game and give them a break from each hectic arena. They are placed in between each arena. Using the previous real location references, I designed and implemented an archway path that I could see foot traffic in in a real zoo.
This first pathway serves to tell the player that the zoo is in disarray, and the lack of presence in a rather serene area further enforces a feeling of “something is up with this zoo”. The archway and benches are designed and placed to guide the player forward into the next arena. The fallen logs serve as a beginner friendly introduction to later obstacle courses in other pathways.
Arena 2
Overview of Arena 2.
The second arena increases the difficulty incrementally by adding another more prominent presence of verticality to the level. Inspired by the huge tree structures in Singapore, I designed the four towers to act as grapple points and mid level vantage point platforms. The ground level assets serve less as cover from enemies and more as steps to get higher up in the arena without using abilities. This arena is also circular in design, as it serves well in arena layout, but also because many main plazas look like this in real zoo locations. Different from the statue in the middle of the map in Arena 1, the middle of this arena can be walked through in several directions, and there is a jump pad that lifts the player higher up at the dead center.
The enemies in this arena are similar to the first, but with extra birds. The birds allow for the player to use the hover ability more to experience the arena’s verticality. The ground unit enemies are still a challenge, but the arena offers abilities, cover, and vantage points for the player to use.
Many of the assets have graffiti on their textures that informs the player that the zoo has been overtaken by the enemies they face. It also directs them towards the next areas, hints at lore, and gives game play hints.
Panning shot of Arena 2.
Combat game play of the arena, the verticality in the environment adds another layer to the game play.
Pathway 2
Overview of the pathway between Arena 2 and Arena 3.
Walk through of Pathway 2 using the hover ability, but you can use any ability.
In addition to making a doom-like, one of my goals was to explore level design, obstacles, movement puzzles, and interactions between those and movement ability sets. Keeping in mind the difficulty level of the game, I designed each pathway obstacle course in a way where any movement ability will allow the player to complete the course. I also designed it this way because the enemies do not respawn, so if there was a specific ability needed to pass a pathway, the player would need to know beforehand or restart. I thought about placing an invincible enemy before the pathway or hiding it somewhere, but that strayed from the pacing of the overall game.
This area is a ravine where players stray from the original zoo path as all other entrances are blocked. The pacing of the game changes from here narratively, and the environment changes to match that. It becomes less zoo and more authoritarian in and strange in ways. There are grapple points if the player has the ability. All platforms are properly spaced so that using hover or dash works. The pathway leads to the back entrance of a building that has been repurposed as what environment clues point to as a warehouse/science lab.
Arena 3
Overview of Arena 2.
Following the pattern of incremental increase in difficulty of arenas, Arena 3 adds another floor, and thus more verticality to the game. In addition to this, it takes place within an enclosed area. This forces the player to be in closer proximity with enemies than in any instance before now, and also prepares them for similar instances later in the game. I took inspiration from my visit to the California Academy of Sciences. I would say there was something very enjoyable about creating and playing in this space. It is three levels, yet the middle area gives access to all floors via movement abilities and jump pads. It greatly adds to the player’s experience with agency and how they want to go about engaging in combat with the enemies. The limited space also makes the player feel like they are much faster and jump much higher even though nothing has changed. The challenge of this arena is more the proximity and amount of enemies rather than the ability set of certain enemies, which is an homage to the original DOOM.
The environment was quite fun to make, with many modular and reusable pieces. The broken glass displays reveal the animal’s previous captivity and the Solar Punk theme. The assets hint at the space originally being an exhibition building, but now a storage facility or laboratory. The colors red, gray, and yellow were chosen to hint at the hostile environment. The lighter gray lines were all purposefully chosen to guide the player through the space. They may seem like patterns but they are also leading lines! The exit to the area is illuminated brightly compared to the rest of the area.
Combat game play of Arena 3. It is much more close quarters and intense.
Pathway 3
Overview of the pathway between Arena 3 and Arena 2.
Walk through of Pathway 3. The player is introduced to a new sniper-like enemy and moving platforms.
This next pathway introduces the player to moving platforms, as well as a new kind of enemy. This enemy will deal near fatal damage to the player when the timer on their icon empties. There is only one of this type of enemy to maintain the consistency of this type of area being more obstacle based. After the enemy is dealt with, the player must progress to the next area by getting on the moving platforms.
There are storage carrying vessels and moving platforms that are programmed to move a certain way. The existence of the red, gray, and yellow colors persist here to support the idea that this zoo has been manipulated by whoever is in charge. The design of the moving platform features hover rings that many experienced players will recognize in other games. The timer and laser design of the enemy is also designed to incite urgency and priority to the player.
Arena 4
Overview of Arena 4.
This fourth arena takes place within the tunnel of a mountain. The difficulty of this arena, like the previous, has to do with proximity. The winding tunnel disorients the player to enemies (with moderation), but the graffiti guides the player toward the exit. It also reinforces the information the player learned with their first encounter with the sniper-like enemy.
This arena is not too difficult, as it is meant to be more significant narratively in the game. The player is absorbing the environmental narrative and previous encounters as they make their way towards the next area, of which they cannot imagine what comes next as there is no huge landmark indicator or building beyond the horizon. Their attention is turned inwards as well as the narrative elements placed within the tunnel. It also reinforces the game’s comedy genre. This layout was also chosen to make the journey to the boss building less linear, hiding the rest of the map behind this mountain.
Combat game play of Arena 4. The player faces enemies in a winding tunnel.
Textures in the tunnel reinforce the player’s encounter with the new sniper-like enemy.
Pathway 4
Overview of the Pathway 4.
Game play of Pathway 4. The player faces the sniper-like enemy, and several ranged enemies on unique moving platforms.
During play tests, I observed that the most smiles were served during obstacle based areas. Further exploring the ability movement mechanics, the tunnel leads the player to a wide open expanse, similar in structure to the ravine. The player must maneuver past the windmills while facing ranged enemies and the sniper-like enemy again. The ranged enemies are prevalent in these next areas, as hover is the easiest — but not only — way to navigate these areas. It allows for beginners to this kind of game to clear the challenges, while more experienced players can find ways to better or more quickly. The game is designed this way for replayability value. The sniper-like enemy is placed closer to the player, allowing for them to scan and use the laser rifle gun to deal with it and the rest of the enemies. It is placed this way as the sniper-like enemy does near fatal damage, and having the player get hit with that immediately and having to dodge the rest of the animals that can miss their attacks is more fair. The speed in which the windmills move do not allow for the player to deal with the sniper-like enemy quick enough before the player would receive significant damage and die to the rest of the animals.
This pathway is much more challenging, but the previous pathways have prepared the player for the increase in difficulty.
The Final Stretch
Overview of The Final Stretch.
The Final Stretch is a combination of obstacles and combat, so I felt it was more fitting to give it its own name rather than the category of “pathway” or “arena”. The tower at the beginning introduces the player to the disappearing hexagons, as the player must stand on it to reach the moving platform. The next area challenges the player to fight ranged enemies on a platform of disappearing hexagons. Then, the area becomes a mix of stable ground with ground unit enemies, ranged enemies, and sniper-like enemies. This gives a challenging combat experience with more variation. Like previous areas, it has been designed so that regardless of which movement you have you can progress. There are jump pads, disappearing hexagons, ranged enemies that offer hover, and grapple points.
The environment in this area mimics the upward journey of the hero similar to the tunnel arena. The player makes their way up, like the climb of the corporate ladder and evolution, themes that are present throughout the game its narrative. It becomes more symbolic here as this is the final part of the game before the player encounters the boss. The Solar Punk assets that include tents, solar panels, and triangular domes serve to reinforce the visual style of the game, and inform the player that even the animals that oppose you are not living in luxury. There is someone above them.
Game play of the fight near the disappearing hexagons.
Game play of the fight going up the waterfall.
The Boss Fight
Initiating the boss encounter. The arena changes to show hazardous areas.
Fighting enemies while the boss is invincible.
One of the boss’s final phases, the player must close the distance and pet him.
The boss fight was a collective effort between my team and I. We took inspiration from bosses from Destiny 2 and surprisingly, Roblox games such as Break In (Story) and Neon Knights. The boss fight and his respective fighting abilities were designed based off these influences as well as the acknowledgement of our team’s skill sets and time constraints. There were little narrative constraints to the boss’s design because he is revealed to be the previous agent sent before the player. His abilities being more advanced than the enemies the player has faced so far makes sense.
The boss fight goes like this:
The player fights off animals as the arena changes format to reveal lava (The lava is bouncy to propel the player onto safe ground, but also to make falling off the map less messy.
The arena changes to reveal animals caged above the fighting ground (the player can scan them infinitely) and the boss begins attacking. He has a ring wave attack, a linear multiple line attack, and a big homing missile (that can be destroyed). When the homing missile is destroyed, his invincibility shield is down. The player deals damage to him until the next phase.
The arena changes format and the player fights more enemies, as the boss’s invincible shield goes back up.
The above repeats three times.
The boss pushes the player back as the arena changes to put distance between the player and the boss. The player must traverse across the arena and avoid the boss’s attacks and use their ult to deal damage to the boss.
This repeats three times, each time the gap between the boss and the player grows.
The boss is defeated and a cut scene plays upon the third successful attack.
The player has the choice to use their ult throughout the game, but it becomes mandatory during the boss fight for narrative reasons. The ult is a petting gesture, proving that the most affective attack is affection, love, and care. This is what undoes the boss.
The boss’s homing missile attack.
The boss’s AOE ring wave and linear wave attack.
The arena changes as the boss begins his attack phase.