Gameplay Concept / Vertical Slice Designer — I help turn rough ideas into playable prototype plans

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to connect with indie developers, small teams, or solo Unreal builders who have a game idea, setting, prototype, or half-formed concept but need help turning it into a clear playable direction.

What I’m best at is not coding or asset creation. My strength is taking raw creative material and shaping it into something a team can actually build toward:

  • core gameplay loops

  • vertical slice structure

  • player fantasy

  • level/encounter flow

  • world-to-gameplay translation

  • faction and system logic

  • prototype scope control

  • “what does the player actually do?” design

I’m especially useful when a project has a cool world, premise, or mechanic but the playable shape is still fuzzy.

For example, I can help answer questions like:

  • What should the first playable prototype actually prove?

  • Where should the player start?

  • What is the smallest version of this idea that still feels like the real game?

  • What does the first level/encounter need to teach?

  • How do the world, enemies, systems, and player choices connect?

  • What should be cut, delayed, or protected from scope creep?

I work well in concept and pre-production stages, especially for teams that already have a programmer, Unreal generalist, or technical designer who can build the playable version. I can provide clear written design documents, vertical slice outlines, encounter concepts, world/system breakdowns, and prototype direction.

A simple example of what I do:

Give me a rough idea like “a co-op survival game about crossing a dangerous wilderness,” and I’ll help shape it into a focused prototype: who the players are, what the first playable space is, what danger pressures them, what choices matter, what the core loop is, and what a small team should build first.

I’m not here to claim I can do everything. I’m looking for the right fit: a team or developer who needs someone strong at creative structure, gameplay framing, world logic, and turning big ideas into buildable first steps.

If you have a project that feels interesting but unfocused, I’d be happy to talk and see if I can help clarify the playable direction.

Thanks for reading.