Survive the Infected on Alcatraz

Introduction

In this project, I set out to create a level set on the historically rich Alcatraz Island in a post-apocalyptic world. Inspired by Dead Island 2's close combat gameplay, my goal was to design an experience that emphasized intense melee encounters, environmental storytelling, and player-driven exploration. The location itself played a key role in shaping the gameplay, atmosphere, and mission structure, helping to ground the experience in a space that feels both brutal and believable.

I drew heavy inspiration from games like Back 4 Blood, Left 4 Dead, Dead Island 2, and other close-combat campaign experiences. These titles motivated me to build a post-apocalyptic world that feels both uneasy and compelling to explore.

Project details

What I did:

2D map layer out in Figma
Unreal Engine 5.4
Blockout tool plug in
Close Mele Combat Design
Level Design
Whitebox
Scripted Events

What tools I used:

Game Animation Sample
Ultra Dynamic Sky
Zombie Movement and Modular Interaction Animations
Karl Detroit - Melee Weapons Pack

Pre-Production

Research

My main reference is set on Alcatraz Island. I began my process by visiting the prison, gathering inspiring pictures and images to use in a moodboard, creating a source of inspiration. I analysed other first-person combat levels in similar settings, like Dead Island 1 & 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and Killing Floor 2.

2D top down to final block out

Using Figma to draw from my sources of inspiration and the levels I analysed from similar games, I began creating a layout to give me a rough overview of the level. This helped with the blockout process by clearly outlining key mission objectives and enemy encounters.

Blockout Process

This gif shows the iterations made to the front port and lighthouse. Through playtesting, the level was shaped to improve the overall player experience.

Level Walkthrough

Introduction to the Mission

Find the Dock Control Panel

Unique Zombie Breaks Through

Investigating the front port

Apartment Traversal

Heading Toward the Lighthouse

Confront the Warden

Tragic Discovery

Pacing & Level Beats

Gameplay

Narrative Dialogue

While building the narrative and multiple mission objectives, I created a dialogue system that updates as the player progresses. This helped improve the level’s overall pacing and flow, and made the objectives clearer for the player.

Introducing unique zombie

During playtesting sessions, I noticed it was too easy for players to run past the infected zombies, which made the gameplay feel unchallenging.

To increase the difficulty, I added a unique zombie that breaks through a door, supported by infected enemies that slow the player's pace. This created a more intense encounter just before entering the front port.

Level Design Techniques

Landmark

Although a dialogue system was in place, playtesting revealed that players often felt unsure about where to go, which disrupted the experience.

To solve this, I used the lighthouse as a visual landmark by making it the tallest structure in the level. By framing it early in the player's view, it provided a clear directional goal and reduced the need to rely heavily on dialogue for navigation.

Affordance

I wanted the player to feel a sense of freedom and vertical exploration, but during playtesting, players struggled to identify which surfaces were climbable, leading to frustration.

To improve clarity, I added bright colors such as yellow to highlight climbable and interactable elements. This visual cue helped guide players intuitively and improved overall flow and navigation.

Gym Metrics

When I began creating the level, I built a gym to establish consistent height, width, and depth metrics. This helped define a clear standard for traversal elements and spaces.

Using these references made the blockout process much quicker and more efficient, allowing me to focus on gameplay and layout without second-guessing scale.

Gameplay Video

Closing Thoughts

This project was a valuable learning experience where I had the chance to explore combat design within a semi-open world, while also applying my core level design skills. I spent countless hours playing and analyzing Dead Island 2, studying its level layouts and unique zombie types to ensure I could create a space that brings the historically rich Alcatraz Island into a believable post-apocalyptic world one that could exist in the same universe. Through this process, I significantly strengthened my expertise in both combat design and semi-open world structure, while also deepening my overall understanding of level design.

While I’m proud of what I achieved, there are a few things I would approach differently if I were to revisit the project. First, I would improve zombie encounters so they don’t detect the player too quickly, allowing for fairer and more effective stealth gameplay. Second, I would introduce an additional unique zombie type such as a Screamer inside the front port and outside the prison to raise tension. Lastly, I would make the prison cell block explorable before the final encounter with the Warden, to create a more layered and engaging experience.

Overall, I learned a great deal from this project and was able to build a level that reflects the kind of design quality and gameplay depth found in Dead Island 2.

"Overall, I'm very proud of the outcome and would be excited to take on another project in this style in the future."