Neo Zhang — Game Designer

What is Sunderfolk

Sunderfolk is a couch co-op tactical RPG inspired by game nights. Up to four players join using their phones as controllers, with mouse and keyboard support also available, and only one copy of the game is needed for the whole group.

Summarized Contribution

Led design of 10 levels/missions from paper concept and blockout through ship, anchoring each mission on a distinct feature (puzzle, combat, exploration) that rewards co-op strategy.
Owned 10 characters from concept through implementation and ship (1 playable hero, 4 bosses, 5 enemies), turning each character's fantasy into a distinct ability kit, passive, and AI behavior.
Co-led creative direction and implementation of 30+ cinematics, streamlining handoffs between Narrative, Art, and Animation to hit tight deadlines without compromising story quality.
Balanced the hero against the full enemy roster, tuning power, counterplay, and difficulty so co-op encounters stayed fair, readable, and engaging.
Designed for first-time tabletop players, shaping mission flow, pacing, and narrative for accessibility while preserving depth for repeat play.
Ran 3+ internal playtests weekly, turning feedback and edge cases into concrete design changes.

COMBAT DESIGN

Hero

VANGUARD

Born for battle, the Vanguard pushes deep into enemy lines where their abilities burn brightest. Small yet mighty, they stand as a fierce contender to the Berserker.

Fighting Spirit — passive ability description

For each Grit, the Vanguard takes 1 less damage when attacked and deals 2 damage to the attacker, reinforcing their role as both a frontliner and a DPS.

Into the Fray

As the first spell available to the player, Into the Fray teaches the Vanguard's unique keyword and the Grit mechanic.

Bladefall

One of the 3 early spells, Bladefall reinforces the Vanguard's role as frontliner by granting extra damage for each adjacent enemy.

DESIGN PROCESS

Ideation

Starting from the product goals for a new playable hero, brainstormed the hero's class fantasy, core mechanics, passive ability, and skill kit.

Passive Ability

Brainstorm passive ability options based on the core mechanic, then collaborate with the lead designer and game director to finalize the design.

Spell Cards

Designed 10 distinct ability cards to support flexible deck building:

Starter cards that teach the Vanguard's core mechanics and passive ability.
Situational cards that give players unique answers to different scenarios and encounters.
An Ultimate card that captures the Vanguard's class identity and drives team synergy.

Implementation, Playtest, and Iteration

Took the hero from concept to a playable prototype, building it in-engine with existing assets as temporary visuals so the team could play it in the three rapid playtests every week.

Owned iteration end to end: turned feedback from each playtest into design changes, solved technical edge cases, and fixed bugs to keep the hero stable and improving throughout development.

Boss Monster

CHAMPION

This charismatic muscle-bound Champion has big plans for the Hero. Trained in the art of the Muscle, they present a unique challenge that forces players to approach the fight differently from their usual high-damage strategies.

Absolute Muscle — passive ability description

With damage capped at 1, raw output won't win this fight — players must turn the Champion's own abilities and the environment against them.

Bombs Away

A ranged AoE whose damage scales with each minion, keeping crowd control crucial.

Spread out to minimize damage. The blast also leaves objects players can use against the Champion.

Galvanize

Past a certain threshold, the Champion summons additional minions. The result is a fun interplay between the boss's abilities, the crowd, and the narrative.

DESIGN PROCESS

Research

Define the product goals for the boss and its encounter.

Evaluate existing boss fights to find opportunities that make this one compelling for players.

Ideation

Find inspiration that aligns with the goals of designing this boss. Draw references from other media and games as a starting point for its mechanics, personality, and presentation.

Goal

Create a character that is memorable through both its storytelling and its gameplay. Design experiences that challenge players in ways that feel fresh while remaining fair and rewarding.

Design and Implementation

Building on the inspiration, design the boss's passive ability and core kit, then implement them alongside the mission, enemy composition, game direction, and narrative as a playable prototype for playtesting.

Playtest and Iteration

Conduct multiple rapid internal playtests every week. Collect playtest feedback and edge-case findings, turning them into actionable design changes with every iteration.

Narrative

Write and implement all narrative elements (tutorials, dialogue, and information) in the engine. Maintain a source of truth the team can reliably reference.

MORE BOSSES

Unstable Redcap

Archer Warrior

Spear Warrior

Monster

WURM

A subterranean ambusher, the Tunnel Wurm strikes from beneath the hex grid with a crushing double-bite. Reposition or pay the price.

Swallow the World

Unique to the Wurm, this ability forcefully repositions every character in range, dragging them through hazardous terrain and objects such as pits and boomshrooms before unleashing a powerful attack.

Devour

Powerful and dangerous, this spell makes the Wurm a significant threat while also serving as a useful tool against other monsters.

DESIGN PROCESS

Concept

Collaborate with artists to establish the monster's look and fantasy. Ideate on its core abilities and combat strategy, drawing inspiration from other media and real-life references.

Ideation

Select the strongest concept and develop the monster's passive, core mechanics, and ability kit. Draft multiple design options, review them with the Encounter Design Lead, and refine down to a final design.

Prototype and Iteration

Run several paper playtests to validate the design's integrity, then implement a playable prototype in-engine for team-wide playtests.

Gather feedback and observations to iterate on the monster's balance, mechanical clarity, and overall gameplay.

ENCOUNTER & QUEST DESIGN

Tavern Trouble (Tutorial)

This tutorial teaches the game's basic controls, how your phone becomes your controller, and your role in the Sunderlands.

Help the Sacred Bug reclaim their throne from the Ancient Wurm, the game's first multi-hex boss, in the new DLC!

Face the Wurm, Sunderfolk's toughest enemy, as rockfalls reshape the board into a maze, demanding new tactics every round.

Take down the Brightstone lamp in the game's most dangerous encounter, facing some of its strongest enemies.

DESIGN PROCESS

Ideation

Design goals:

Set up the narrative premise for the DLC campaign.
Introduce the new Ally and Monster.
Offer a fresh strategy uncommon to the main game.

Defined the encounter's map shape, quest, and objectives, and built the enemy lineup and starting positions. Wrote the narrative alongside the design so the story drives the encounter, giving players a reason to care about the new Ally and a clear sense of the Monster's threat.

Paper Prototype and Implementation

Prototyped the encounter through remote paper playtests on Miro, refining mechanics with each round of feedback.

Then built it in-engine with in-house tools and scripts to create a playable version for team-wide testing.

Iteration and Polish

Debug code, wire up animation and VFX hookups, and write the encounter's narrative and tutorials. Then keep gathering feedback and iterating as more team-wide playtests are run.

PRODUCT RESULT

Visitor From Afar

Type: Defense & Extraction

Kick off the new DLC mini-campaign with its first mission, featuring the debut of a new Ally and a fearsome new Monster! Defend against the horde of incoming monsters, and extract the injured ally.

With the Sandstone wall in place, Monsters are forced to travel around it, exhausting their movement.

Leverage the Mummy's ability to turn into a Sandstone obstacle, forming a wall that protects your team from the advancing horde.

CINEMATIC & CUTSCENE DESIGN

Cinematic Production

In Sunderfolk, tight budgets and a demanding schedule shaped how every cinematic was produced. The majority are built by repurposing existing gameplay animation and finding creative ways to tell a compelling story — reserving costly, custom one-off animation only for the key narrative moments.

Low Budget

100% Gameplay Assets

Medium Budget

75% Gameplay Assets and 25% Custom Animation

High Budget

100% Custom Animation

Storyboard

After identifying the key narrative beats of each cinematic cutscene, I head into the game space to scout potential locations, then draw storyboards — complete with notes and iterations — before executing the full development of the cinematic.

DESIGN PROCESS

Pre-Production & Planning

Analyze the encounter's narrative and gameplay elements to pinpoint the key story beats, then develop concepts that raise the stakes and give players a glimpse of the challenges ahead.

Research & Storyboarding

Survey the assets already available — gameplay animation, environment set dressing, and VFX — and shape them into a narrative pitch that supports the established key story beats. Design the storyboard to carry players through a smooth, natural transition from gameplay into the cutscene and back to gameplay.

Kitbashing & First Draft

Working from the storyboard, build a first draft — or prototype — directly in the engine using only existing gameplay animation, and lock in a shot list that keeps the camera clear of any unpolished areas of the environment.

Author in-engine animation to move characters naturally through the game space, then collaborate closely with the Animation, 3D, and VFX teams to continuously refine and polish the cinematic.

Final Polish

Through iteration and polish alongside the Animation, 3D, and VFX teams, the result is a low-budget cinematic built entirely from in-game assets — the same animation, VFX, and models players already see in the game.

Clever camera angles, deliberate character blocking, and careful pre-planning let the team deliver a low-cost cinematic that still lands its narrative beat — freeing up hours for the higher-priority polish elsewhere in the game.