Arcane Odyssey
Project information
- GenreMultiplayer, Adventure
- PlatformPC
- EngineUnreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN)
- Team Size4
- DurationSep 2023 - Oct 2024 (1.5 months)
- Featured Unreal Blog
Arcane Odyssey is a gacha-based, team-versus-team adventure set on a mystical Fortnite island. In this 2v2 escape challenge, players compete to explore, collect, and survive through three thrilling levels. Starting on a lush forest island, teams gather materials, solve riddles, and teleport to magical biomes to earn Golden Keys. With keys in hand, they descend into a treacherous underground labyrinth filled with monsters, traps, and mind-bending puzzles. Only by collecting artifacts and regrouping at the exit can they move forward.
Features
- • Multiple biomes to explore - Greenland, Desert and Iceland.
- • Various ways to maneuver, gather items and trade to progress.
- • Solve puzzles, avoid traps, fight monsters and escape the maze.
- • Expandable to play in Co-op mode.
Process
Ideation
- Looking for inspiration
- Finalising the core game idea
- Role assignment creators
Planning
- Design planning (Game & Level)
- Gathering visual references
- Research existing devices Blueprints
Prototype
- Developing core mechanics
- Vertical slice of the game
- Modifying with Verse
Playtesting
- Internal team playtesting
- Playtesting with instructors
Final Game
- Feedback implementation
- Bug fixing
- Game Balancing
- Polishing the look
Level Design
I designed a competitive multiplayer PvPvE experience in UEFN, blending exploration, combat, and progression across a multi-layered world. The game starts on a sprawling forested island where players gather resources, solve environmental puzzles, and unlock hidden pathways to gain access to the next phase. Each biome—Forest, Desert, and Iceland—offers unique mechanics and collectibles that become essential in the later stages of the game.
Throughout the design process, I focused on utilizing only native UEFN assets and mechanics to stay within scope. This allowed rapid prototyping while ensuring performance stability across all three levels of the game.
First iteration of the map
Final Design
Early Gameplay prototype
Level System
Using a rail-based travel system, players race to unlock access to the final floating island, where the first to defeat the boss wins. I focused on designing engaging, layered progression while keeping scope within native UEFN tools for performance and quick iteration.
The idea felt out of scope for my team and mentor, but I worked on it when I had an chance after the early prototype. It took me 1 hour to create a simple navigation route which covered the entire island and another 2-3 hours to add the rails for the final gameplay.
Eventually, everyone ended up liking the idea and helped with being a better way to navigate rather than just walking around, which was taking a very long time.
Challenges
- Revision Control - Working on the file simultaneously caused some members’ progress to be overridden and deleted. I had to redo the whole map 3+ times in 2 weeks which took a lot of time.
- Managing project memory usage in Fortnite. We put a limit on uploading unnecessary assets.
- Learning new programming language and system/engine usage.
