MSF: Mason Salvation Force

Project Producer | Area Designer | Gameplay Implementation

Team: 24 • Duration: 1 semester • Project: Student Team (Unity)

Gameplay from MSF: Mason Salvation Force

Project Overview

MSF: Mason Salvation Force is a chaotic co-op arcade shooter developed by a 24-person student team over one semester. Blending pixel art, satire, and boss-based run-and-gun gameplay, the project pays homage to retro classics while embracing absurd campus humor and tight multiplayer action.

My Role & Contributions

As Project Producer and Game Designer, I led both project management and level design for MSF: Mason Salvation Force, ensuring that production workflows supported creative development. My work focused on area design, gameplay implementation, and cross-disciplinary coordination, all developed in Unity.

  • Area Layout & Level Design: Designed and iterated on level layouts for boss encounters and multiplayer arenas. Created spatial layouts that supported chaotic co-op gameplay, using Unity's level editor to prototype combat zones and player flow.
  • Gameplay Implementation: Implemented core gameplay mechanics using Unity's component system and C# scripting. Developed boss encounter systems, player movement mechanics, and multiplayer synchronization features that supported the arcade shooter experience.
  • Cross-Disciplinary Communication: Facilitated collaboration between design, art, programming, audio, and narrative teams to support timely integration of features. Conveyed design goals through Unity scene documentation and visual mockups.
  • Project Management & Agile Workflow: Led weekly sprint planning, daily standups, and milestone reviews. Managed a shared Notion workspace for sprint boards, documentation, and burndown tracking to maintain momentum across the 24-person team.
  • Playtesting & QA: Organized feedback sessions, logged critical bugs, and coordinated responses with the dev team. Used playtest data to iterate on level design and gameplay balance.

Coordinating interdisciplinary teams: I learned to translate between design, art, code, and audio, turning abstract goals into clear interfaces, handoff specs, and shared "definition of done." Establishing a single source of truth (Notion boards + scene docs), async updates, and explicit unblockers kept momentum and reduced rework—an execution skill hiring managers value.

Technical Skills & Communication

This project showcased my proficiency with Unity, including C# scripting, level editor workflows, and component-based architecture. I developed strong documentation practices, creating Unity scene layouts and visual mockups to communicate design intent across disciplines. My experience with multiplayer game design informed the systemic approach to area design, where spatial layouts directly impact player interaction and combat flow.

Results & Impact

MSF was completed ahead of schedule and featured in our university's capstone showcase. We met all vertical slice, polish, and MVP goals through strong team communication, clearly defined roles, and consistent sprint execution. This project demonstrated my ability to balance production management with hands-on level design, creating functional gameplay spaces while leading a large development team.

What I Learned

Leading a 24-person team strengthened my Agile facilitation and scope control. I learned to translate production constraints into clear design milestones, maintain momentum across disciplines, and structure Unity scenes and documentation to reduce integration friction.