Brandon Zeff is a versatile Level Designer with experience spanning mobile, PC/Console, and VR development, as well as a broad technical skill set across Unreal Engine, Unity, and UEFN. After graduating from Collin College, he began his career in mobile games with PeopleFun before joining the team at Devhouse. During his time there, he contributed to DLC for Aliens: Fireteam Elite, in addition to a diverse range of other projects across multiple genres and platforms. He currently works as a Level Designer for Mob Entertainment, contributing to the horror franchise Poppy Playtime.

Brandon takes a player-first approach to level design, owning the process from ideation and blockout through implementation, iteration, and polish. He is passionate about creating intentional spaces that communicate clearly, support engaging gameplay, and deliver memorable player experiences.

EMAIL:  BrandonZin3D@gmail.com

LINKEDIN:  Brandon Zeff

INSTAGRAM: @BrandonZin3D

ARTSTATION: BrandonZin3D

Tools

Unreal Engine 4/5

Photoshop

Unity Engine

Marmoset Toolbag

UE for Fortnite

Figma

Playcanvas

PureRef

Blender

After Effects

Substance Painter

TortoiseSVN

Substance Designer

Perforce

xNormal

Confluence

GIMP

Github

Autodesk Maya

Sourcetree

JIRA

Illustrator

Skills

  • Level Design

  • Game Design

  • Content Design

  • Unreal Blueprints

  • Unity C#

  • Prototyping

  • Problem Solving

  • Version Control

  • Documentation

  • Team Leadership

  • Communication

  • Project Management

  • 3D Modeling

  • 3D Texturing

  • 3D Lighting

  • UV Unwrapping

  • 3D Animation

  • Unreal Shaders

  • Javascript

  • Data Analysis

Experience

May 2024 - Present

Mob Entertainment | Level Designer

Poppy Playtime - Chapter 5

Poppy Playtime - Chapter 4

  • Design, build, and iterate puzzles and levels through concept, greybox, implementation, and polish.

  • Orchestrate the communication of all disciplines in the planning and execution of level content.

  • Create and maintain level design documentation and maps.

  • Support other LDs with content ideation, creation, and implementation.

  • Technical level prototyping and implementation.

  • Creating gameplay gyms to establish Level & Game design practices.

April 2022 - April 2024

Devhouse

Unannounced AAA Project - Lead Level Designer, Lead Content Designer, Level Artist

Aliens: Fireteam Elite - Level Designer, Content Designer, Level Artist

  • Level designer, content designer, and level artist for Ruptured Cistern game mode using UE4.

  • Project lead - Studied the existing project; Delegated tasks; Managed and guided team; Client, team, and cross-functional communication.

  • Owned level blockout, iteration, and polish from concept to release; Created all combat encounters; Implemented all gameplay elements.

  • Level artist from white box through polish; Directed other artists; Defined lighting themes; assisted with final lighting pass.

  • Reviewed and resolved all QA tickets with documentation.

  • Organized and directed optimizations; Achieved target performance on all platforms.

Summer at Catmai: Fishing Purrrfected (Cancelled) - Level Designer

  • Level designer for Devhouse original IP using Unity3D.

  • Establishing “what fun is” and player direction through level design and gameplay.

  • Building fun levels that support narrative needs through paper designs, blockmeshes, and iteration.

  • Creating and implementing level design processes to facilitate efficient design practices.

The Lunar Light: Discovery (PC-VR) - Technical Game Designer

  • Designed, developed, and implemented events and gameplay for a 10 person 1:1 interactive VR experience in UE5 using Blueprints.

  • Developed on actual hardware under real-world circumstances.

  • Collaborated with engineers and artists to enhance the experience.

Ronin Runner (Fortnite: 0533-7994-0371 ) - Level Designer, Level Artist

  • Created a PvE parkour-deathrun map in UEFN with unique locomotive challenges.

  • Developed gameplay using custom scripting in addition to UEFN features.

  • Level artist, directed other artists for creation of new assets and level art.

  • Create 3D assets, including UVs and textures.

  • Convert, edit, and optimize 3D assets across several 3D file types.

  • UV map and texture creation, editing topology with existing UV layouts.

  • Document product information and asset thumbnails for app use.

  • Ensure asset quality in Unity Engine, in accordance with provided guidelines.

Realize Design | 3D Artist

December 2021 - January 2023

PeopleFun | Associate Designer

June - December 2021

  • Designed, tested, and iterated unique levels for mobile Unity games.

  • Created experimental level ramps to “find the fun” in game mechanics.

  • Researched, conceptualized, and pitched new design documents and game systems.

  • Cross-functional communication, rapidly adapted to new projects and teams.

  • Maintained currency with industry competition.

Unannounced Mobile Game

Bricks N Balls (Android, iOS)

Fun and Games, LLC | Unannounced Mobile Game - Level Designer

December 2020 - June 2021

  • Designed, tested, and iterated original and unique levels.

  • Created experimental level ramps to “find the fun” in the game mechanics.

  • Researched, conceptualized, and pitched new game systems.

  • Prototyped new mechanics using pre-existing tools and mechanics.

  • Analyzed data funnels, insights, and other metrics for use in iterating, refining, and improving designs.

Me First Games | Level Designer

December 2019 - December 2020

Barrel Blast

  • Designed, tested, and iterated 47 original and unique levels using Unity engine.

  • Created level animations and implemented camera transitions.

  • Prototyped new mechanics using pre-existing tools and mechanics.

  • Tested and implemented new game mechanics.

Education

Collin College | AAS, Animation & Game Art

Graduated May 2020

Student Animators and Game Artists (S.A.G.A.) Member

Global Game Jam 2020 - 3D Artist - Shark Week Wizard