Caleb Wharton

Refinery

Lower Palace Overview

As the lead level designer on Infested, an innovative RTS/FPS hybrid infused with tower defense mechanics, I spearheaded the creation of dynamic, evolving outdoor battlefields in Unreal Engine 5, where players engage in asymmetrical warfare between elite Marines and a sprawling Fungi horde. Drawing from core gameplay pillars like real-time strategy command of AI swarms, pheromone-guided assaults, and modular building systems that repurpose destructible map assets, I crafted expansive environments that transform in real-time—lush terrains overtaken by bioluminescent fungal overgrowth, forcing adaptive player strategies amid verticality, chokepoints, and emergent cover. Leading a cross-functional team of 4-10 talented designers, artists, and programmers, I fostered collaborative Agile iteration cycles to balance tactical depth with visceral FPS action, ensuring levels supported diverse playstyles from turret fortification to hive-mind wall-crawling incursions, ultimately delivering immersive, replayable spaces that amplify the game’s tension between human ingenuity and organic infestation.

Level Tasks

  • Level Pre-Production/Planning
    • Blockout/Miro Board
  • Player Guidance
    • Leading Lines, Breadcrumbs, Lighting
  • Interactive Blueprint Design
  • Team Leader
    • Provide tasks, guidance, and assistance to cross-functional team working on the Refinery Map.
  • Collaborating with a mid-size cross functional team
  • Finalized Asset Implementation
  • Environmental Storytelling

Game Engine:

Unreal Engine 5.5

Project Duration:

7 Months (March ’25-Current)

Project Role:

Level Designer

Tools:

Unreal Engine
Niagara
Miro
Git

  1. Pre-Production
    1. Refinery Planning Board
  2. Level Design Analysis
    1. Landscaping
    2. Documentation & Collaboration
    3. Monthly Updates
    4. May 25′
    5. June 25′
    6. July 25′
    7. August 25′
Pre-Production
Refinery Planning Board
Level Design Analysis
Landscaping

In designing the large-scale landscapes for Infested‘s ‘Refinery’ map, I prioritized expansive outdoor battlefields in Unreal Engine 5 that utilize world partitioning and nanite for asset optimization. By incorporating verticality, chokepoints, and emergent cover from destructible assets, I crafted environments that adapt to asymmetrical warfare, supporting diverse tactics like Marine fortifications and Fungi hive-mind incursions.

Documentation & Collaboration


As a lead level designer for Infested, I guided a cross-functional team of 4-10 designers, artists, and programmers through collaborative workflows, utilizing Miro for visual brainstorming and prototyping of level layouts, Agile methodologies for iterative sprints and feedback loops, and Google Docs/Sheets for documenting design blueprints, asset pipelines, and balance metrics. This integrated approach ensured seamless communication, enabling rapid iteration on dynamic environments that evolved with gameplay mechanics like fungal overgrowth and asymmetrical combat, ultimately producing cohesive, high-fidelity levels that enhanced player engagement and strategic depth.

Monthly Updates
May 25′

Focused on the Whitebox and landscaping Process.

June 25′

Focused Greybox process and landscape refinement.

July 25′

Focused on Documentation and team onboarding.

August 25′

Focused on documentation and asset optimization.