Fire Raiders is a third person action adventure game where you play as Nuri, a rookie firefighter. Blending platforming, firefighting, and puzzle solving, the game turns emergency response into superhero action. Rendered in a bold comic book style, the game features stylized shaders, exaggerated sound effects, and expressive animation to bring every moment to life. Nuri’s extinguisher-powered jetpack lets players soar across rooftops and dive through smoke-filled hallways, adding verticality and momentum to classic platforming. But firefighting is not just about putting out flames. Players must sometimes start controlled fires to clear debris, activate systems, or create new paths, making each level a reactive and strategic space. Fire Raiders was inspired by my childhood heroes, firefighters and Spider-Man, and combines the excitement of superhero games with the real-world courage of first responders.

Fire Raiders

2025

    • Producer

    • Designer

    • Creative Direction

    • Unreal

    • Blender

    • Motion Builder

    • Motive

    • Procreate

    • Rive

DEVELOPMENT

DESIGN

As the lead designer on Fire Raiders, I created and documented the game’s full gameplay loop, resource systems, level structure, and player objectives. The core loop tasks players with rescuing civilians, solving environmental puzzles, managing limited extinguisher fuel, and navigating fire-filled platforming levels using a jetpack. I designed clear win and lose conditions. Using these design flows as guidelines, I started developing prototypes for the game’s interaction system, building a foundation that was easily scalable to content that would later be added to the game

As the lead designer on Fire Raiders, I created and documented the game’s full gameplay loop, resource systems, level structure, and player objectives. The core loop tasks players with rescuing civilians, solving environmental puzzles, managing limited extinguisher fuel, and navigating fire-filled platforming levels using a jetpack. I designed clear win and lose conditions, along with collectible-based rewards to encourage exploration and replayability.

I developed the fire system that allows fire to spread across surfaces, damage objects, and be extinguished by player actions or environmental tools such as sprinklers. I also designed puzzles and level elements around both the jetpack flight system and the interactive fire mechanic, encouraging players to make meaningful decisions about when to burn, when to fly, and when to save resources.

I developed the game’s fire system, allowing the players to extinguish and spread fires, as well as a scalable damage system for both objects and humans to get damaged. I started by prototyping damage and fire systems onto primitive objects then developed a particle effect that made the fire feel both tangible and eye-catching. I then developed the civilian rescue system, where players could pick up a civilian and deliver them to a safe zone. The “timer” of the level was a smoke meter the player had to manage, making sure to either save the civilian fast or intentionally put out fires and open windows so the room doesn’t become filled with smoke.

I developed the movement system for the character after establishing the interaction system of the world. The movement system utilizes double jumps, found in many action games that emphasize acrobatics. The movement system also utilizes the jetpack, a resource tied to the extinguisher, forcing the players to make intentional decisions that weigh their traversal and their fire-fighting (or fire-burning). Using Animation Blueprints, I tuned the jetpack, jumping, and ground locomotion to flow smoothly between different states, especially since the game requires fast response time and decision making. Through playtesting and feedback, I iterated on the movement system to feel bouncy and heroic.

In order to establish the bold comic-book aesthetic and wacky tone of the game, I developed shaders that create visual styles that mimic print textures and lighting. The first step was to create a cel shader, making the colors in the scene look painted. The next was making an outline shader that emphasized the hand-drawn feel of comic books. After combining the two effects I wanted to add a finishing touch to highlight in the way classic comics do, using halftones to give a print-like effect to the overall piece.

For the levels, each section had to utilize the player’s traversal mechanics and offer them choices on how to approach situations. Each level is designed so the player can make their own decisions about how to manage rising smoke, their traversal abilities, and how to handle obstacles. The levels reflect the main theme of the game, “Doing good for others is more important than how you do good”. By designing levels around the singular objective of saving people, the player can utilize their own play style to do that. Some players may try to finish levels as fast as they can before the smoke rises, while others will open all the windows to account for hazards before approaching. Obstacles created to be burned also emphasizes the rebellious nature of the game, breaking the mold of what firefighter are supposed to do, but also reinforcing that helping people is the top priority.

PRODUCTION

As the producer on Fire Raiders, I oversaw all aspects of project planning, team coordination, and stakeholder communication for the game’s development. I managed multiple contributors, assigning tasks and maintaining clear pipelines through organized backlogs and sprint planning. I created a detailed roadmap outlining key milestones, deliverables, and internal deadlines to guide the team through production.

I developed pitch decks that presented the game’s aesthetics, core gameplay, and design philosophy, which were used to align contributors and communicate the vision to stakeholders. My backlogs broke down each major feature into actionable tasks across design, art, and programming, ensuring efficient collaboration and clear ownership.

Throughout development, I managed budgets for assets, contributors, and showcase materials. I also worked closely with the sound team to direct music and sound effects that matched the tone and gameplay needs of each level, and sourced voice talent to bring key characters and in-game moments to life.

To support iteration and polish, I organized and facilitated multiple playtesting sessions, recording feedback and sharing actionable insights with the design team. I also maintained communication with stakeholders throughout development, providing regular updates and ensuring that expectations were met across each phase of production.

Creative Direction

As the creative director on Fire Raiders, I shaped the game’s bold comic book visual identity. I developed a cohesive art direction that brought together stylized shaders, expressive animation, and playful visual effects to create a world that felt energetic, colorful, and alive. I made sure that all visual elements, from user interface to environmental art, reinforced the game’s superhero tone and aesthetic. I used player feedback to inform how visual designs communicated information to the player. I developed UI and Menu screens to increase feedback to player actions.

I choreographed character animations that were captured through motion capture and implemented into gameplay, giving player movement and cutscenes a sense of cinematic flair. I storyboarded and animated 3D cutscenes, created animatics to guide pacing, staging, and tone, and brought those scenes directly into the game engine. I also worked with voice talent, a 2D animator, and sound designer to create 2D cutscenes that will play between sections to give narrative exposition.