Might & Magic Heroes VII

Description

Might & Magic Heroes VII is a 2015 turn-based strategy game in the Heroes of Might and Magic series. Like the other games in the series, players control leaders with magical abilities termed as “heroes”, who recruit a variety of forces from strongholds. The heroes and their armies battle the opponents, who also use heroes to lead their forces. It features a campaign series of levels, standalone and multiplayer scenarios.

Responsibilities and Achievements

As a Senior Level Designer on Might & Magic Heroes VII and its Trial by Fire expansion, I was responsible for designing, implementing, and delivering both single player and multiplayer levels in Unreal Engine. I worked closely with Design, Narrative, Art, Programming and QA to create gameplay experiences that supported the game’s strategic, exploration and storytelling goals.

Level Design Ownership

Owned the full production of 3 single-player and 2 multiplayer levels, translating high-level concepts into finished gameplay experiences through layout design, pacing, mission and encounter scripting, lighting and atmosphere setup, environment dressing, narrative integration and final delivery.
Took ownership of 5 additional single-player levels following the departure of another level designer and guided them from greybox to final delivery.
Collaborated with the Narrative Team to ensure gameplay progression and storytelling were effectively supported through level layouts and player objectives.
Collaborated with QA to gather player feedback, identify gameplay issues, and translate findings into actionable design improvements.

Process & Workflow Improvements

Developed scripting guidelines that improved readability, maintainability, and cross-designer collaboration across the project’s mission scripting.
Collaborated with Engineering to improve level design tools and workflows.

Mentoring

Mentored 2 junior level designers through feedback sessions and day-to-day support.

Featured Work

Took ownership of the Haven campaign mission “The Blessings of Freedom” following the departure of another level designer, guiding it from an early blockout state through final delivery. The scenario combined narrative payoff, defensive gameplay, environmental interactions, and multiple simultaneous objectives, all supported by the carefully crafted atmosphere and environment storytelling.
- Community guides later described it as one of the most interesting and complex missions in the campaign.
- One of level’s area was also featured in Ubisoft’s official promotion materials for the game, including the Might & Magic Heroes VII 101 Trailer (the one at the top) and the European Launch Trailer.

Featured Work

The screenshots and video below showcase some of my work on Might & Magic Heroes VII.

Scenario Map | Shifting Dunes

I owned the full production of this mission transforming an initial half-page narrative brief into a fully realized gameplay experience. My responsibilities included designing the level layout, scripting the mission and encounters, defining environment vision that support the narrative, gathering visual references, establishing the lighting and atmosphere, doing environment dressing, and integrating narrative elements.

Initial Layout Design and Mood & Reference Board

Development Process of the Surface Level

Development Process of the Surface Level

Haven Campaign – Map 3 | The Blessing of Freedom

This mission was one of the most challenging scenarios created for the game from the gameplay, art and narrative point of view. It combines narrative payoff, strategic gameplay, multiple simultaneous objectives, and environment interactions. Achieving the right balance between gameplay, pacing, and storytelling required several major design iterations throughout development.

The screenshots below show early layout explorations created by previous level designers during the mission’s early development. These iterations helped establish the mission’s foundations before I took over ownership and continued its development toward the final shipped version.

Multiple iterations were also required to find the right balance of mood, readability, and visual storytelling, ultimately creating an atmosphere that reinforced the mission’s darker themes and emotional tone.

Finding the right visual reference proved instrumental in establishing the final mood of the level. The main visual reference image below closely matched the atmosphere I was aiming for and served as a key reference during the final lighting iterations. / Credit: “Le Royaume de Tobin” by Gary Jamroz-Palma.

Early Layout Explorations

The Main Visual Reference

The following screenshots showcase the level creation process as well as final lighting and atmosphere.

Playthrough of the mission

Necropolis Campaign – Mission 3 | The Wages of Secrecy

I owned the full production of this Necropolis campaign mission from early concept through final delivery including layout creation, mission and encounter scripting, lighting and atmosphere setup, environment dressing, and narrative integration.

The mission follows two Necropolis heroes infiltrating enemy territory in search of the powerful Deadwood Staff. From a gameplay perspective, the scenario was designed around player freedom and multiple approaches to progression.

The ground portion of the level features a semi-open-world structure that allows players to choose their own path toward the objective, whether through stealth, direct confrontation, or a combination of both. The second part of the mission takes place on floating islands guarded by Angels. This level focuses on puzzle-solving, requiring players to coordinate two heroes and outmaneuver superior enemy forces in order to reach the artifact.

One of the primary design challenges was balancing player freedom with mission pacing while maintaining a strong narrative arc. The level also required several takes on lighting and atmosphere to better support the infiltration theme and reinforce the contrast between Necropolis heroes, the Elven territories, and the celestial environments of the floating islands.

The screenshots below showcase the stages of the level’s creation process with my commentary on some of the design decisions.

The Ground Level Progress