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Operation: Harsh Doorstop Khafaji environment

VIDEO GAMES · LEVEL DESIGN

Operation: Harsh Doorstop

Level-design work across Khafaji, Risala and Training Grounds—planned from real places, then shaped into spaces that play well.

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THE PROJECT

Three environments, built for play.

This work documents my contributions to Operation: Harsh Doorstop alongside another lead designer. It covers the journey from research and whitebox through to detailed, playable environments.

  • Pre-concept planning and real-world reference gathering
  • Whitebox, greybox and early layout work
  • Gameplay routes, sightlines and points of interest
  • Large-scale detail work with optimisation in mind

OPERATION: HARSH DOORSTOP

Khafaji

A 4 km × 4 km environment inspired by the real-world location in Saudi Arabia. The goal was to reduce its scale without losing the routes, landmarks and feel that make it work as a place.

Khafaji level design screenshot

BLOCK OUT

Start with the ground truth.

Street layouts and key points of interest were researched before the block out began. This gave the map a clear starting point for routes and landscape features, before detail work took over.

Khafaji block outKhafaji Google Earth referenceKhafaji gold pass

DETAIL PASS

From playable to lived-in.

Once the block out was proven in testing, the level moved into its detailing stages. New assets, materials and lighting were used to build a more realistic tone while keeping HLODs and performance central to the work.

Khafaji gold detail pass

OPERATION: HARSH DOORSTOP

Risala

A 2 km × 2 km level based on a location outside Fallujah. I led the early layout and first detail pass, then returned to bring the map to a playable, presentable standard.

Risala early buildRisala development buildRisala gold pass

Beginning with a simple colour layout, the environment was gradually populated with buildings, walls and paths. The aim was a grounded war environment with gameplay routes that remained fun to play throughout development.

When later theatres of war were introduced, the map was brought back into development for its final work. The images show the progress made over more than two years.

OPERATION: HARSH DOORSTOP

Training Grounds

A solo-built environment for learning weapons, vehicles and game mechanics. This project set a detail standard that would go on to influence the wider game.

Training Grounds screenshotTraining Grounds vehicle areaTraining Grounds gameplayTraining Grounds CQC arena

DEVELOPMENT FOOTAGE

See the build in motion.

You’re invited to play for free, experience the levels for yourself and get a real-world look at my levels in motion!

Play on Steam