TeamCitrine Laser Research Center
One-Month Beta Build
Unreal Engine Level Design • Blueprint Puzzle Systems • Combat Encounters
A sci-fi research facility level built as part of a school team project, focused on environmental storytelling, combat pacing, item-based progression, and a custom laser reflection puzzle system.
Project Overview
TeamCitrine Laser Research Center is a playable sci-fi level developed from blockmesh through beta as part of a one-month team production cycle. The level combines exploration, combat encounters, locked progression, interactive props, and puzzle systems that require the player to read the space and understand how the mechanics connect.
My primary focus was gameplay mechanics, Blueprint logic, technical puzzle implementation, validation, and supporting the transition from early blockout to finalized assets. The centerpiece of the project is the reactor room laser puzzle, where the player uses mirror reflection logic to redirect active beams through the environment and trigger receiver-based progression.
Overview
These overview captures show the larger level layout, room-to-room progression, and how the major spaces connect before focusing on individual mechanics and screenshots.
A top-down view of the full TeamCitrine level layout, showing how the major spaces connect across the research center.
The starting area introduces the player to the facility, establishes the visual direction, and begins guiding them into the main progression path.
The collapsed laser gallery creates a stronger sense of environmental damage while supporting the level flow toward the puzzle-focused spaces.
The reactor room serves as the final major puzzle space, bringing the laser mechanics and research-center theme together for the end sequence.
Gameplay Showcase Clips
These short muted clips highlight two of the major interactive systems: the rolling vault door assembly and the reactor laser puzzle.
Rolling Door Mechanic
Reactor Laser Puzzle
Alpha to Beta Visual Progression
Side-by-side level-flow screenshots showing the project from early alpha blockmesh planning through the beta asset pass. The left column shows the alpha blockmesh captures, while the right column shows the beta screenshots with final assets, lighting, and polish.
Alpha Blockmesh
Beta Asset Pass
Featured Technical Systems
Laser Reflection System
The reactor room uses a custom Blueprint laser system that continuously traces beam paths, detects mirror hits, calculates reflection angles, draws multiple beam segments, and activates receiver targets in real time.
Receiver-Based Progression
Laser receivers drive puzzle progression by sending activation states to connected targets such as med cabinets, locks, and final puzzle systems.
Rolling Door Assembly
The vault-style rolling door combines interactable mechanisms, lock states, and animated movement to create a more physical progression gate.
Fail-Safe Puzzle Recovery
The final laser puzzle includes a silent timer-based fail-safe that can spawn enemies and provide an alternate recovery path through a LockPick and carryable mirror.
Development Workflow
The project was developed using Unreal Engine Blueprints and Perforce revision control. I worked through puzzle implementation, asset validation, placed actor updates, package testing, path cleanup, bug fixing, and submit organization throughout the beta process. A major lesson from the project was the importance of keeping cooked paths, string tables, level loading logic, and project-wide cleanup changes aligned.
Reflection
This project was a strong step forward in building gameplay systems inside a team environment. The laser and mirror puzzle system was the most technically ambitious part of my contribution, but the overall experience also taught valuable lessons about level polish, source control, packaged builds, asset organization, and designing mechanics that support both challenge and player recovery.