Platform:
Meta Quest
Meta Quest
Engine:
Unity
Unity
Duration:
<2 years
<2 years
Team Size:
10+
10+
Role:
Game Designer
Game Designer
Overview
Following my work on Lawn Mowing Simulator, I became the primary designer on Lawn Mowing Simulator VR, a ground-up reimagining of the original experience built specifically for virtual reality. Working alongside the Design Director, I helped establish the project's vision and was responsible for the design, implementation, and iteration of the majority of the game's mechanics, interactions, levels, onboarding experiences, and user-facing systems.
A core challenge of development was translating the relaxed, simulation-focused gameplay of the original title into an immersive VR experience. This required rethinking many existing mechanics while introducing new interactions that took advantage of VR hardware. Throughout development, I designed and refined systems such as mower maintenance, blade sharpening, vehicle repair, VR strimming, player controls, UI interactions, and a range of comfort features intended to reduce motion sickness and improve accessibility.
In addition to systems design, I was responsible for designing and iterating on every playable environment in the game, balancing vehicle behaviour and progression, developing tutorials and onboarding flows, and collaborating closely with artists, programmers, producers, and external VR specialists throughout development. The project required extensive playtesting and iteration, with many features undergoing multiple revisions as we refined the experience to meet the unique challenges and opportunities presented by virtual reality.
See below for a more detailed breakdown of my contributions throughout the project.
NOTE: All screenshots and videos reflect the work of the entire development team, including art, programming, audio, production, QA, and design.
Level Design
As the primary designer on Lawn Mowing Simulator VR, I was responsible for designing and iterating on every playable scene in the game. Unlike the original title, each environment needed to be built around the unique requirements of VR, with careful consideration given to player comfort, navigation, interaction density, and visual readability.
My role involved creating level layouts, defining mowing spaces, planning points of interest, and identifying opportunities for environmental interactions that would take advantage of the player's physical presence within the world.
Extensive playtesting and iteration were required to refine scene scale, mowing flow, interaction placement, and player guidance.
Vehicle Design & Balancing
A significant portion of development was dedicated to adapting the mower roster from the original game into a format that felt natural and satisfying in VR. I was responsible for designing and balancing vehicle behaviour, performance, and interactions, ensuring that each mower provided a distinct experience while remaining intuitive to operate using VR controls.
This involved tuning factors such as speed, handling, cutting efficiency, interaction complexity, and player comfort. Particular attention was given to maintaining the authenticity of operating professional mowing equipment while ensuring the experience remained accessible and enjoyable for players of varying familiarity with both VR and simulation games.
Mechanic Design
One of my primary responsibilities on Lawn Mowing Simulator VR was designing and refining the game's interactive systems and VR-specific mechanics. This included features such as blade sharpening, mower maintenance and repair using a vehicle lift, VR strimming, user interface interactions, and the game's control schemes.
As the project evolved, I also worked extensively on comfort and accessibility features designed to reduce motion sickness and improve the overall VR experience. Each mechanic underwent multiple rounds of iteration and playtesting to balance immersion, usability, and player comfort, ensuring that interactions felt engaging without becoming cumbersome or physically demanding during longer play sessions.
Gameplay Video/Trailer
Here is a gameplay video and trailer to illustrate what the final product looks like compared to the in-dev work I had a hand in designing and developing.