About Me

My name is Nikita Shershakov, and I am Level Designer with 4 years of professional experience. I specialize in creating levels that not only highlight the core mechanics of the game but also provide deep immersion through emotional interaction with the environment. My approach includes structured design — from concept to final implementation, with playtesting, balancing, and analysis.


I use level design principles that help players navigate easily, avoid cognitive overload, and clearly understand the level’s goals. In my work, I focus on making each level interesting and telling a story through details in the environment, such as light, shapes, and color.

I pay close attention to working with the team, including programmers and artists, to make sure mechanics work as intended. I’m always ready to analyze my work, take feedback, and make improvements to enhance game feel and keep the player in the flow.

I’m inspired by designers like Mikhail Kadikov (Hunt: Showdown), Steve Lee (BioShock Infinite, Dishonored 2), and Donald Norman (The Design of Everyday Things), whose work helps me create game spaces that are not only functional but also fun to explore.  


About me. Nikita Shershakov — Level Design

Professional Experience

🎮 Level Designer / Game Designer
Experience: 4 years | Unity, ProBuilder, Visual Scripting (Playmaker), Notion.

I started my career in the industry as a 3D artist but quickly transitioned into level design, working in a small team where I could take full ownership of gameplay spaces. Over the past few years, I’ve designed and shipped more than a dozen levels for projects like STAR: Super Tricky Amazing Run,  Monster Puzzle Adventure, Epic Race 3D — Parkour Game, Fun Race 3D — Run and Parkour and Run Race 3D — Fun Parkour Game handling everything from concept to final implementation.

Later, I took on a broader role as both Game and Level Designer on mobile games (Epic Race, Run Race, Fun Race). There, I was responsible for designing new levels, Designing AI behavior, balancing levels, and analyzing player data to iterate and improve core gameplay. I developed a ranking system for bots and reworked level flow and a level funnel to strike a better balance between challenge and fun—resulting in improved player retention and LTVs.

In my spare time, I actively prototype new ideas in Unity, participate in game jams (placed 3rd out of 32, with awards for originality and fun factor with the “Kaiju Harvester” Project), and build levels focused on pacing, gameplay variation, and emotional beats.

In the future, I aspire to work on action-adventure games that prioritize atmosphere, timing, and storytelling through level design—similar to the experiences offered in The Last of Us, INSIDE, or Hitman, where each space feels alive and full of narrative potential.

  Hard Skills (Professional Tasks I Can Perform)  

  • Designing and iterating game levels with a focus on goals, pacing, and cognitive load from concept to final playtesting  
  • Prototyping gameplay mechanics and puzzles 
  • Balancing level difficulty and progression  
  • Designing AI behavior  
  • Analyzing gameplay metrics and player behavior data  
  • Using environment design to deliver narrative and emotional impact (environmental storytelling) 
  • Design obstacles and navigation challenges
  • Communicating design ideas through documentation and visual references
  • Delivering effective design solutions under game jam conditions (tight time/resources)  

My favorite games and why I like them 

Inside
I love how this game tells a deep story without using any words. The puzzles are smart and fun, and the player always understands what to do next. It has a great atmosphere and a very strong ending. The level design guides the player naturally, which is something I really admire.

 
Stray
A small but beautiful game with creative level design and puzzles. I enjoy the way the world feels alive, and how moving through it is both relaxing and interesting. The environments tell a story, and the gameplay is simple but engaging.

 
Games by Naughty Dog 
This studio is a master of pacing and flow. The player always knows what to do and feels motivated to move forward. I love how they use level design to show emotions and build strong moments. It’s very hard to analyze these levels because they pull you into the flow so well — that’s a true sign of great design. I would love to work on a project like this one day.


Hitman (latest trilogy) 
Hitman is a perfect example of open-ended level design. I love how designers leave small “breadcrumbs” in the world — hints and clues that make you want to try things out and see what happens. The division of spaces into public and private areas creates natural tension and curiosity. After playing Hitman, I started seeing real-life locations differently — I now look at restricted areas and wonder what’s behind them, just like in the game. That feeling of freedom and creative choice is very powerful. This is the kind of design I hope to achieve in future projects.  


Dishonored
I really enjoy the non-linear level design in this game. It gives players a lot of freedom to choose how they want to play — stealth or action, different paths, different outcomes. I admire how each mission supports many creative solutions.