Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream
Development length: 3.5 years
What I Did:
Level Design
VO Design
Technologies:
Unreal Engine 5
Reaper
About Eriksholm
A narrative-driven isometric stealth game set in a 1900s-inspired Nordic city. Players switch between three characters to uncover the truth behind a brother's disappearance, using stealth, puzzles, and unique abilities to outsmart enemies and alter the city's destiny.
My Role
I developed the Creative Director's concepts and mockups into functional blockout levels. This process was done in tandem with scripting using UE Blueprints and a custom NPC system. I collaborated closely with art, animation, and other disciplines to communicate needs and integrate their work into the level. The design was then refined through an iterative process based on ongoing playtest feedback.
I owned the Voice Over pipeline from pre-production to implementation. This involved providing narrative and implementation feedback on scripts, assisting the director in recording sessions by managing takes for gameplay needs, preparing actor scripts, and editing audio in Reaper. I then implemented the final VO and timed in-world subtitles in-engine, managing the workflow with the localization team.
Samples of my work
Mechanics with layers
During development, we had received feedback from playtesters that they were struggling with two puzzles in our games and subsequently a combination of two mechanics. Shadows that keep the player hidden and metal floors that make noise if players step on them. Even though this puzzle area started with the player shooting a guard holding a flashlight from the shadows, they did not register that they were in fact shooting safely from the shadows.
In our first iteration, the player was moving from safe spaces in the shadows and avoiding guards. The puzzle was a pure “pacifist” route, meaning they could not shoot any of the guards.
This lead to players misunderstanding that if they are hidden in the shadows, they can therefore shoot guards even though they are looking at their direction. If they had not understood this crucial mechanic, they were not able to solve the upcoming puzzle with two metal floors. Due to the players not being able to fully grasp one mechanic, it led to them not being able to conceptualize that the metal floor could be used as a lure.
Iterating on the design
My goal was to make sure that players would fully understand the shooting-from-the-shadow-mechanic together with using the metal floor as a lure.
I started out by creating two paths. One was blocked by an unshootable guard, the other by a metal floor. While the metal floor was a static object, the guard was a dynamic obstacle. If the player could somehow manipulate the position of the guard, it could provide an opening. I purposefully wanted the player to just try and see what happens if they step on the metal floor, by giving them a shadow area closeby. The goal was to have the player then realize that the guard had now moved to a new position during its investigation.
In the final version, I move the shadow area to be directly in the player’s path if they moved towards the metal floor. It was to make sure that they would be guaranteed to be presented all pieces of the puzzle. Having the shadow area in the corner caused situations were the players stumbled upon the solution, because their path did not lead them there.
Double trouble
When the players then approached the double metal puzzle, my gut feeling told me that we didn’t need to change that much in this puzzle. I added a simple construction light that could be turned off by the player. Without creating too much repetition of the previous puzzle, I wanted the player to feel like they were manipulating both NPCs and the environment to their benefit.
The puzzle was solved by doing the following steps:
1) Eliminate a guard to access a light switch,
2) Turn off a light to create a shadow,
3) Use the other metal floor to lure a second guard away from his patrol route, and
4) Use the newly created shadow to hide during the investigation. The final twist creates tension: the guard becomes suspicious of the dark area and must be sedated before he investigates with his flashlight.
This progression taught players to master the mechanics by observing, planning and executing a sequence of actions under time pressure.
Miner’s Code
As the player ventures through the mines, they encounter a written language known as Miner’s Code.
A Universual Language
My Goal was to design a diegetic puzzle system that players must learn through gameplay. I wanted it to reinforce the narrative danger of the mines and functioning as a logical puzzle language.
As a team we created a visual language of symbols representing directions (Left, Right, Up, Down) and states (Good, Not Good). The grammar followed a simple, mathematical logic (e.g., "Left Is Not Good").
To maintain challenge, I introduced a numeric system (inspired by the Kensington Runestone). This allowed me to create more complex conditional statements like "2nd Right, Left is Good," requiring players to combine their understanding of symbols and logic.
The Finale: The system culminated in a deduction based lever puzzle. Players were presented with levers marked with unfamiliar numbers. Using known number symbols and the logic they'd mastered, they could infer the values of the new symbols and solve the final puzzle, providing a satisfying end.
This taught players to become adept at parsing and applying a new set of rules, creating a unique and memorable problem solving loop.
Right Is Good
Down Is Not Good
Ring Around The Rosie
The goal with this puzzle was to do something new with dragging bodies. Up to this point, dragging bodies was simply a means to move them from an exposed location. Our Creative Director had expressed a desire to explore a puzzle where the player had to hide from guards, while dragging a body. Movement while dragging a body was purposefully clunkier and slower. This could be used as a rehash of our ordinary sneaking-around-puzzles. but that the player was temporarily weakened.
In order to keep the player moving, I devised a puzzle that would keep pushing the player into certain zones. The premise was that they would deem an area to be safe at first, but then the investigating guard would come closer and make the player realize that they would be spotted. I wanted to create tension that would make the player have to juggle areas becoming closed and open by watching two guards.
Step 1
The player realizes that the body will be spotted and starts to drag it. The upper area, zone B, is tempting, but is guarded by the purple guard. They have to instead drag it downwards to a more ambiguous and seemingly unsafe place. The guards keep yelling, wondering where “Jimmy” is, who is in fact being dragged around by the player.
Step 2
As the player is waiting in relative danger in zone A, the blue guard makes a turn downwards. At the same time the purple guard who was previously looking down at zone B moves from his location. This gives the player a window of opportunity to move towards the previously unsafe zone. The guards keep yelling to give feedback that they are still looking for him.
Step 3
For the final move, the blue guard moves upwards. This forces the player to move out into the dangerous corridor, trying to keep an eye on both guards as they try to figure out where to drag Jimmy’s body. This leads them to a new area, zone C, which the blue guard has passed.
Voice Over Design
I owned the voice over pipeline from pre-production to final in engine implementation for Eriksholm. My role was to merge the narrative and gameplay experience through audio. This encompassed script collaboration, record session support, editing and mastering in Reaper, and managed collaboration with animation and localization teams. I implemented over 6,000 assets, ensuring every line of dialogue supported both the story and the player's interaction with the world.
Script Supervision
I collaborated with the Writer and Creative Director on script feedback, ensuring dialogue supported gameplay branching. In later production stages, I assumed ownership of the script, managing all changes, documentation, and version control. Before recording, I used AI tools like ElevenLabs with level designers to create temp VO for a more accurate representation of the end result.
Recording Sessions
I supported the Creative Director in recording sessions by tracking recorded material. I provided performance feedback based on gameplay needs and requested alternate takes to ensure coverage. To aid performances, I prepared pre-recorded lines from other actors for them to react against.
Audio Editing
I edited all raw VO assets in Reaper, focusing on pacing and intentional pauses to achieve naturalistic performances. I split each level into discrete Reaper projects. This modular approach accommodated unpredictable recording schedules and allowed me to deliver finished audio to the sound team continuously.
Collaboration & Implementation
I worked with animators to guide character performances, communicating narrative context and desired body language. Leveraging my role as a Level Designer, I handled all technical implementation, from simple triggers to complex, scripted sequences. I also managed all in-world subtitle timing and provided context notes to translators for narrative consistency.
Summary
I implemented over 6,000 VO files, including cinematic dialogue, barks, player reactions, and NPC one liners. I found the process deeply rewarding and thoroughly enjoyed the close collaboration with other disciplines, including animators, actors, and sound designers.
“Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream sets an impressively high bar from the opening moments and consistently maintains it throughout the experience. It perfectly caters to fans of both stealth mechanics and narrative-driven games, delivering exceptional quality in both aspects.”
9.5/10 – GameSpace
“It’s easily one of the most enjoyable games I’ve played this year and a welcomed reminder that creativity and talent can still find a platform to shine within our troubled industry.”
9/10 – GamingBible
Metacritic score: 78
Steam reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive
Playstation Score: 4.83