Systems, Worlds & Creator Tools
Josh Knipstein
Game Design Lead
Hi, I'm Josh, a Game Design Lead with 8+ years across gameplay, level, and systems design. I've led teams, built worlds players want to get lost in, and shipped everything from open-world MMO content to VR party games. What I care about most is simple: make it fun, and build a team that does its best work getting there.
LEAD DESIGNER
Gameplay Design
level & World Design
system Design
Selected Work
Unreal Engine 5 • MMORPG • UGC
AVALON
(2022-2026)
Lead Game Designer
An MMORPG built with the exact same tools we gave players to build it.
Contributions
Design owner for Creator Mode, Avalon's player-facing build toolset, and lead world designer on Elysara, a 6 km² world built entirely with those same tools.
Unity • PCVR • Battle Royale
Virtual Battlegrounds
(2018-2020)
Level Designer
A VR battle royale built from the ground up for VR. Featuring tactical gun-play, an epic map, and locomotion controls.
Contributions
Level designer who built most of the map's major locations from blockout to final implementation, and designed the zipline traversal network that became a signature mechanic.
ABOUT ME
The short version
Eight years across AA and indie, most recently leading design on Avalon. I've led teams through world builds and full game loops, designed levels and systems built to be genuinely fun to play, and shipped on PC, PC VR, and Quest.
I started as a level design intern on a VR battle royale and got hired off the strength of one POI. Since then I've led teams and mentored designers everywhere I've gone, and that's a part of the job I care about as much as the design itself.
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More on how I work on the about page.
What I'm Looking For
Lead or senior gameplay and level design work, on a team building games people genuinely want to play.
Bronze
Steam Best of VR 2020, Virtual Battlegrounds
3 Shipped
PC VR, Quest, and PC MMORPG (closed alpha)
UCF
B.A. Digital Media, Game Design · Best Game Designer 2018