Abo Khashem | Zack Davidson

Lead Designer

ROLE

2018

YEAR

GENRE

RPG

PLATFORMS

PlayStation, Xbox, PC

DESCRIPTION

Abo Khashem is a comedic role playing game, where after awaking in the middle of nowhere with amnesia, you try to piece together what happened to you. With your trusty lizard companion, the two of you must uncover a massive conspiracy involving a powerful monolith.

BUSINESS MANAGER

My Role: I designed and balanced the "Business Manager" system from concept to completion to serve as the game's primary economic engine and resource sink.

Problem: The core gameplay was intense and action-focused. We needed a contrasting system that would reward players for long-term strategic investment, break up the pacing, and create a compelling gold sink to balance the in-game economy.

My Solution: I designed a management simulation where players could purchase and upgrade businesses. The core design pillars were:

Meaningful Choices: Players had to balance hiring staff for revenue, managers for bonuses, and security to counter risks like theft and enemy faction takeovers.
Risk vs. Reward: Neglecting security would lead to losses, creating a dynamic tension that required the player's attention.
Economic Loop: The system allowed players to invest their combat earnings into a passive income stream, creating a satisfying long-term progression loop that fueled further adventures.

Outcome: The Business Manager became a fan-favorite feature, praised for adding strategic depth and a rewarding gameplay loop outside of the main combat. It successfully stabilized the late-game economy and increased long-term player engagement.

COMBO BUILDER

My Role: I designed the Combo Builder system to serve as the centerpiece of our combat, focusing on player expression and strategic depth.

Problem: Standard combat systems can feel restrictive. Our goal was to create a deeply personal combat experience that rewarded player investment and experimentation, moving beyond a single, predefined moveset.

My Solution: I designed an intuitive interface where players could unlock and equip individual attacks into custom combo chains. The core design pillars were:

Strategic Variety: I created distinct movesets for each weapon class (single-handed, two-handed, ranged) and worked with animators to ensure each attack was visually clear and impactful.
Meaningful Progression: I designed the unlock system, tying new move acquisition to leveling and in-game achievements. This created a compelling long-term reward loop for continued play.
System Balancing: I balanced the properties of each attack—such as damage, speed, and stun potential—to ensure a wide variety of combos were viable and to prevent a single "best" build from emerging.

Outcome: The Combo Builder was a major success, empowering players to create truly unique fighting styles. It dramatically increased the combat's strategic depth and became a core driver of long-term engagement, with players actively pursuing new moves to perfect their personal builds.

LEVEL DESIGN

My Role: As the designer of this climactic final level, my goal was to create a memorable and challenging ascent that would serve as a final test of the player's skills.

Problem: The stage needed to feel epic and demanding without causing excessive frustration that might prevent players from reaching the finale. The core challenge was to balance high-stakes tension with a difficulty curve that could adapt to players of all skill levels.

My Solution: I designed the level with two core pillars in mind:

High-Stakes Verticality: I designed the stage as a massive tower climb to create an imposing sense of scale. The platforming was deliberately high-consequence, where a missed jump could mean losing substantial progress. This maximized tension and made every movement feel critical. To manage this, I carefully placed checkpoints to reward players for mastering major sections.
Dynamic 'Streak' System: To ensure the level was challenging for everyone, I designed and implemented a dynamic difficulty system. Successfully navigating sections increased a player's 'streak,' which in turn ramped up enemy and trap intensity while boosting the quality of rewards. This created an addictive loop that rewarded skilled play, while failing would reset the streak, subtly easing the difficulty to prevent players from hitting a wall.

Outcome: The combination of high-stakes level architecture and dynamic difficulty resulted in a memorable final stage praised for its intense atmosphere. The 'streak' system successfully catered to a wide range of player skills, driving engagement and ensuring a high completion rate for the game's finale.

PHONE SYSTEM

My Role: I designed the in-game phone system to modernize quest delivery and deepen the player's connection with the game's characters.

Problem: Traditional quest systems with static NPCs and map markers can feel dated and break immersion. My goal was to create an organic, player-driven system that gave players total agency over when and how they engaged with side content.

My Solution: I designed a system centered around the player's in-game phone. The core design pillars were:

Player-Initiated Quests: Instead of hunting for quest-givers, I empowered players to text any NPC contact at any time to ask for side quests. This allowed them to engage with content at their own pace, from anywhere in the world.
Character-Driven Narrative: I collaborated with the narrative team to develop unique "texting personas" for every character, defining their individual voice, humor, and style. This made interactions feel personal and realistic, transforming NPCs from quest dispensers into believable contacts.
Deepening Immersion: Beyond quests, I implemented non-essential, comedic chat options. This allowed players to build rapport with characters, enhancing the world-building and making the cast more memorable.

Outcome: The phone system was a standout feature, praised by players for its modern feel and flexibility. It significantly increased engagement with side content and was celebrated for making the game's characters feel more alive and relatable, strengthening the player's overall immersion in the world.

INTERIOR DESIGNER

My Role: I designed the player housing and interior design system to provide a deep, creative outlet for players and a rewarding long-term progression goal.

Problem: In an action-heavy game, players need a compelling "downtime" activity to prevent burnout and foster a deeper connection to the world. My goal was to create a robust customization system that could serve as both a creative sandbox and a valuable currency sink.

My Solution: I designed the system with a focus on creative expression and ease of use. The core design pillars were:

Creative Freedom over Realism: I designed the object placement rules to be intentionally flexible. This empowered players to create unconventional and imaginative designs, prioritizing their creativity over strict physical limitations.
Intuitive Controls & UI: I designed the user interface to be simple and accessible, allowing players to easily select, place, and manipulate objects without a steep learning curve.
Economic Integration: I tied the system into the core game economy, creating a satisfying loop where players used their mission earnings to purchase new furniture and decorative items. This provided a strong incentive for continued play.

Outcome: The interior design feature became a highly engaging core loop, significantly increasing long-term player retention. It fostered a vibrant community of players sharing their unique creations online and provided a stable, long-term currency sink that helped balance the overall game economy.