CORNER CAFE
Corner Cafe is a cozy, narrative-driven co-op cafe sim set in a small seaside town in 1990s New England. I started building it while my cat was going through a terminal cancer diagnosis, and I wanted to spend my time in a space with no combat, no enemies, no fail states. Just routine, care, and the small rituals of being part of a town: running the cafe, getting to know the regulars, and showing up for your neighbors who need support but might be afraid to ask.
DESIGN
My level design emphasis was on interiors, town structure, and landscape composition. I focused on creating spaces that feel lived-in, memorable, and comforting. The town layout prioritizes walkability, clear landmarks, and spatial flow, encouraging exploration through curiosity.
I also developed supporting gameplay systems and technical tools to enable rapid iteration and quest completion testing, including:
Item holding, storage, and interaction flow
Coffee making & baking minigames
Bicycle traversal mechanics
Custom debug tools for item spawning, quest and narrative progression, and player teleportation
PLANNING
I grounded the town in real coastal New England, focusing mostly on Maine and Massachusetts. I used Google Maps and Earth, to study harbor placement, elevation change, and the way lighthouse towns are actually laid out. I wanted the geography to feel specific rather than generic: compact enough to stay readable, but with enough elevation and shoreline variation that it doesn't feel static, and built to support both solo exploration and shared co-op moments.
Tools Used
Unreal Engine 5.5.4
Autodesk Maya 2024
Adobe Photoshop