Made by Hunter Tortorella - Game Designer and 3d Generalist

Don’t Look Down is my senior project and an ongoing work-in-progress — a physics-based climbing game set in a desolate, post-apocalyptic wasteland set in the future after a nuclear apocalypse. 

You play as a lone climber who has left behind their family in pursuit of an ancient belief: climb high enough, and you may uncover the truth about the world’s destruction.

As a game designer and 3D artist, I set out to create a project that challenges players mechanically while allowing me to highlight my strengths in worldbuilding, modeling, and texturing. 

Artistically, the game favors stylization over realism. Using hand-painted textures and Unity URP, I focus on expressive color, mood, and atmosphere rather than photorealistic detail. This approach lets me build environments that feel emotional and immersive while showcasing my background in 3D and 2D art. Ultimately, Don’t Look Down is more than a game prototype—it represents my belief that game design is a space where interactivity and visual storytelling can elevate each other. 

Core Features (Planned & In-Progress):

•  Physics-based climbing with left/right hand controls.

•  Stamina system — every move drains your endurance.

•  Interactive Camera system that responds to climbing.
  

•  Moving radioactive fog that suffocated the player. 

Development Blog (Devlog Updates)

This page will double as a development blog. I’ll be posting regular updates, prototypes, screenshots, and reflections as the project grows.

What's Done So Far!

• Tutorial Climbing gym in Unity 6 and Blender
• All low LOD levels finished 
• Basic stamina + climbing with IK hand snapping, feet snapping, and head moving
• Camera system with smooth zoom and transitions that react with climbing
• Early character model + mask + UVs finished in Blender 
• Character rigged 
• Main Screen + Win Screen + Lose Screen + Pause
• Cutscene animatics
• Dialogue System
• Finished beetle climbing system

What's Next?

• Piton and lunging-to-object system.
• Character texturing.
• Cutscenes and narrative sequences.
• Sound design.
• Additional polish, optimizations, and expanded content.