*NOTICE: All tools, assets, and textures are property of Snail Games and their respected teams who worked on such materials*

Overview
The Shallows Biome was where I spent most of my time during Ark: Aquatica, and it became a deeply personal project for me. Although I joined the team after the reference gathering and grayboxing phases were complete, I jumped in during the early stages of set dressing and visual development. From that point on, I worked closely with my leads and the team to help shape the look, feel, and gameplay of the space. What started as a rough concept went through several major iterations before evolving into the sunken city ruins aesthetic you see in the final DLC.

My Design Process

Early on, I collaborated with my leads to define the visual direction of the biome. We explored different stylistic approaches, always asking: What story does this space tell, and how does it support gameplay? Through feedback loops and playtest-driven adjustments, we iterated on the biome’s identity until we found something that clicked—a forgotten, crumbling city overtaken by reef and time.

I was heavily involved in the transition toward the biome’s final aesthetic—one inspired by partially buried ruins, flooded temple corridors, overgrown sculptures, and broken remnants of ancient structures. I helped dress the environment with intentionality, layering in story elements that gave players a sense of mystery and scale. As we moved through each pass, I worked to find a balance between visual intrigue and player readability, ensuring the space looked stunning but also played well.

As the art direction came into focus, I focused on guiding player flow through environmental composition and traversal. I placed visual landmarks to help orient players underwater, created organic paths through coral-draped archways, and worked in verticality to encourage multi-directional movement.

In the final stages, I refined traversal routes, cleaned up collision, optimized performance, and helped ensure the biome integrated smoothly with the surrounding environments. Throughout, I remained focused on keeping the biome immersive without overwhelming the player.

Bringing the Shallows Biome to life was one of the most rewarding parts of my time on Ark: Aquatica. While I didn’t build it from scratch, I was proud to help shape its identity through close collaboration, iteration, and a shared creative vision.