MergeCrafter: Magic Merge World

Creative Lead / Game Designer

MergeCrafter is a mobile puzzle game that combines the satisfying mechanics of merging with the charm of crafting and resource management. Players explore a whimsical world by merging items to discover new tools, buildings, and treasures, all while expanding their land and uncovering hidden secrets. With its intuitive gameplay, relaxing pace, and enchanting aesthetic, MergeCrafter quickly became a hit, amassing over 10 million downloads and maintaining a 4.4-star rating on the Google Play Store. The game has been praised for its accessibility and depth, appealing to a wide range of players.

As a key Creative Designer and Leader, I was instrumental in shaping the core identity and player experience of MergeCrafter. From early concept development to live operations, I worked on establishing the game’s core mechanics, designing engaging progression systems, and creating a cohesive aesthetic. I collaborated with artists, developers, and stakeholders to ensure the game delivered a polished and addictive experience. My involvement also extended to marketing and community engagement, helping to establish MergeCrafter as a top-tier mobile game.

​​​

Game Design:

• Designed and balanced the core merging mechanics, ensuring an intuitive and rewarding gameplay loop.

• Developed over 150 quests and achievements, creating engaging goals that enhanced player retention.

• Crafted a progression system that balanced accessibility for casual players with depth for more engaged audiences.

• Conceptualized and designed themed biomes, unique landmarks, and visual storytelling elements that enriched the game world.

• Designed and balanced monetization systems, offers, and upsells based on the freemium model.

• Balanced and refined the pacing of land expansion and unlockables to keep players engaged and motivated.

• Designed most of the game's UI systems including the in-game Shop, Premium Shop, Crafting Table, Camp Progression (Quests), Enchantment, Reforging, Elder Seeds, Daily Quests, Special Events and worked with artists to bring them up to a polished state

• Designed the procedural dungeon puzzle system

• Designed major content expansions from concept to release, including the 2.0 - "Age of Invention" update

• Designed 5 special events which rotate weekly and introduce new mechanics and a battle pass with rewards (Merge-A-Thon, Critter Craze, Dragon Eggscavation, Treasure Haunt, and Dungeon Delver).

My Contributions

Playtesting and Feedback:

• Conducted extensive playtesting to optimize difficulty curves and identify pain points.

• Collected and analyzed user data to inform decisions on economy balancing and game feel improvements.

• Worked closely with the team to iterate on user onboarding and tutorials for maximum clarity and engagement.

Marketing and Outreach:

• Produced and edited high-quality trailers and promotional content to showcase the game’s charm and features.

• Contributed to creating impactful app store visuals and descriptions, boosting downloads and player retention.

• Helped monitor community feedback and adapt live operations to player needs and preferences.