RICHARD PAU LEVEL DESIGNER
Level Designer | Environment Artist | Design Mentor
12+ Years of AAA Experience at Crystal Dynamics
"I architect future-proof level frameworks and high-fidelity player experiences by bridging the gap between technical systems and environmental storytelling. Beyond owning the end-to-end design of 20+ side tombs, I am dedicated to cross-discipline collaboration and mentoring junior talent into Senior leadership roles to ensure stuido-wide production excellence."
Professional Work
Resume/Contact Info
WORK EXPERIENCE
Level Designer II | Crystal Dynamics | [ Tomb Raider Catalyst ] 2022 – 2025
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Strategic Vision & Pipeline Optimization: Spearheaded the standardization of gameplay metrics and validation workflows, resulting in a 50% reduction in reported gameplay bugs and significantly reduced iteration time
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Future-Proofed Level Production: Owned the end-to-end design for 20+ side tombs, delivering 5 to Alpha quality prior to the first vertical slice production milestone
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Mechanical Innovation: Prototyped and scripted 30+ unique puzzle objects, allowing developers to dynamically scale puzzle difficulty and variety
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Documentation & Alignment: Authored comprehensive design documentation, including top-down flow maps and object behavior specs, to align Engineering, Art, and Animation teams
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Team Collaboration: Fostered a collaborative environment by establishing peer-review sessions that encouraged cross-disciplinary ownership and resource sharing
Level Designer I | Crystal Dynamics | [ Marvel’s Avengers / Shadow of the Tomb Raider ] 2016 – 2021
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Live Service & Combat Design: Designed multiplayer objectives and layouts for live-service updates, focusing on player retention and cooperative mechanics
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System Stress-Testing: Prototyped early combat encounters to stress-test AI behaviors, defining best practices for the combat design team
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Technical Implementation: Collaborated with Engineering to implement and showcase new water physics technology within complex side-tomb puzzles
Environment Artist | Crystal Dynamics | [ Rise of the Tomb Raider / Lara Croft Temple of Osiris ] 2013 – 2016
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Modular Construction: Partnered with Level Design to create the "Kitesh" city modular kit, enabling the assembly of the entire game hub
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Mentorship: Mentored several junior developers who eventually progressed to Senior roles leading their own teams
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Future-Proofing: Established modular building techniques that became key technical pillars for future studio projects
SKILLS & TOOLS
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Core Skills: Level Design, Visual Scripting, White boxing, Pacing, Encounter Design, Modular Kit Construction
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Software: Unreal Engine 5, Horizon 2, Maya, Perforce, Jira, Confluence, majority of Adobe multi-media
EDUCATION
The Art Institute of California Los Angeles 2011
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Bachelor of Science in Game Art & Design
AWARDS
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Outstanding Achievement in Game Art and Design
Professional Summary
Level Designer with over12 years of experience at Crystal Dynamics. A rare hybrid of Level Design and Environment Art, I bridge the gap between aesthetic beauty and mechanical "flow". I specialize in "Future-Proof Design" architecting modular level frameworks that survive major mechanical pivots and production shifts. From spearheading 14 day "Vertical Slice" sprints to define traversal standards to mentoring cross-discipline teams in the art of sbterranean world-building, I deliver"Gold Standard" player experiences that are technically stable and emotinoally resonant.
Core Competencies
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Design Specialty: Systems-Driven Level Design, Pacing & Flow, Encounter Design, Modular Kit Construction
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Technical Tools: Unreal Engine 5, Horizon 2, Maya, Perforce, Jira, Confluence
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Pipeline & Quality: Achieved a 50% reduction in gameplay bugs by architecting standarized validation workflows and data-driven metrics
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Cross-Discipline Collaboration: Leveraged Confluence and Miro to align Engineering, Art, and Animation on production dependencies and object behavior specs
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Leadership: Mentoring Junior Developers to Senior Roles, Stakeholder Management, Cross-Discipline Feature Ownership