In 2025, I left our internal R&D project and joined the Disney Magic Match team as Lead Designer, now focusing on content from Disney and Pixar film franchises. My role shifted from features and sales to content and live ops as I helped the team prepare for global launch. As with Emoji Blitz, my role includes further aspects of design leadership and mentorship, promoting continued education for the design team.

Game Overview

Disney Magic Match 3D is Jam City’s flagship 3D item matching title. As Lead Designer, I work with the level design team and oversee Disney IP integrations across the title. I manage the end-to-end content production lifecycle for levels and items, establish level design standards, script all major Enchanted Levels, and serve as the final design gatekeeper for levels and items added to the live game.

1) Strategic IP Alignment & Research

Items & Levels Pipeline

To maintain a high-volume live service pipeline while preserving top-tier IP quality, I defined with production a rigorous 8-stage production framework for every 50-level content release:

Working alongside the Director of Product, Senior Producers, and Design Manager, I align content roadmaps with quarterly business goals and real-world Disney marketing synergies (e.g., launching Moana 2 levels alongside theatrical releases, or introducing Mickey's Christmas Carol for holiday events).

2) Ludonarrative Extraction

Before designing a level package, I conduct deep narrative studies of the selected Disney or Pixar film. I map out iconic scenes, musical sequences, props, and character beats, converting narrative moments into Enchanted Levels (milestone thematic levels) and extracting up to 30 potential items per IP.

3) Curation & Cross-Functional Alignment

4) Item Definition & Asset Briefing

While awaiting licensor feedback, I build the art tracking cards in Airtable. I author detailed design briefs specifying things such as object scale, silhouette readability, physical weight, tray collision bounds, and mechanical goals

7) Collaborative Level Scripting

I personally design the game's Enchanted Levels, while co-authoring the remaining 45 levels in the package alongside our Senior Level Designer. Level parameters—such as item counts, layer depths, and timer limits—are authored in Airtable before importing into Unity.

Collaborating with Art Managers and Concept Artists, I trim the initial item pool down to ~15 core game items and 5 Enchanted Levels. I then author comprehensive design decks outlining visuals, gameplay goals, and narrative hooks, leading reviews across internal leadership and routing specs to Disney for franchise approval.

5) Unity Integration & Spatial Setup

Once 3D models are delivered by art, I then work with tech art to integrate the items directly into Unity. This involves setting pivot points to control how items settle in dynamic piles, configuring color/texture variants, and calibrating tray-holding slot alignments and goal rotation placements.

6) Theming & Level Typology Scripting

Prior to layout design, I script the high-level flow of the 50-level block. Level types include:

Enchanted Levels: Narrative-driven, Disney IP levels featuring bespoke film assets and new item objectives.
Thematic Levels: Standard levels with a range of IPs that focus on specific themes, such as surfing or forest animals.
Spotlight Levels: Levels that are designed to showcase newly unlocked items.
Gameplay Levels: Baseline mechanics-focused levels designed to include things like color-based gameplay or similar shape-based gameplay,
Intro Levels: Levels that introduce a new package of items, featuring most of the newly unlocked items.

8) Playtesting, Analytics, & Velvet-Rope Tuning

The level design team executes rigorous desktop playtesting across every stage. We track completion times, tray overflow frequency, remaining time-to-item ratios, and failure states to tune win-rate curves before live deployment. The design team collaborated with Jam City Central Tech to build an automated AI level-testing tool, allowing us to simulate thousands of playthroughs to evaluate win-rate curves, player pinches, and difficulty spikes prior to live deployment.

Spatial Mechanics & Difficulty Balancing Framework

Transitioning from 2D grid-based match games to a dynamic 3D physics space requires managing cognitive load, visual noise, and physical spatial depth. The game’s difficulty is structured around four player-facing tiers: Normal, Hard, Very Hard, and Mega Hard.

Easier Levels - Steak Building

High Time-to-Item Ratio.
Single-Layer Piles.
High Variety and Contrast
Minimal Decoy and Hard-to-tap items.

Harder Levels - Overfill & Loss

Lower Time-to-Item Ratio.
Multi-Layer Depth & Hidden Sets.
Monochromatic / High-Noise piles.
Decoys, Hard-to-Tap Items.

Spatial Layering & Trapping Mechanics

Single-Layer vs. Multi-Layer Piles

Easy levels present items in a flat, spread-out pile. Harder levels utilize deep, multi-layer stacking where items are buried based on physics mass and spawn order.

Split-Set Trapping

A common design trick includes hiding incomplete item sets across distinct spatial depth layers. For example, placing 2 target items in the top layer and burying the 3rd item at the very bottom of the pile. Players are tempted to place the first 2 items into their 7-slot holding tray, only to realize the 3rd item is inaccessible—forcing tray overflow and driving losses.

Visual Ergonomics & Cognitive Load

Monochromatic Palette Pinch

Easy levels present items in a flat, spread-out pile. Harder levels utilize deep, multi-layer stacking where items are buried based on physics mass and spawn order.

Decoys & Hard-to-Tap Geometries

A common design trick includes hiding incomplete item sets across distinct spatial depth layers. For example, placing 2 target items in the top layer and burying the 3rd item at the very bottom of the pile. Players are tempted to place the first 2 items into their 7-slot holding tray, only to realize the 3rd item is inaccessible—forcing tray overflow and driving losses.

Monetization Alignment & Velvet Rope Design

We employ a velvet-rope difficulty curve similar to benchmarks (Match Factory, Triple Match). The curve emphasizes generous win streaks on standard levels to build player momentum and bonus multipliers. Hard and Very Hard levels act as deliberate velvet ropes, targeted pinch points where lost streaks incentivize players to convert via extra time, tray clears, or pre-level boosters.

Narrative Copy & IP Tone Management

Generic Content & Puns

For non-IP items, I write lighthearted, pun-driven flavor copy and item descriptions designed for rapid localization across international markets, adding charm and levity to generic item sets.

Disney IP Stewardship

Disney IP requires a nuanced, narrative-first approach. Licensor items avoid slapstick or off-brand humor; instead, copy must focus strictly on lore accuracy, emotional resonance, and cinematic context. I serve as the creative bridge—ensuring copy remains playful for a casual mobile audience while respecting the guarded tone of Disney and Pixar intellectual properties.

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