DOMAIN is a 2v2 multiplayer map I built in Halo’s level editor, tailored for my friend group with specific shooter preferences. The result exceeded expectations—despite our unfamiliarity with the Halo franchise, the gameplay was genuinely engaging.
Research played a major role: I tested three other level editors before choosing Forge and studied the history and decline of arena shooters to inform my design choices.
Team: 1 person Tools: Halo Infinite (Forge) Roles: Research, Design, Testing Duration: ~3 weeks
Gameplay
Showcase
(Without Ceilings)
How it started
Research
Knowing my friend group’s interests and their familiarity with popular shooters, I drew inspiration from classic arena shooters when creating Domain. Since arena shooters are rare today - and modern alternatives like tactical or extraction shooters often slow down gameplay for immersion or strategy - I aimed to capture the fast-paced action my friends would enjoy the most. This focus helped shape the project around their preferences, free from mainstream trends that can hinder its core vision.
I also explored several level editors to find the best fit for the project. While researching different genres, I evaluated each editor’s capabilities to see which suited Domain’s goals.
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I began with Far Cry Arcade, but it proved inconvenient for building vertical geometry.
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Next, I tried Hammer, which, despite its popularity, felt outdated and limited by mechanics from older games.
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Ultimately, I chose Halo Forge. Regularly updated with each new Halo title, it offered modern tools and mechanics reminiscent of classic arena shooters - the exact qualities I wanted to capture.
Initial Sketch
A
B
C
A - long-range power weapon
B - short-range power weapon
C - Grappling hook
Since an ambitious scale wouldn’t add much value to this kind of project, I opted for a symmetric arena map. Though compact, it offers plenty of strategic depth through weapon and ability placement. Its smaller scale also enabled rapid iteration and quick adjustments during development.
The map features a grappling hook spawn and two power weapon spawns - one long-range and one short-range. The core idea was to encourage players to pursue the strongest combo: the grappling hook plus the melee weapon. The hook is located at the most vulnerable spot on the map, while the melee weapon sits in the most protected area. Meanwhile, the long-range weapon - accessible via jump pads on a small “floating island” - serves as a counter to that strategy.
How it's going
Summary
The first playtest revealed the map’s potential - a compact, engaging space balancing short- and long-range combat. Each weapon type could dominate at times, but neither overwhelmed the match due to the small player count. This natural balance kept the gameplay dynamic and varied for every player.
Subsequent iterations focused on refining balance and space usage. Early versions had excess white space and unnecessary geometry, which I trimmed to enhance player decision-making. I narrowed and reshaped corridors, adjusted starting weapons, and increased respawn time to 10 seconds. The sniper rifle was replaced with a speargun as the long-range power weapon, since the sniper proved too dominant for the map’s scale.
Playtesting
The Energy Sword
The energy sword remained central to the map’s identity throughout development. As planned, pairing it with the grappling hook created a fast, high-risk playstyle that could rival long-range combat.
However, the sword quickly became too dominant. The default starting weapon couldn’t match its speed or the surprise factor - hearing the hook activate from behind, and then getting killed was funny but problematic nonetheless.
To address this, I made a key adjustment: players now start with the MA5K Avenger, a short-range weapon better suited to counter the sword. This reduced the sword’s effectiveness while keeping it rewarding to use. Additional map tweaks, like tighter corridors and power equipment such as invisibility, further balanced close-quarters encounters.
Meme made by my friend about the energy sword :)
The Rifle
The rifle’s power (the long-range weapon of the map) largely depended on its "floating island", which featured two floors and was accessible via jump pads on both sides of the map. It felt generally well-balanced, but even in tough cases, teamwork usually countered any single player dominating with one - something that worked well with how our group played.
Problems arose when two players controlled the island simultaneously, each armed with such rifle. In those moments, the map felt locked down with no clear counterplay. To fix this, I reduced the island’s size, making it generally easier to reach, and the rifle was replaced with "Skewer", a one-shot projectile weapon with limited ammo (only 4 bullets) and a long reload, restoring balance to long-range engagements.
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The Center
The map's sparsely covered areas were the hardest to design for me. Adding more objects felt pointless, so I sought other ways to make the space engaging. I also tried adding a high ground with legendary equipment reachable only by the grappling hook, but it was impractical due to the single equipment slot that players had.
Instead, I used Forge's nodes to create two zones where players move at double speed. This made the center quicker to reach, providing more emphasis to any items placed there, improving the gameplay flow.
The Blueprint (Click to Enhance)
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"Before and After"
Instead of simply obstructing the view, the geometry was reshaped in favor of players' choices. On the second image, one can now get on a small high ground on the right to face the enemy around the corner at an equal level.
This area inside the structure simply needed more diversity and purpose. The last iteration makes a better use of its spaciousness and now directs the player to its focal points (guns and abilities) with improved geometry.
Something I included for the sake of aesthetics ended up creating more friction for players. The whole in the elevation was removed, and color was added. The area now has more contrast, and it's easier to make sense of it.
Conclusion
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This project is now my small personal achievement because of how positively it was received in my friend group. We played on this map regularly, often enjoying it more than the other games we typically played in the evenings, which is something I didn't expect from a project of such scope.
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I've also reached out to other players to get feedback. Their perspective was different, highlighting issues I haven't encountered before, like the long-range power weapon being too powerful. This approach helped to uncover problems that weren't relevant at the time, but which would become apparent in the long term.