BO3 Zombies:

The Grease Pit

In a cluttered industrial zone lies a small closed down garage riddled with zombies and secrets. Reopen shop for your undead patrons as you explore the claustrophobic map inspired by the level flow of Nacht Der Untoten!

Role

Level Design - Project Lead

Team Size

1

Tools used

BO3 Radiant / APE

Gameplay:

Here’s a video of my gameplay (kinda mid) showing off the tight corners level design and claustrophobic garage.

I’ve gotten to round 24 in playtesting, but like Nacht, it really does ramp up in difficulty once sprinters start spawning in.

The map did well on youtube after submitting it and Paramore FTL did get to round 27 as a duo :D

Overview:

Grease Pit is a custom Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Zombies map designed as a tight, high-pressure survival experience inspired by the claustrophobic layouts of early Zombies maps. The project focused on recreating the intensity and simplicity of maps like Nacht der Untoten, Verrückt, and Farm Survival, emphasizing constrained movement, fast decision-making, and escalating difficulty.

My goal was to design a space that forces constant player tension through limited sightlines and restrictive pathways, encouraging mastery of positioning and resource management. Alongside gameplay design, this project served as an opportunity to develop technical proficiency in the Radiant engine, including level blockout, scripting implementation, and encounter tuning within the Zombies framework.

A Love for the classics:

With Grease Pit, I set out to capture the spirit of early Zombies maps by returning to a smaller, more focused design similar in scale to Nacht der Untoten, while avoiding the familiar bunker setting. Stripping things back allowed me to focus on what makes these experiences memorable with tension, simplicity, and meaningful player decisions, rather than relying on complex systems or mechanics.

The map mirrors that Nacht’s structure with a twist: an open upper space paired with a tight, claustrophobic lower section, effectively inverting Nacht’s layout. I kept pathways narrow and deliberately placed bottlenecks between areas to create constant pressure, making traditional training strategies more difficult while still possible with careful play. The goal was to encourage players to adapt, stay alert, and engage with the space in a more deliberate way.

Grease Pit:

Final map layout - Upstairs

B = Barrier

S = Spawn

Final map layout - Basement

$ = Door

P = Perk

Nacht:

Using Radiant Engine:

Working in Radiant was a very different experience compared to Unreal Engine, requiring a shift in both mindset and workflow. While Unreal emphasizes visual scripting and real-time iteration, Radiant leans more into structured setups and manual control, which made even simple implementations feel more deliberate and hands-on.

This project pushed me to learn how to script core Zombies systems such as enemy spawns, environmental traps, and even a small easter egg within Radiant’s framework. One common challenge I ran into was managing zombie pathing and spawn consistency in tight spaces, where enemies could easily get stuck or behave unpredictably. I resolved this by refining spawn point placement and adjusting path nodes to better guide movement, ensuring consistent pressure on the player.

Overall, adapting to Radiant was a rewarding challenge that strengthened my understanding of encounter setup and reinforced the importance of clean, intentional design in more constrained tools.

Reflection:

Grease Pit was both a challenging and rewarding project that pushed me to think more carefully about simplicity, pacing, and player pressure. Designing within tighter constraints, both in terms of map size and tools, forced me to be more intentional with every decision, from layout to encounter flow. It reinforced how much strong design can carry an experience, even without complex systems.

One of the most exciting parts of this project was releasing the map on Steam and seeing players engage with it in real time. Watching YouTubers play through Grease Pit effectively became a form of live playtesting, giving me insight into how players approached the space, where they struggled, and what strategies emerged naturally. This was a completely new experience for me and incredibly valuable as a designer.

Overall, the project deepened my appreciation for classic Zombies design while also giving me hands-on experience with player-driven feedback in a live environment, something I’m excited to continue building on in future work.