UNITY · TEAM OF 4 · LEAD DESIGNER · 2025
Break-In
A four-player stealth heist where no role can win alone, and nobody can speak.
UnityThe Overview
The Vision
Break-In is a four-player co-op stealthy bank heist game whose main mechanic is that players cannot talk with each other. Instead, players can choose between four asymmetric roles (Hacker, Insider, Vaultsnatcher and the Lockpicker) to solve one piece of the big puzzle that is the heist. The only way to coordinate is through some tools they are given in the game. Steal as much as you can in eight minutes and escape together undetected. If one player gets caught, it is game over.
Gameplay videos
The Gameplay
One clip and two rooms from the Unity build.
My Role
My Contribution
Led the design team and communicated with the engineering team. Designed most of the design documents, like the roles, the mechanics, the puzzle and the balancing.
Designed the four asymmetric roles and tuned them so cooperation truly worked and they needed each other to complete the game.
Designed the detection state machine and the danger signal.
Built the eight-minute pressure loop, the difficulty and the risk/reward design.
Directed the audio, clock and action cues. Co-designed the bank layout with the team's level designer.
Eight minutes of tension
The Gameplay Design
One gameplay run is eight minutes long and divided into four phases: get in, open the vault, access the servers and get out. Two of these phases happen at the same time.
The Gameplay structure
The Gameplay Loop
Scroll the clock sideways to follow the run →
Phase breakdown
Phase 1Spawns
Infiltration & Setup
00:00 – 02:30Spine
Objective
Four players spawn in different places.
- The HackerStarts outside the bank, inside a van and looking to the bank's security system.
- The InsiderStarts inside disguised as staff.
- The LockpickerStarts inside a restricted zone and has to get clear of it before they can open anything.
- The VaultsnatcherStarts in a restricted area in the bank, hunting the keycard for opening the vault.
Tasks
- Disable barriers
- Move under disguise
- Find keycards
- Scout escape routes early
Risk / reward
Escape routes can be scouted now or later. Now costs setup time, later means running the last two minutes without an escape plan.
Pressure · 40%
Phase 2Layered defences
Execution & Loot
02:30 – 06:00Spine
Objective
Open the vault and take as much money as the team can carry.
- The VaultsnatcherTries to open the vault. The keycard has to be in and the alarms down. Has to take the gold and money.
- The LockpickerUse the smoke bombs to reveal the laser grid. It is the only way that the Vaultsnatcher gets in.
- The HackerCan see where the guards are, through walls, and can distract them so they don't catch the gang.
- All fourThe players have to find objects to match the weight of the ingots so they could rob without the alarms going off.
Tasks
- Keycard entry
- Alarms down
- Biometric bypass
- Laser grid
- Elite guards
- Decoy ingots
Risk / reward
Carrying loot slows you down. Every ingot is more money and less speed.
Pressure · 85%
Phase 3Timed word puzzle
Digital Heist
03:00 – 06:00Parallel path
Objective
Take the money that is digitally stored in the bank.
- The InsiderReaches the server room on the security card and inserts a USB in a live server. This starts the phase.
- The HackerOnce the USB is in, they get a timed word puzzle. The more puzzles solved, the more money they get. If they run out of time, the window closes.
- All fourThe two main sources of income are active at the same time.
Tasks
- USB plant
- Server access
- Timed word puzzle
- Funds transfer
Risk / reward
The second path doesn't mean that it is safer, but allows the team to get the bigger score, while risking that the hacker will fail.
Pressure · 70%
Phase 4Escape the bank
Escape
06:00 – 08:00Spine
Objective
All players get out without being seen.
- All fourThere is no shared escape route. Each player has to find the way out.
- The InsiderThe route scouted back in phase 1 appears here. The team that skipped it is searching with the clock in red.
- The HackerThe hacker will have to distract the guards so the exits are completely clear of them.
Tasks
- No shared exit
- Four viable routes
- Undetected
- Before 08:00
Risk / reward
The heist is finished. Escape without getting caught.
Pressure · 100%
How the gameplay works
One caught, everyone fails.
Win
- Objectives completedPhysical loot, digital funds, or both.
- All four escapedEvery player is out of the building.
- UndetectedNo player was caught or arrested at any point of the game.
- Inside 08:00The last player clears the building before the clock expires.
Lose
- Any player detectedOne player caught or arrested ends the game for all four.
- The clock expires08:00 with anyone still inside.
Then it is graded
A
Over £1,000,000
B
£500,000 – £1,000,000
C
£100,000 – £500,000
F
Under £100,000 or caught
Cooperation
Cooperative System Design
Every element of the gameplay was designed so players had to cooperate and help each other succeed. The Distraction clip shows how these work in-game.
InteractableChoose any role and its ability kit, mini-game and every wire it sits on light up.Click, tap, or press Tab to reach it and then Enter.
1 · CAM-1 · Lobby / Staff DoorREC
The Insider
Opens paths
Ability kit
Disguise10s · 60s cooldown
Transforms into Security, a Janitor or Office Staff. The uniform is randomised, so which doors open changes every gameplay. Enemies will not investigate them while in this state.
It will not be activated in front of an enemy.
Find the Security Card
The card opens the server room, to insert a USB into a live server.
The USB helps the Hacker to access the downstairs cameras.
Find the Escape
One of three randomised exits: the bathroom vent, the vent beside the vault or the backdoor in the manager's office. It changes every run.
Once it is found, a red guide line to the exit appears for all players.
Mini-game
No mini-game
Needs (incoming)
- From The HackerShows the guards positions
- From The VaultsnatcherT2 - decoys swapped for ingotsTrap T2 · Unreplaced gold
Gives (outgoing)
- To The HackerUSB unlocks the downstairs cameras
- To Every roleFind escape route for all of them
Counters (traps)
Holds no trap counter.
2 · CAM-2 · Security OfficeREC
The Hacker
Assistance / support · the team's eyes
Ability kit
CCTV Control
A top-down view of the bank through the security cameras. The downstairs cameras cannot be accessed until a USB is planted in the camera PC.
A sign appears on whichever camera is active, so the team can see where the Hacker is looking.
Distraction7s · 10s cooldown
Hacks highlighted electrical objects, like lights, computers, to distract enemies and modify their route.
Helps their team indirectly.
Hacker Vision5s · 30s cooldown
Highlights enemies in red through walls.
The team's only awareness of where enemies actually are for five seconds in every thirty-five.
Finding Environmental Clues
A distraction can also surface clues in the environment.
Clues lower the difficulty of the puzzle they belong to.
Mini-game
Speed typing
Words appear and have to be typed back quickly and accurately to get the digital money out
If failedFail and the transfer restarts from the top, with the clock still running.
Needs (incoming)
- From The InsiderUSB unlocks the downstairs cameras
- From The VaultsnatcherT2 - decoys swapped for ingotsTrap T2 · Unreplaced gold
- From The InsiderFind escape route for all of them
Gives (outgoing)
- To The InsiderShows the guards positions
- To The LockpickerDistraction clears the path to the PCs
- To The VaultsnatcherVision reads the guards through vault walls
Counters (traps)
- For The LockpickerT3 - hacker vision reads the room firstTrap T3 · Failed lockpick
3 · CAM-3 · Basement / Laser GridREC
The Lockpicker
Enters for the digital money
Ability kit
Lock Picking~3 m noise · ~6 m on a failure
Opens locked doors with a pick set.
A failed attempt makes a loud noise and if a guard is in that radius, it will investigate.
Stealing Digital Money
Transfers money out of hidden PCs around the bank. They sit behind locked doors only they can open.
Needs the manager's password and has to find it.
Smoke Bombs3 per run
Three per run. Smoke reveals the basement laser traps and disables them.
Three units per run. The Vaultsnatcher's route in depends on how they are spent.
Mini-game
Pick and turn
Hold the pick steady in position while turning the knob through its full travel. Rush it and it will break.
If failedA slip amplifies the noise from about three metres to six and will turn anyone inside it into Chasing Mode.
Needs (incoming)
- From The HackerDistraction clears the path to the PCs
- From The HackerT3 - hacker vision reads the room firstTrap T3 · Failed lockpick
- From The VaultsnatcherT2 - decoys swapped for ingotsTrap T2 · Unreplaced gold
- From The VaultsnatcherManager's password opens the room
- From The InsiderFind escape route for all of them
Gives (outgoing)
Gives nothing on its own.
Counters (traps)
- For The VaultsnatcherT1 - smoke shows the lasersTrap T1 · Lasers
4 · CAM-4 · Vault / Ingot RackREC
The Vaultsnatcher
Extraction · the physical gold
Ability kit
Find the Manager's Password
Hidden in the manager's office. It is what opens the vault.
It also opens the Lockpicker's digital transfer.
Pick up Gold Ingots
A quick button-press, the faster it is pressed the faster the ingots are taken. The ingots are highlighted as the player approaches them.
Every ingot slows the player down.
Replace the Ingot1s window per ingot
A similar weight decoy has to be placed in place of the ingot within one second of it coming off of it.
Fail to do so and the alarm trips, leaving the whole team thirty seconds to get out.
Mini-game
Shape and weight match
Find objects around the bank whose shape and weight match the ingots, and place them as decoys. The amount that is needed is randomised, and only two can be carried at a time, so the trip has to be made more than once.
If failedCome up short and limits how many ingots can be taken without the alarm going off.
Needs (incoming)
- From The HackerVision reads the guards through vault walls
- From The LockpickerT1 - smoke shows the lasersTrap T1 · Lasers
- From The InsiderFind escape route for all of them
Gives (outgoing)
- To The LockpickerManager's password opens the room
Counters (traps)
- For Every roleT2 - decoys swapped for ingotsTrap T2 · Unreplaced gold
Line key
- Unlocksturns an ability on
- Enablesopens to move
- Removesclears off a trap
- Escapeescape
The explanation of each trap is explained in the Detection State Machine
The Hacker selected · Security Office
The Routes
The Level Design
The bank is one level divided into two places where the team has to split up so they could operate.
Level 1 · Central Bank
The Floor Plan
Scroll the plan sideways to follow the route →
The Pacing Curve
The Stage Breakdown
Stage 1Routing
Lobby
Objective
Get familiar with the environment / find a route to the basement
Role focus
All roles
Hazards
- NPC employees
- Guards
Entry tension
Tension · Moderate · 50%
The players are exposed in a public room full of staff.
Stage 2Hideout
Offices
Objective
Hideout, plan
Role focus
All roles
Hazards
- Security
Comfort
Tension · Low · 25%
The goal here is to hide and plan what to do next.
Stage 3USB plant
Server Room
Objective
Get in on the security card, plant the USB in PC
Role focus
The Insider
Hazards
- Surveillance
- Guards
Strategic
Tension · Moderate · 55%
Moderate tension because the players can get caught now, since they have to expose themselves more.
Stage 4Timing & coordination
Vault Corridor
Objective
Bypass layered defences
Role focus
The Lockpicker
Hazards
- Lasers
- Motion detectors
Stealth
Tension · High · 75%
High tension because of the major hazards and traps. A mistake here is fatal.
Stage 5Multiphase heist
Vault
Objective
Open and extract gold
Role focus
All roles
Hazards
- Timed defence reactivation
Climax
Tension · Peak · 100%
Where everything collapses. The countdown is short, the alarm can go off and the players can be caught looking for the exit.
The level evolution
The bank layout. Firstly, it was sketched on paper by me and the level designer, focused on the two floors. We had to think where the players had to operate and always give them a solution to a potential problem depending on where they were in the map.
Stealth
The Detection System Design
From the moment an enemy starts investigating, the player knows. These are the ways I decided to communicate it.
Detection state machine
The machine
Scroll the machine sideways to follow it →
Traps and Alarm Triggers
T1Basement
Lasers
Chasing
Alarm sets off and the escape window cut to 15 seconds
If any of the players is reached by any laser, the alarm will go off. They will have 15 seconds to get out, leaving the unfinished tasks.
T2Vault
Unreplaced gold
Chasing
Alarm sets off and 30 seconds to get out
If the player fails to replace the ingot with a similar weight object an alarm will set off. This is per ingot and the players know about this, making this trap even a deliberate option to get out. However, the more gold the player has stolen, the slower he gets and they only have 30 seconds to get out.
T3Locked doors
Failed lockpick
Investigating
Noise amplified · enemies escalate directly to Chasing
Picking a lock makes noise inside a three-metre radius. Failing one amplifies it to six metres and triggers the investigation immediately. It is the only trap a player can walk into by rushing, which is why it is also the one most often tripped in the last two minutes.
I wanted the punishment to be legible, so each trap has a cause and a consequence but can be avoided. This connects with the level design as I wanted to give the player a way to escape the guards, because failing just once and losing would be too much of a punishment.
The Guard States
S1 · Calm
Idle / Patrol
The default state. Enemies can be in a fixed position or in a patrol route. The only thing that moves them is the distraction and escalating to investigation or chasing.
S2 · Warning
Investigating
The enemy has seen something and its bar starts to fill up. Players can escape enemies in this state by hiding and making them go back to their idle state.
S3 · Alert
Chasing
The bar got filled. The white-noise crescendo resolves into the chase cue. The enemy starts chasing the player.
S4 · Failure
Caught
The enemy reaches the player and arrests them. Making the team fail.
Multi-channel feedback
Audio
White-noise crescendo
A band of white noise rises while the bar is filling, built to resolve into the chase song. Making the tension present in the game.
HUD
An eye icon
An eye appears on the HUD when an investigation starts. Giving real-time information about the enemy.
HUD
The investigation bar
A bar above the enemy's head, filling in real time. States WHICH enemy and HOW LONG is left deciding whether to escape or keep hiding.
The Sound of the Heist
The Audio Design
No voice channel made the coordination rely on the sound.
The music and sound are what tells the player the state they are in, the state the enemies are in and the clock ticking reminding the players to consider it the whole time.
The music representing the game state
S1
Sneaking
When:Default
The music mainly is a synth that builds the tension but also is calm, representing this state.
The heist is going well and there is time to think.
S2
Running out of time
When:5 minutes left on the clock.
The same music but with a faster tempo.
This is for the players to know that they are running out of time.
S3
Chase
When:An enemy goes to Chasing Mode.
The music becomes loud, fast and tense and is heard by all the players.
Someone has been caught out and is being chased.
The score is wired to game state. The audio changes when the situation changes. With no voice channel this audio design is key.
Audio to tell the time
There is a timer on the HUD as well, but the HUD can be forgotten easily in a tense moment. This helps the players to know how much time is left.
WhyThe time pressure only worked if it was constantly reminded. I found that this worked better for players, especially when the time got to 3 minutes.
Action Sounds
| Action | Sound |
|---|---|
| LockpickingThe Lockpicker | Metal sound of lockpicking. |
| A failed lockpickThe LockpickerWarning | A loud metal crack. |
| Camera switchThe Hacker | A clack on the camera the Hacker moves to. |
| The Hacker typingThe Hacker | Typing sound and change of music while the puzzle goes on. |
| Hacker Vision going upThe Hacker | A low sweep when it activates and a softer fall when the five seconds pass. |
| A distraction firingThe Hacker | The hacked object itself: a light stuttering, a PC turning on. Whichever the object is. |
| An environmental clue surfacingAny role | A short, bright confirmation tone on the object. |
These sounds were to help the players understand what is going on with their teammates since there is no voice chat.
Tuning
Balancing the Game
Design note · balancing
The hardest part of balancing a four-player online heist game was tuning all the roles in a way that all roles are important, relevant and crucial to complete the game. As Lead Designer I tried to follow this rule: All four must cooperate and all the abilities and accountability rely on all of the team and not on one player. These are the design principles I consider:
1
Interdependency
Every role's abilities are unique and equally important for beating the game. Each role owns a quarter of accountability for progressing in the game.
2
The Difficulty
The target when balancing the difficulty was more about the players' feeling during the heist. The pressure rises by the end so every team has pressure at the end, whether they struggled or not. And that is how I wanted to design the difficulty in Break-In.
- Pressure
- Tension
- Patrol density
- Camera coverage
- Puzzle length
- Guard alert radius
3
Teamwork
Every ability enhances cooperation and they are made for players that want to work in a team with no main role at all. All of them have a crucial part in the heist.
- Team share
- Split evenly across all four.
- Role bonus
- For playing each role well.
- Doors opened for others
- Patrols pulled off a teammate
- Traps cleared ahead of the crew
- Objectives closed cleanly
Challenge During the Development
Design Challenge
When we started designing the game, we thought to remove the voice channel from the very start. Therefore, coordination had to become a mechanic itself and then I designed tools so this could be translated in-game. The Hacker's Vision became a shared danger, for example. I wanted players to achieve communication through the systems that they were given, and my job was to provide those systems.