As part of my Student Enterprise module at university, I joined a team called Port5Games to develop a product from idea to reality. The result was Bunker, a fast-paced, roleplay card game where players must argue their way into a survival bunker after a meteor hits Earth.
Designed to be social, fun, and replayable, Bunker is all about quick thinking, persuasion, and improvisation, an ideal game for student nights and group gatherings. The game combined creative storytelling, strategic design, and plenty of team collaboration, along with real-world lessons in market research, branding, manufacturing, and sales.
My Role: Game Designer
I was the Game Designer on the project, responsible for shaping how the game plays, feels, and flows. My tasks included:
Designing core mechanics – I developed the gameplay structure, including the card categories (jobs, fears, abilities, accessories, and prompts) and the decision-making process that drives each round.
Balancing gameplay – I helped fine-tune how characters interacted, making sure no role was overpowered and every round felt unpredictable and fun.
Playtesting & iteration – I led internal playtests, gathered feedback, and adjusted the game rules to improve pacing, clarity, and engagement.
Contributing to theme and narrative – I worked on the tone and storytelling elements to ensure the game stayed immersive and character-driven.
The Process
Our team followed a full production cycle, from initial concept to physical product:
Research & Planning – We surveyed potential users to understand preferences for genre, duration, and style. Acting and roleplay emerged as strong themes, which became the foundation of Bunker.
Branding & Identity – We created a distinct brand identity that highlighted our status as student creators. This included a custom logo, cohesive colour scheme, and a brand story that made us relatable and memorable.
Prototyping – Using Adobe Illustrator and manual mockups, we created and refined our card designs. We sourced custom tins and printed the cards ourselves to maintain creative control.
Marketing & Promotion – We ran Instagram and TikTok campaigns, posted behind-the-scenes content, and even filmed a character-driven trailer using the university’s green screen studio.
Sketch of logo
Sales & Launch – We sold copies at a university stall and online through Shopify, learning first-hand the challenges of pricing, pitching, and presenting a new game.
Selling Bunker at our university stall, our first
face-to-face product launch
Behind the scenes of our TikTok shoot,
dressed as Bunker characters
What I Learned
This project gave me hands-on experience in end-to-end game design. My key takeaways:
Playtesting is critical – Even small rule tweaks made a big difference in how fun and fair the game felt. I learned to treat feedback as a tool, not a setback.
Design is storytelling – Every card needed to spark imagination. I worked to ensure the roles and scenarios were vivid, surprising, and balanced for different types of players.
Constraints can drive creativity – Limited time and budget pushed us to get resourceful with materials and manufacturing, and that actually led to some of our most creative decisions.
Outcome
We successfully developed, packaged, and sold physical copies of Bunker. While we faced challenges, from print errors to ecommerce delays, we delivered a working game, grew a social media following, and built a product we were genuinely proud of.
Most importantly, Bunker gave us real-world insight into what it takes to create something original, and the value of collaboration across design, marketing, and business strategy.