Overview

Soul Trials began as an experiment for Brimstone Sands (2022). The goal was a new gameplay pillar for solo players: focused, high-intensity boss encounters that feel intimate and deliberate; closer to Souls-style duels than open-world skirmishes. Internally, the name also served as a mnemonic device for “Solo Trials,” making the mode’s purpose legible across teams.

The Experiment

The first trial, The Necropolis of Sutekh, proved the format. We harvested encounter and instancing capabilities from Expedition systems and adapted them into a singular, story-driven MSQ beat. The result landed hard enough that Soul Trials became a foundation for broader MSQ redesign.

• Proof of concept: a single-player boss encounter built from Expedition instancing patterns
• MSQ integration: a story beat designed to punctuate pacing with a controlled spike
• Scalability signal: a repeatable format worth codifying into standards and templates

Establishing the Quality Bar

Two early pillars set the standard.

• Necropolis of Sutekh: established the core feel: strong arena readability, a clear solo pacing loop, and mechanics that showcase creature identity (sand summoning, burrowing, pressure patterns that force sustained engagement).
• Curse of Caer Dun: the reference implementation. Built intentionally as the polished model for future trials, including the expectation for cinematic storytelling inside the encounter, not just around it. I worked closely with Krishna Thiruvengadam, and credit a lot of its success to his partnership.

Building a Pipeline for Scale

Soul Trials shifted from an experiment into a repeatable production model. Each subsequent trial built on an established template, while teams tightened process and reduced cost without dropping quality. Once the mode became an MSQ pillar, scaling required consistent design patterns, clear documentation, and a production process that worked across internal teams and vendors.

• Codified technical standards: partnered with server team to define performance, scale, and cost constraints
• Implementation and UI polish standards: aligned expectations across engineering and UI
• Documentation as force multiplier: templates and guidance that onboard designers faster and reduced rework

Timeline

Shipped MSQ Soul Trials across 2022–2025. Contributions ranged from direct feature design and implementation to oversight, review, and integration support.

2022 — Brimstone Sands & Brightwood

1. Necropolis of Sutekh
2. The Curse of Caer Dun

2023 — Rise of the Angry Earth

3. Mahantaram’s Court
4. The Petrified Throne
5. The End of New Eden

2024 — Console Launch

6. Fall of the True Heir
7. The Path of Thorns
8. A Guardian’s Trial
9. The Last Soulwarden
10. Trespassing in the Motherwell
11. Beyond the Gates
12. The Tormented Prince
13. A Mother’s Dream
14. Tempest’s Mind

2025 — Nighthaven

15. Invasion of Varlaam
16. The Wolf’s Den
17. Feral Morgaine
18. Lilith’s Dream
19. Monastery Isle: Part I
20. Monastery Isle: Part II
21. Monastery Isle: Part III
22. Monastery Isle: Part IV

Seasonal Soul Trials

23. Legacy of the Sands
24. Daichi Sato
25. Eternal Frost
26. Break Some Eggs

From Prototype to Feature

Over time, Soul Trials became a distinct game mode and a defining component of MSQ structure. They created punctuation points that players consistently treated as pivotal content, because they let narrative, combat, and spectacle converge in a controlled solo space.

The original intent was to design repeatable, end-game solo challenges. We eventually got there. Almost every MSQ Soul Trial was converted into a repeatable instanced game mode.

• Output increased: moved from roughly one major trial per year to four or more per year through templates and training
• Quality stayed coherent: standards ensured trials shipped with consistent readability, pacing loops, and cinematic expectations
• MSQ reshaped: the mode changed how story beats were delivered through gameplay

Contributions

• Designed MSQ Soul Trials: a new game mode for instanced solo bosses integrated into Main Story Quest pacing
• Defined performance standards: partnered with server team to codify technical constraints, scale risks, and server cost considerations
• Led implementation & UI polish standards: aligned experience expectations with engineering and UI teams
• Authored documentation: installation and design standards that onboarded designers and enabled vendor production at speed
• Scaled delivery: 26 shipped single player experiences supervised, reviewed, or directly implemented in collaboration with creatures and quest teams