MAXAXIS
Welcome to Maxaxis!
I’m Yixiang “Max” Xiao, a Game Designer with a background in architecture and design.
I earned my Bachelor of Architecture from Pratt Institute and am currently pursuing a Master in Design Studies degree at Harvard GSD.
GAMES
COURIER
Solo project - UE5
First-Person Narrative Sci-fi Experience
Courier is a realistic single-player narrative experience developed in Unreal Engine 5. Players take the role of a space courier whose routine mission spirals into a series of unexplained events. Through a constrained first-person perspective, the game presents a thought-provoking sci-fi world where visual storytelling drives exploration. Environmental details, subtle guidance, and recurring objects gradually reshape the player’s perception, encouraging careful observation as they uncover the hidden truth behind the world.
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PETAL AND STEEL
Solo project - UE5
Soulslike Blockout Demo
Petal and Steel is a Soulslike adventure through a vertically intertwined royal city, where four distinct regions—The Cathedral, Corrupted Sewers, Sakura Courtyards, and The Sunlit Plaza—form a continuous architectural whole. Each zone connects through hidden lifts, circular passages, and one-sided gates that gradually unfold into shortcuts. What first feels linear becomes a revelation of loops, moments when the world folds back upon itself in sudden clarity. Light, shadow, and elevation guide movement as much as landmarks do, allowing players to navigate without a map—by instinct, by memory, by the faint glow of torches in the distance.
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PRE-BLOCKOUT CONCEPT SKETCHES (LATER REFINED DURING ITERATIONS)
BREAKPOINT
PROTOCOL
Solo project - UE5
FPS - PVP Conquest Game
Breakpoint Protocol introduces strategic depth to the traditional conquest format. Players must balance risk and reward — controlling key zones grants unique advantages, while daring routes offer faster progression at greater peril. The game’s multi-level design opens the vertical dimension often ignored in shooters, transforming ceilings, overpasses, and sub-levels into active combat fields. Every space operates at a distinct scale, from tight interiors to wide-open courtyards, creating a dynamic rhythm of close, mid, and long-range engagements.
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OTHER VISUAL WORKS
SPATIAL NARRATIVE WORKS
This solo Architectural project, the Archetypes, redefines the traditional library as a spatial narrative that guides user behavior through subconscious cues. Inspired by Carl Jung’s theory of archetypes, the design integrates universal spatial forms—such as caves, bridges, and labyrinths—to shape movement, perception, and interaction. Rather than a passive container of books, the library becomes an active system of psychological and spatial engagement. Through layered circulation and symbolic form, it transforms knowledge exchange into a participatory experience, where architecture itself becomes a storyteller, evoking emotion, memory, and collective consciousness.
This solo spatial project, Narrative Returns, reimagines the Rubin Museum of Art as an architectural storytelling medium. The project transforms static exhibition spaces into dynamic environments that encourage visitors to engage actively with Tibetan culture. Through layered spatial sequences and sensory cues, the design creates a fluid narrative experience—where movement, sight, and atmosphere collectively unfold meaning. Rather than isolating artifacts, the space interconnects them into a living story, allowing visitors to interpret, explore, and participate. This approach translates curatorial strategy into experiential design, merging narrative structure with spatial immersion.
TEAM WORKS & WIP ARCHIVES
I: Team project exploring Rupert Maleczek’s algorithmic folding system to generate dynamic architectural forms. Developed a full-scale CNC-cut aluminum pavilion that merges computational logic, structure, and materiality into an interactive, saddle-like spatial experience.