Senior Game Designer

Hi, I'm Hristina -
I design game systems.

For the past six years I've designed the systems, economies, and Live Ops behind free-to-play mobile games. Based in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Systems & EconomyLive OpsProgression DesignUnity
View the work → View LinkedIn
Hristina Zaykova
Based in
Gothenburg, Sweden
6+
Years in game design
8
Shipped & live titles
4.6★
Top title store rating
F2P
Mobile specialist
01

About

Game Designer with over 6 years of experience in free-to-play mobile games, specialized in systems, economy and Live Ops.

Since 2019, I have worked on long-running strategy and simulation titles in Unity and proprietary engines, launched across platforms like Google Play, the App Store and Steam - designing the gameplay systems, progression and live content that keep players coming back. My work blends creative vision, systems thinking and data-driven problem solving.

At my last position, I was working at Imperia Online (part of Stillfront Group) as a Senior Game Designer, leading Live Ops and economy design across multiple live titles. I am always looking for new challenges where I can craft meaningful, intuitive experiences and push creative boundaries.

Nowadays, I am studying at University of Skövde and working towards finishing my Master's Degree in Games, Aesthetics and Narration. I am currently on the lookout for new exciting opportunities!

Top Skills

Game DesignSystems & EconomyGame Balance & ProgressionLive OpsMechanics & Gameplay DesignLevel DesignNarrativePrototypingUX DesignDocumentation & MockupsUnity3D ArtUI / UX

Details

EducationBournemouth University
DegreeBA Games Design
LanguagesEN · BG
02

Games

Senior Game Designer · 2025–July 2026

Bakery Story

Social simulation · Storm8 / TeamLava
Operated by part of

Build and customize your dream bakery in this charming social game. Bake delicious treats, decorate your shop, and serve customers to become the ultimate baker. I lead Live Ops events and progression to drive DAU and retention.

Mobile (iOS / Android)SimulationLive OpsFree-to-play
Bakery Story trailerWatch trailer
Bakery Story title art
Bakery Story decorated bakery
Bakery Story counter and customers
Bakery Story cookbook menu
Bakery Story seasonal event decor

My contributions

  • Event & progression design: designed and iterated on Live Ops events and progression systems aimed at growing daily active users and strengthening early- and late-game retention
  • Economy & offers: tuned the in-game economy and offer structure to improve conversion and ARPPU while keeping spending feeling fair to players
  • Player-centric improvements: analyzed player behavior and feedback to refine pacing, reward loops, and feature clarity, reducing friction in key flows
  • Process & transition: streamlined Live Ops design processes after the project moved into the studio, improving content throughput and consistency
  • Collaboration & mentorship: partnered with product, art, and engineering, and mentored newer designers on systems and live-content practice
Google Play
4.0★10M+ · 360K ratings
App Store
4.6★free · in-app purchases
Google Play App Store Trailer
Senior Game Designer · 2025–July 2026

Restaurant Story

Casual simulation · Storm8 / TeamLava
Operated by part of

Create and manage your own restaurant in this casual simulation game. Design layouts, craft recipes, and build a culinary empire. I focus on economy balance and Live Ops planning to support long-term retention.

Mobile (iOS / Android)SimulationLive OpsFree-to-play
Restaurant Story trailerWatch trailer
Restaurant Story gameplay

My contributions

  • Systems & economy: balanced resource flows, progression curves, and time-based systems to support long-term retention and a healthy economy
  • Monetization: shaped offers and sink/source balance to improve conversion and ARPPU without compromising the free-to-play experience
  • Live content planning: built and maintained Live Ops calendars that kept session frequency and engagement steady week over week
  • Data-driven iteration: used live metrics and player insights to prioritize features and tune the economy, validating impact post-launch
  • Cross-team alignment: aligned design decisions with business goals while keeping the player experience first
Google Play
4.2★10M+ downloads
App Store
4.2★5.3K ratings
Google Play App Store Trailer
Senior Game Designer · 2025–July 2026

Fashion Story

Social simulation · Storm8 / TeamLava
Operated by part of

A social simulation game where players design and manage their own fashion boutique, creating trendy outfits and building a thriving store. I plan Live Ops calendars and balance event structures for engagement and healthy monetization.

Mobile (iOS / Android)SimulationLive OpsFree-to-play
Fashion Story trailerWatch trailer
Fashion Story boutique gameplay

My contributions

  • Event design: designed and balanced limited-time event structures to maximize engagement and daily active users while keeping monetization healthy
  • Live content planning: planned and maintained Live Ops calendars that sustained session frequency and gave players consistent motivation to return
  • Economy & offers: tuned reward economies and offer pacing to support conversion and ARPPU alongside player goodwill
  • Creative direction: collaborated with art and product on thematic consistency and visual appeal to strengthen the game's identity
  • Live Ops polish: drove feature refinement, performance improvements, and content quality across the live calendar
Google Play
4.2★1M+ downloads
App Store
4.5★free · in-app purchases
Google Play App Store Trailer
Senior Game Designer · 2025

Castle Story

Fantasy kingdom-building sim · Storm8 / TeamLava
Operated by part of

A fantasy simulation where players build a kingdom of magical buildings, raise animals, and explore an enchanted forest through a curse-lifting story. I drove the narrative content and Live Ops, and helped transition the project into the studio's pipeline.

Mobile (iOS / Android)SimulationNarrative · Live OpsFree-to-play
Castle Story trailerWatch trailer
Castle Story gameplay

My contributions

  • Narrative: wrote and structured story-driven quests and event narratives that deepened engagement and gave players a reason to keep progressing
  • Live Ops: designed and ran live events and content updates that sustained activity and re-engaged a long-tenured player base
  • Economy & rewards: balanced event pacing, rewards, and sinks to maintain healthy progression and support monetization
  • Project transition: helped move the title into the studio's pipeline and design processes, keeping the live calendar uninterrupted
  • Player-centric tuning: used player behavior and feedback to refine difficulty, pacing, and reward loops
Google Play
3.5★1M+ · 46K ratings
App Store
4.5★free · in-app purchases
Google Play App Store Trailer
Game Designer · 2024–2025

War Commander: Rogue Assault

3D real-time military strategy · 2016
Developer part of

A real-time strategy game where players build military bases, command powerful units, and engage in tactical warfare against players worldwide. I designed new mechanics, units, and live events, and built event maps in Unity.

Mobile (iOS / Android)Steam (PC)Real-time StrategyPvP · Base BuilderUnity
War Commander: Rogue Assault trailerWatch trailer
War Commander: Rogue Assault key art
War Commander: Rogue Assault real-time strategy gameplay

My contributions

  • Mechanics & content: designed and implemented new units, mechanics, and live event features that deepened strategic play and gave players fresh reasons to return
  • Level & encounter design: built and tuned event maps in Unity, shaping difficulty and pacing to keep encounters challenging without hurting retention
  • Economy & balancing: managed unit and event data and ran economy analysis to protect long-term progression while supporting conversion and ARPPU
  • Live events: designed limited-time events that lifted participation and daily active users, then iterated on them from live performance data
  • Playtesting & iteration: oversaw external playtests and turned qualitative and quantitative feedback into shipped improvements, backed by structured documentation
Google Play
4.0★10M+ · 190K ratings
App Store
4.6★free · IAP
Steam
77%Mostly Positive
Google Play App Store Steam Trailer
Game Designer · 2020–2025

SIEGE: World War II

F2P mobile deck-building strategy · 2018
Developer part of

An immersive F2P deck-building strategy game set in World War II. Players engage in epic PvP battles, unlock powerful cards and commanders, and dominate the battlefield through strategic play. I designed and launched systems across a 4+ year run.

Mobile (iOS / Android)Strategy · Card BattlerPvP
SIEGE: World War II trailerWatch trailer
SIEGE: World War II title art
SIEGE: World War II annihilate enemy forces art

My contributions

  • New gameplay systems: designed, prototyped, and launched new mechanics and live features that extended the game's lifespan and kept the core loop fresh across a 4+ year run
  • Economy & monetization: balanced the card and resource economy through data-driven analysis, tuning sinks and sources to protect long-term progression while improving conversion and ARPPU
  • Retention & engagement: reworked progression pacing and reward cadence to lift retention and daily active users, using analytics and cohort behavior to validate each change
  • Live Ops: designed recurring events and seasonal content that drove repeat sessions and re-engaged lapsed players
  • Cross-functional delivery: partnered with art, engineering, and product to ship features on a steady live cadence, translating goals into clear specs and documentation
Google Play
4.6★1M+ downloads
App Store
4.7★free · in-app purchases
Google Play App Store Trailer
03

Experience

Imperia Online · part of · Sofia, Bulgaria
Senior Game Designer
Feb 2025 – July 2026
Restaurant Story
Bakery Story
Fashion Story
Castle Story · on-and-off support
Game Designer
May 2020 – Feb 2025
War Commander: Rogue Assault May 2024 – Feb 2025
SIEGE: World War II May 2020 – Jan 2025
Panda Boi Runner & Panzeiro: Monster Run Jan 2023
Game Design Intern
Sep 2019 – Apr 2020
University of Skövde Skövde, Sweden
Master's Degree - Games, Aesthetics and Narration
2026 – 2027
Bournemouth University Bournemouth, UK
BA Games Design - Game & Interactive Media Design
2017 – 2021
04

Speaking

2025June
Speaker

Start Small, Play Big: Breaking Into Game Dev

Black Sea Game Summit 2025 · Burgas, Bulgaria
Part of the "Game Design Thinking" session at the two-day game development summit organized by CreaTech Bulgaria, held at the International Congress Center.
Event
2021April
Panelist

My Student Journey

Games Education Summit 2021 · The BGI (British Games Institute), online
A panel where FE and HE students shared their experiences of learning during the pandemic, chaired by Chris Dring (GamesIndustry.biz).
Watch
Let's talk

Got some game design questions
or just wanna talk about games?

Feel free to reach out, I'm always happy to chat!

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