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 Sofia, currently at Imperia Online.

Systems & EconomyLive OpsProgression DesignUnity
View the work → View LinkedIn
Hristina Zaykova
Based in
Sofia, Bulgaria
6+
Years in game design
7
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.

Nowadays, I am 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.

Top Skills

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

Details

EducationBournemouth University
DegreeBA Games Design
LanguagesEN · BG · KR
StudioImperia Online
02

Selected games

SIEGE: World War II trailerWatch trailer
SIEGE gameplay
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
Google Play
4.6★1M+ downloads
App Store
4.7★free · in-app purchases
Google Play App Store Trailer

My contributions

  • Gameplay systems: designed, iterated, and launched new systems and live features, maintaining player interest over 4+ years
  • Economy balancing: tuned the economy through data-driven analysis for healthy progression and monetization
  • Player experience: used analytics to improve retention, progression pacing, and overall experience
  • Cross-functional work: aligned design with art, dev, and product; supported ongoing Live Ops updates
War Commander: Rogue Assault trailerWatch trailer
War Commander gameplay
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
Google Play
4.0★10M+ · 190K ratings
App Store
4.6★free · IAP
Steam
77%Mostly Positive
Google Play App Store Steam Trailer

My contributions

  • Mechanics & content: designed and implemented new mechanics, units, and live event features for strategic depth
  • Economy: managed unit/event data and ran economy analysis and balancing for long-term progression
  • Playtesting: oversaw external playtests and turned qualitative & quantitative feedback into improvements
  • Implementation: built event maps in Unity and maintained structured design documentation
Bakery Story trailerWatch trailer
Bakery Story gameplay
Senior Game Designer · 2025–Present

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
Google Play
4.0★10M+ · 360K ratings
App Store
4.6★free · in-app purchases
Google Play App Store Trailer

My contributions

  • Event & progression design: designed and iterated on Live Ops events and progression to increase DAU and retention
  • Player-centric improvements: analyzed behavior and feedback to refine pacing, rewards, and feature clarity
  • Process optimization: streamlined Live Ops design processes following project transition
  • Collaboration & mentorship: partnered with product, art, and engineering; mentored new designers
Restaurant Story trailerWatch trailer
Restaurant Story gameplay
Senior Game Designer · 2025–Present

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
Google Play
4.2★10M+ downloads
App Store
4.2★5.3K ratings
Google Play App Store Trailer

My contributions

  • Systems & economy: balanced resource flows, progression curves, and time-based systems for long-term retention
  • Live content planning: planned and maintained Live Ops calendars for a consistent content cadence
  • Data-driven iteration: used metrics and player insights to guide features and economy tuning
  • Cross-team alignment: aligned design decisions with business objectives, player-first throughout
Fashion Story trailerWatch trailer
Fashion Story gameplay
Senior Game Designer · 2025–Present

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
Google Play
4.2★1M+ downloads
App Store
4.5★free · in-app purchases
Google Play App Store Trailer

My contributions

  • Live content planning: planned and maintained Live Ops calendars for consistent cadence and motivation
  • Creative direction: collaborated with art and product for thematic consistency and visual appeal
  • Live Ops polish: contributed to feature refinement, performance improvements, and content quality
  • Event design: designed and balanced event structures to maximize engagement with healthy monetization

Store ratings and download figures are drawn from public App Store / Google Play listings and store-analytics aggregators, and reflect lifetime figures across the games' full run. Some App Store ratings are approximate where a public total isn't published. Trailers and store links are from Hristina's portfolio; carousel galleries use the official trailer thumbnails — swap in more screenshots anytime.

03

Experience

Senior Game Designer — Restaurant / Bakery / Fashion Story
Imperia Online
Feb 2025 – Present · Sofia, Bulgaria
Game Designer — War Commander: Rogue Assault
Imperia Online
May 2024 – Feb 2025
Game Designer — SIEGE: World War II
Imperia Online
May 2020 – Jan 2025
Game Designer — Panda Boi Runner & Panzeiro: Monster Run
Imperia Online
Jan 2023
Game Design Intern
Imperia Online
Sep 2019 – Apr 2020
BA Games Design — Game & Interactive Media Design
Bournemouth University
2017 – 2021
04

Design notes

Economy Design
2026

Tuning a card economy without breaking the meta

What I look at first when a deck-builder's rewards start to feel either stingy or runaway — and the small levers that fix it before players notice.

Read note →
Live Ops
Draft · 2026

Building a Live Ops calendar players can feel

Cadence is a design material. A few notes on pacing events so a game stays fresh week to week without exhausting the team or the audience.

Read note →
Progression
Draft · 2026

Progression curves that respect a player's time

Why the shape of the curve matters more than the numbers on it, and how I test whether a system gives players something worth coming back for.

Read note →
Player Feedback
Draft · 2026

Turning review-store noise into a design backlog

A practical pass for reading player feedback at scale — separating the loud from the load-bearing and translating it into changes worth shipping.

Read note →
Monetization
Draft · 2026

Designing offers that don't feel like traps

Healthy monetization and player goodwill aren't opposites. How I frame value so spending feels like a choice, not a wall.

Read note →
Craft
Draft · 2026

From spreadsheet to ship: how a system gets built

A walk through my process from first model to live feature — the documents, the playtests, and the iteration loops in between.

Read note →

The first note links to a full article page as a working example. The rest are placeholders — swap the titles and copy for your own writing, and point each card at its own post page (duplicate the article template) when you're ready.

Let's build something

Have a system that needs
players to stick around?

I'm always glad to talk progression, economy, and Live Ops design. Connect with me on LinkedIn and let's get into it.

Connect on LinkedIn