Create an entire village through 3D modeling!

• 

• 

Building a 1920s Village in Unreal Engine – Modeling Process Behind NOne

In NOne, the village environment is not just a backdrop; it plays a critical role in storytelling. Set in a fictional 1920s town called Wookstone, the environment was designed to reflect both historical authenticity and psychological tension. This post breaks down how the village was constructed from a modeling perspective, focusing on modular workflows, realism, and iterative design.

0. Material and Texturing Pipeline

All assets followed a consistent pipeline:

• Modeling: Autodesk Maya

• Texturing: Substance 3D Painter

• Rendering/Integration: Unreal Engine 5
  

• 

• 

• 

Main building locations and city level design plan for a Wookstone

1. Establishing Historical and Visual Direction

Before any modeling began, the foundation was built through extensive reference gathering. The village draws inspiration from:

• 1920s American rural towns

• Whiskey-production communities near Kentucky

• Industrial-era architecture and materials

  
  

Photo references were collected for key locations such as:

• Train stations (exterior and interior)

• Saloons

• Main street

• Residential interiors

• Tram systems

This ensured that every asset had a real-world grounding, supporting the game’s PBR (Physically Based Rendering) realistic style.

1920s American small - town / village street

2. Modular Modeling Approach

To efficiently build the village, a modular asset workflow was used.

Instead of creating every building uniquely, the environment was constructed from reusable pieces such as:

• Wall segments

• Windows and doors

• Roof modules

• Props (wagon, panel, furniture, box)

  
  

This approach allowed:

• Faster level assembly

• Consistent visual language across the town

• Easy iteration and updates

For example, store buildings and main street structures were repeatedly refined by swapping modules and adjusting proportions rather than rebuilding from scratch.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Assembled assets using simple props

3. Iteration: From “Too Clean” to Lived-In

Early versions of the environment revealed a common issue: the village looked too clean and artificially organized.

To address this, several modeling and texturing changes were made:

• Breaking sharp edges to add wear

• Introducing surface imperfections (brick damage, cracks)

• Adding asymmetry to structures

• Incorporating environmental storytelling props (broken glass, posters, clutter)

These changes transformed the environment into a weathered, abandoned town, reinforcing the narrative of disappearance and decay.

• 

• 

• 

Broken glasses, posters, cobweb

4. Key Environment

Several core locations defined the identity of the village:

■ Saloon

• Central social hub of the town

• Built with layered props (bottles, furniture, lighting)

• Used for both present-time exploration with flashback scenes

• 

• 

• 

Saloon still cuts

■ Main Street

• Modular building lineup

• Iteratively redesigned for better composition and variation

• Same base model, but varied textures were used to avoid repetition and add visual variety

• 

• 

• 

Main Street

■ Tram

• Developed through multiple versions

• Interior and exterior modeled

• Used heavily in cinematic flashback sequences

• 

• 

Inside the tram

■ Basement

• Designed with a strong mood emphasis

• Simple geometry but impactful lighting

• Focus on props and composition rather than complexity

• 

• 

Basement still cuts

Conclusion

The village in NOne is the result of a balance between modular efficiency and narrative detail. By combining real-world references, iterative modeling, and PBR texturing, the environment became a key storytelling device rather than just a setting.

As development continues, more props, buildings, and environmental interactions will further enhance immersion and depth.

More updates on environment design and development progress coming soon.