PROJECTS

This page details projects I've worked on, with a description of each project and the specifics of my contributions. Also included are links to download pages, as well as public GitHub repositories.

I am currently making games with Insufficient Mana, a 3-person development team that I formed with my friends. I also work on solo projects (like this website) in my free time!

RELEASED PROJECTS

Ben's Endeavors (this site!)

Release date: October 19, 2024

• Taught myself basic HTML and CSS in order to make the website
• Designed my own color scheme and made (almost) all the graphics myself- the swords are public domain
• Learned about and implemented reactive design principles so the site looks good on mobile

Flora

Release date: August 11, 2024

A short puzzle platformer made in Unity2D. The player must solve open-ended platforming puzzles over the course of multiple rounds, contextualized in-game as distinct days. Each day, they must reach the end of the level while building their own platforms out of flowers. These flowers react dynamically to the passage of time, and each one has a distinct growth time, lifetime, size, and function. Each of the game's 8 puzzles requires players to think ahead and leverage their flowers' lifetimes to create a path that is still traversable over multiple days.

Flora was developed for a 48-hour game jam by a team of 3 people (2 programmers, 1 artist). Out of 166 entries, it was ranked #8 in the Innovation category.

Flora is currently being developed into a full game by Insufficient Mana, with a planned Steam and Itch.io release.

Programming

• Programmed the player's movement system, with special attention to the feel and balance of jumping

Design

• Designed main gameplay mechanic of flowers that grow, blossom, and wither over multiple days
• Refined the feel of the player's jump to be somewhat floaty while also remaining precise and responsive
• Designed, playtested, revised, and finalized all 8 levels in the game [show picture of notebook below]

Left 4 Dead 2: BIONICLE Toa Mata Canister Pills (Mod)

Release date: June 29, 2024

A model-replacement mod for Left 4 Dead 2 that replaces the game's pills item with a random BIONICLE canister from the original 2001 wave of Lego BIONICLE sets. For more information on the models used, please visit the Steam Workshop page.

99% approval rating on the Steam Workshop. Downloaded and used by 2,250+ total unique players, with a peak of ~1,600 concurrent subscribers.

Programming

• Navigated an existing codebase to learn how models are implemented in the Source engine
• Modified models and animations to function appropriately in-game
• Implemented additional functionality to spawn random canister variants

Shatterbound

Release date: May 16, 2024

A time looping puzzle platformer made in Unity3D. Upon death, the player restarts the level, but their previous attempts play alongside them. These previous lives can be dangerous to the player's current attempt, but are also necessary to completing each level- they can clear obstacles, provide platforms, interact with props, and more. Each level challenges the player to not only work with their past selves to overcome obstacles, but also requires them to plan ahead and be an asset to their future self.

Shatterbound was developed over the course of 2 college semesters by a team of ~25 people using SCRUM and AGILE methodologies.

Programming

• Worked on the player's movement, including jumping, horizontal movement, and wall jumping
• Created dynamic and extendable functionality for level hazards

Design

• Refined design of major gameplay mechanics, such as level hazards and player abilities, to be more cohesive with the game's level design
• Designed high-value features, such as the custom level creation tool, that enhanced the player's experience and added value to the product

Something In The Dark (TTRPG System)

Release date: December 21, 2023

A rules-light tabletop RPG system designed for high-stakes horror settings with a focus on storytelling and roleplay. Something In The Dark makes gameplay smoother and more engaging with six simplified and condensed stats, and a player-facing roll-over system which determines difficulty class based on a character's trait values. With lower health values and clearly defined damage tiers, the system encourages immersive, high-stakes storytelling where awareness of danger is key to survival.

Additional mechanics are included to give players more options; characters possess an ominous, yet unfocused, awareness of danger to balance out the high-stakes gameplay, which heightens immersion and enhances horror-focused storytelling. Something In The Dark also includes new communication options that deepen the mechanical complexity of roleplay scenes: players are able to gain insight into how to best influence a person (instead of reducing communication to a dice roll), heightening the importance of intelligent roleplay. Low rolls feel better for players, as each failure progresses a player towards a guaranteed Advantage resource. Finally, Willpower, the system's most significant feature, is a resource that can be expended to allow players limited control over their rolls, giving them more chances for memorable hero moments.

Something In The Dark was originally based on the Epithet Erased system, but has been heavily modified with distinct, unique mechanics that set it apart from its mechanical foundation. Visual presentation within the Rules document is inspired by Disco Elysium.

Something In The Dark has been playtested and refined for 100+ hours before reaching its finalized state. A template for creating interactive online character sheets is provided through KILN. All resources related to Something In The Dark are free to use and modify.

Something In The Dark was a solo project, created entirely by me with feedback from my friends/players.

• Condensed player stats into six simple character traits, reducing the complexity of character creation and gameplay
• Fast and easy-to-understand ability checks with player-facing DCs
• Horror-themed traits that improve narrative flow by allowing players to leverage limited awareness of danger
• Expanded communication options that heighten roleplay immersion
• Bad Luck Protection to improve game feel and reduce the pain of low rolls
• Willpower, a unique mechanic that allows characters to influence their rolls and create their own "hero moments"
• A stylish, rules document for use by both players and DMs that explains each mechanic clearly, and provides additional resources and character inspiration

IN-DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Shooty Tower

Release date: Upcoming

A top-down autoshooter with extraction mechanics. The game uses a hand-drawn, sketch-like art style and is made in Unity2D. Play as a Siege Tower equipped with multiple layers of armaments that fire automatically, and fight against hordes of fantasy enemies. Ground-based enemies cannot be hit by higher layers of the tower, while flying enemies can only be hit by higher layers. Consider the strengths, weaknesses, and placements of weapons as you fight to protect your home city. Explore procedurally generated environments to level up and collect resources, and decide when to return to your home city to store your spoils. Resources can be used for short-term boosts, permanent upgrades, or to unlock new gameplay areas,

Shooty Tower is currently being developed as a solo project, with a planned Steam and Itch.io release.

• Full controller support using Unity's New Input System
• Procedurally generated gameplay environments with obstacles, loot, and goals
• A variety of enemy types with distinct behaviors and stats
• Huge groups of enemies onscreen simultaneously
• Sophisticated pathfinding AI that keeps enemies within view when possible
• A large selection of unique weapons
• Infinitely scaling difficulty that allows players to choose their level of challenge
• Dynamic enemy wave compositions, numbers, and stats, to keep moment-to-moment gameplay varied
• Satisfying infinite progression system that rewards players with new gameplay opportunities
• Multiple progression avenues to invest into

Last One Left

Release date: Upcoming

An immersive, gameplay-focused survival horror game made in Unity, and blending both 2D and 3D shooter gameplay. Players must survive hordes of monsters while defending and securing various abandoned locations. Windows can be barricaded or shot through in a first-person perspective. Traps and barricades can be placed anywhere, allowing for the creation of choke points, funnels, and kill rooms. Players can use their downtime to search for supplies, weapons, or resources to improve their defenses. A variety of specialized monster types challenge the player's strategic planning and mechanical skill each night. Immersion is heightened with sharp, dynamic lighting and normal maps, and enemies that react realistically when damaged.

Last One Left is currently being developed by Insufficient Mana.

Programming

• Created a limb damage system that allows enemies to dynamically react to damage based on the location and strength of damage recieved (for example, stumbling when shot in the legs multiple times)
• Programmed functionality for enemy limbs that can become damaged or break off entirely, altering enemy behaviors
• Created a ballistics system that allows different bullets to affect enemies differently, with different strengths for stuns, limb damage, penetration, and more
• Developed systems to allow easy environment creation for both 2D and 3D gameplay perspectives
• Created a system to take top-down 2D level environments and translate them into a falsified 3D perspective at runtime, even allowing for moving cameras and props

Design

• Designed various enemy types that test the player's defenses in specific ways
• Created weapon stats and balanced them based on playtesting feedback
• Designed limb damage system, ballistics system, and 2D to 3D environment rendering system
• Designed various level environments and enemy compositions to encourage varied gameplay across different maps