Charlie's Portfolio

Projects

Game Projects

During my enriching three-year journey at NUA, studying Games Development, I've embraced countless opportunities to create a diverse array of games. From coursework to engaging in exhilarating game jams, I've honed my skills and knowledge, becoming adept at crafting games using different engines and coding languages.

While some of these projects may have encountered some challenges, they have been immensely enjoyable to work on. The invaluable experience gained from tackling these challenges will undoubtedly serve as a stepping stone towards realizing my dream of joining the dynamic games industry.

As I reflect on my time at university, I am filled with gratitude for the chance to explore my passion and grow as a game developer. I am eager to take the skills I've cultivated and the knowledge I've acquired into the world, ready to make my mark and contribute to the ever-evolving landscape of game creation.

A fast paced, super stylized, roguelike, twin stick shooter. Nine levels of designed, hand painted and procedurally generated, punchy and punky fast mayhem in a uniquely stunning attitude filled world.

Designed and procedurally generated elements in a unique art style painted on different geometrical themes provide a striking personality to each level, presenting a vivid, compelling and coherent universe. A searing selection of weapons, increasingly powerful special abilities, progressively weird foes, end of level bosses, hidden level sections, environmental hazards and entire hidden levels combine with a pumping soundtrack to provide a one of a kind, aggressive gameplay loop, unique every-session playthrough experience.

Engine & Tools: Unreal Engine 5, Rider 2022, C++, Perforce

Download Page Gameplay Video

Welcome to the mesmerizing and heart-pounding world of Box Game – a sensational video game that plunges you deep into the eerie and mysterious recesses of an otherworldly warehouse. Prepare to be captivated as you find yourself completely immersed in a spine-tingling atmosphere, maneuvering through labyrinthine aisles that are shrouded in shadows, with towering stacks of cardboard boxes looming ominously overhead.

Armed with an extraordinary and mighty vacuum device, capable of effortlessly suctioning up the very essence of your surroundings – the cardboard boxes – you hold the power to transform these humble containers into formidable projectiles. Your mettle will be tested as you race against the relentless tick of the clock to make your daring escape from this surreal and precarious environment. Traverse the dimly lit passages, master the art of precision in your cardboard-flinging arsenal, and defy the relentless countdown. Are you ready to confront the unknown and conquer the Box Game?

Engine & Tools: Unreal Engine 4, Rider 2022, C++, Github

Download Page Gameplay Video

Welcome to the enchanting world of Fantasy Fortress, a captivating top-down 3D fantasy tower defense game. Brace yourself for thrilling challenges as you navigate through waves of relentless enemies to conquer each level and unlock new ones. In this epic battle against the forces of darkness, you wield an arsenal of magical and enigmatic characters capable of vanquishing any monstrous adversary that dares to cross your path.

As you encounter an array of enemy types, careful strategic planning is essential. Placing your turrets wisely and selecting the right ones for each slot will be the key to victory. Fear not, for the game offers a multi-level upgrade system, empowering you to enhance your defenses and tackle even the most formidable foes. Prepare to immerse yourself in a world where magic and strategy intertwine, and embark on a journey of conquest like no other in Fantasy Fortress.

Engine & Tools: Unity, Rider 2019, C#, Github, Mixamo, Photoshop

Methodology

Tower Defense Current Development

This tower defense game is currently my main focus of work, in my last year of university I have been given the chance to work on a game for a good chunk of my last term which gives me well enough time to finish the game, polish it and publish it to a game's website such as steam.

This is my first attempt at building a 3d game using Unity as I usually use Unreal Engine 4 so the development of this game has been much more challenging to learn an engine and editor while creating a game but has massively improved my skills within Unity and a better knowledge of different game development engines.

Turret Targetting

Since there needed to be a main script that all the turrets used or could branch off the best way was to have all the basic targetting and firing functions all together so it could then be called later on whether it was firing a AOE or multiple projectiles. For this, the turret will try to find any enemy with the tag of the enemy and make it a target, which then can be used to rotate the turret towards that enemy making it look like it's aiming at that targetted enemy.

This update enemy function is invoked every zero point five seconds from the start of the turret being spawned so it can then update the target while its already got a target for this targeting system it needed to focus on the closest target to that turret, however this could be a feature that could be changed later on to let the player choose what enemy to target as this would add more strategic targetting of enemies. To make sure that the turrets don't shoot all the enemies on the screen there is an added check to see if that targetted enemy is in the turrets range which is a variable that can be changed on each turret to match their playstyle.

Spawner Wave System

The wave system for this game needed to be quite complex so that it could spawn however many enemies, with that selected prefab so that each round would then be different or it can progress through difficulty. This lead me to use an IEnumerator as it can be called every chosen amount of seconds which for this would be the round countdown so as soon as the countdown ends the round begins. In this function, it will go along the array of the wave index and for each item, in the array, it will spawn a certain amount of enemies. The actual function to spawn the enemy is simply just getting to that point needs to go through the checks to see if it can, then what one to spawn. This script can then be attached to the spawner in the level which then makes the enemies spawn from that location on the map, making it very easy to change this in future levels.

Enemy Behaviour

For the enemies to walk along the path towards their goal they needed a movement script however this needed to be changed instead of a simple moveto, so that the enemy's route could be changed for each level or pretty much made for each levels map. To solve this problem I used waypoints in a array around the map that the enemy could go towards until they have reached it and then find a new one to go towards repeating this process until there aren't any more waypoints left in the array. To do this the waypoints are all added to a array at the beginning of the game so it doesn't need to be set each time to a particular number, which the enemy can then go to each object in that array, marking off the one it has been to. If there are no more points for the enemy to walk along it will then end its movement path and remove a life from the player.

One of the small additions i added to the movement for the enemy was different changing speeds so the maximum and minimum speeds can be set for each enemy and it will pick a number between the two and that variable will become the speed of that enemy, I found this helped make the enemies more realistic and not like walking drones with the same movement speed.

Download Page

Embark on a subterranean adventure in Leaf Worm, a thrilling 2D side-scrolling game where you must conquer the depths by obliterating underground seeds to progress through each level. Take charge of a lively green leaf worm, burrowing through the earth in search of these precious seeds to devour. Prepare for a unique challenge every time you play, as the seeds are scattered randomly throughout the map, with varying quantities. With each playthrough, immerse yourself in an ever-changing experience, making it impossible to rely on memory or preconceived strategies to locate these elusive seeds. Get ready to embrace the unknown and dive into the unpredictable world of Leaf Worm!

Engine & Tools: Unity, Rider 2019, C#, Github, Aseprite

Methodology

Leaf Worm Overview

Leaf worm was a game created for the Global Games Jam 2023 just by myself and the addition of free assets I could find online over two days. For that particular game's jam, I decided to compete by myself to see what I could do in this short period and not have to rely on other members of a team. This was my first experience making a 2d game in unity which I think was quite successful. The game is quite underdeveloped however it is playable and each time it is played the game will be different, there isn’t much more difficulty since it's more about collecting items at the player's pace but it's a fun little game I'm happy I could work on and create.

Worm Movement

The worm makes use of basic 2d unity movment that uses W, A, S, D to move in all directions by changing a variable that affects the player's location either positive or negative to go in that direction. However, for the actual worm body has its own distinctive movement wiggle to create the effect of a worm digging through the ground. I researched into different ways of doing this and found examples that worked for tentacles so this would also work in this situation and could be changed a lot to suit the behaviours of a worm such as the amount the body wiggles by itself. For the worm body, it uses a line renderer that then creates lots of different segments along the body that can be moved which then means it will affect the others if one moves. So this updates with the player's movement and reacts to it making it feel like the body is still in the ground just following the head.

To make the worm body look more like it has worm movement it needed to wiggle when moving across the screen. This means that every so often the body will just wiggle which appears when quickly enough like the body is wiggling back and forth. This then also works because the segments will take the information from the one in front of it so it creates the effect of the wiggle going down the body. To apply this force it creates a Vector 3 and applies smooth damp to each segment, which then uses multipliers to change the speed or wiggle amount.

Seed Spawning

To spawn in the seeds created a seed prefab that just had a line trace going upward as i wanted the seeds to still spawn in roots when its spawned in and I found it then also helps the player when they are trying to find the seed it makes it less tedious to check each corner. So for the spawning of these prefabs I could then take an area and at the start of the level just spawn a certain amount of that prefab anywhere on that item, so in this case it was the background map that could just add mesh so that the seeds won't spawn outside the camera view, but with this spawner, it can be changed in the editor how many to spawn in or a range between two points.

Documentation

Step into the world of Small Stalks, an immersive text-based, top-down game where you assume the role of a diligent farmer entrusted with the vital task of cultivating and nurturing plants to thrive. The destiny of these precious greens lies in your hands, as their health and well-being are influenced by the choices and dialogues you engage in with the characters. Your interactions will shape the plants' growth, either enriching them or presenting challenges based on your responses and interactions with the game's characters.

However, your responsibilities don't end there. As the farmer, you must physically tend to the plants, grabbing tools and equipment to water them and replace soil when necessary. Strike a harmonious balance between guiding their growth through conversations and ensuring their physical vitality through hands-on care. Are you up to the challenge of becoming the ultimate guardian of these Small Stalks? The journey to cultivate and cherish nature's wonders awaits you!

Engine & Tools: Unreal engine 4, C++, Blueprint, Rider 2019, Github, Mixamo

Methodology

Small Stalks Playthrough

This game was created for a second year University project between a large group of students and myself, over a couple of weeks to create a working demo or game. My role alongside an indie developer was to create the dialogue system in ue4. However, our expectations of what we could get done were a lot higher than realistically possible, which has to lead to the game being left unfinished but enough for the university submission since it was only a game prototype that was needed. My main focus on this project was the entire communication between the player and the AI which lets the player talk to different characters and the choices/responses affect the environment around it.

Pickup & Inventory System

Since the game needed more for the player to be doing than just talking to these characters all the time we implemented a pickup system so that the player can pick up items like a watering can, fill it up and uses it to keep the plants alive, and this would then become a system that the plants have a happiness and water level which is visible on the screen and the player has to keep running around to make sure these levels don't drop to nothing and the plants then die.

For this i had to do alot of research into creating pickups that could then be placed into a inventory system and used on a button press, however, the one side of the design of the game that worked well in my favour was that the player can only pick up one at a time, Which meant that it was more a case of changing a variable or system on the player so know what they are holding. So each item is then fed through a array on the player that then gets updated every time the player adds to or removes from the inventory. This then could be used for the visual inventory hud on the screen so the player can see what items are picked up. Another idea the gorup came up with was for items to wear away or become unusable so they would have to keep picking up these items, however there wasn't enough time in the project for this.

Story Design

As this game was putting the player through these conversations we then had to map out what each character would say at each point and then change that alongside what the player is responding with. To simplify and plan this out we used an online diagram page that would make things a lot easier and handy to have when working on the game and developing dialogue. This also helped some of the asset members of the team as the character responses could help them create a persona for the characters they would be designing. When working through these small interactions between each character and player we found it would feel more responsive if the player had responded in a good or bad way which we found worked if these options would add or subtract stats when the player talks to the AI.

Download Page Documentation

Prepare to be dazzled by Laser Beam, an engaging top-down puzzle game that challenges you to wield the power of light reflections to vanquish all targets and advance to the next level. Navigate through 20 meticulously crafted levels, each presenting new and diverse puzzles to conquer. But beware, as obstacles and tricky movements will test your skills, growing progressively more challenging as you advance.

Race against time as you strive to destroy all blocks before the clock runs out, adding an exhilarating element of urgency to your quest. With the ability to customize the beam's color, you can infuse your gameplay with a personal touch, enhancing the immersive experience. Get ready to unlock the secrets of light manipulation and embark on an enthralling journey in Laser Beam!

Engine & Tools: Unreal engine 4, C++, Blueprint, Rider 2019, Github, Photoshop

Methodology

Laser Beam Overview

Originaly the design was a water management game that used a block to reflect water into a goal, however, after working with the Unreals Niagara system I thought this would take too long for the time we had set for our project. So instead this was turned into a laser beam game using Unreals line trace and calculating the reflection on mirror objects. Which I worked on as a solo project to get fully finished and playable with 20 levels.
The main focus was to be a puzzle game so alot of the time and research was spent on learning how to make things more difficult and what makes levels harder than others, so I could then have a progressing game that became more and more difficult as the player progresses but also teaches the player new skills that feel rewarding later on.

Basic Mechanics

The main movement for the cube is sorted out through a variable which can be effected by pressing either A or D, which will then rotate the cube either clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on what button is pressed. The line trace is stored inside the cube which will draw a line between the cube and the edges of the map unless the line trace hits a particular material which in this case its the glass material and that then spawns in another line trace and so forth.

The linetrace can then detect wether its hitting another reflective material in which it will spawn another that has the same behaviour if the line trace doesn't detect that exact material name it will just draw the black line. This indicates that the line trace has ended and it's not hit a target. To calculate the angle of the other light reflection the trace will then take into account the direction it's coming from and then reflect it on an oppersite angle so if the beam is going down right it will then reflect up right as the picture shows above.

Download Page Documentation

Embark on an otherworldly adventure with Space Cat Nip, a thrilling third-person sci-fi shooter that plunges you into the depths of space. Armed with laser pistols, your mission is to obliterate menacing robots while skillfully navigating through the cosmos, hopping from one floating island to another in search of the precious cat nip that fuels your journey to the next level. Experience an immersive space-like movement that makes you feel weightless, as if you're truly floating amidst the stars. Engage with playful objects scattered throughout the map, adding a touch of fun and excitement to your cosmic escapade. Get ready to shoot, jump, and float your way through Space Cat Nip's captivating interstellar playground!

Engine & Tools: Unreal engine 4, C++, Blueprint, Visual Studio 2017, Github

Methodology

Space Cat Nip Overview

Space Cat Nip was made for the Global Games Jam 2022, I worked on this with another Developer and an Artist to create a third-person shooter classic sci-fi over a couple of days. My main focus in this game was the robot enemies that chase the player around the map and also Spent a lot of time on the gravity effect to make all the items and islands float which then would react to the player's movement. It's mainly just a simple platformer with some added extra gravity effects that make it a lot of fun for the player to jump around floating islands and push rocks around the map.The main movement is done through UE4 character controller so WASD will move the character and space will make it jump, after aspect we spent a good amount of time on was the UE4 character components air movement as with this we could then give the player character space like movement so the character would be able to control alot in the air and the gravity would be very small falling when the character jumps of a rock making it easy to land on small ones.
Since this was intended for a games jam the time we had to work on it was only two days so the scope had to be quite small, however, it still includes a couple of basic mechanics which makes it fun to play and go through the levels. With the robot enemies that show up later on the game does then have some small difficulties as the robots can then chase the player down.

AI Behaviour

The Robot enemies where a idea we came up with later on in the jam so they didn't have much time for us to develop on however with the UE4 AI behaviour trees we could get a simple patroling and chasing player implemented into the game.So the Robots behaviour will make it find a location at random on the nav mesh its using so for this it would be the islands top face, and then move to it which it then can repeat the process.If the enemy detects the player in its line of sight it can set the players position as the target and then move to that.As we needed a way of dying the player takes damage every so seconds after the player has taken damage for the first time.

Gravity Effects

For the Gravity effects on objects this was something i spent alot of time on as i saw it as a fun challenge to work on and it would add a lot of "Game Feel to the game since it's all based around space. So that this could be used on any object I created the base of this through C++ which was much more difficult than all blueprints but it was a good chance to learn about 3d physics as I hadn't had much time to work in this field before and I found it very interesting.

For this script it sets up the variable that the blueprints then uses to create the line trace between the island and the item below it to calculate the amount to float and if the player then adds force to the island going downward it can adjust for that. With the variable of hover force made available to change in the editor, it then makes it easier to work with different sizes of objects such as small rocks.

Download Page Documentation

Welcome to the challenging world of Mega Magnet, an enthralling top-down puzzle game designed to test and enhance your puzzle-solving skills. Each level pushes you to complete it with less time remaining, all while facing the menace of evil robots determined to impede your progress. Your objective is to locate the correct block within the time limit and skillfully place it on the loading bay to conquer each level.

Beware, for the game's unpredictability adds to the excitement and difficulty! With every playthrough, a new set of random blocks spawns in the map, concealing the true path from the false ones. This makes each level an unpredictable and unique puzzle to solve, ensuring no two attempts are alike. As you progress, the challenge intensifies, introducing an ever-growing array of blocks to navigate through.

Prepare for a mental workout and embrace the strategic complexity of Mega Magnet, where wit, speed, and adaptability are your keys to success. Are you ready to master the art of magnetism and triumph over the ever-evolving puzzles that await?

Engine & Tools: Unreal engine 4, Blueprint, Visual Studio 2019, Asprite

Methodology

Mega Magnet Overview

This game was planned and built for my final project at the end of my first year at university which could then show off what I had picked up along the way. The focus of this project was to create a puzzle game that could be very challenging for the player, so this lead me down the route of randomly generating the blocks around the level so every single round will be different to the last and unpredictable for the player to work around. This was another project that I ended up working on a lot outside of the university to complete and fully flesh it out so it has lots of different levels and was a lot more rewarding to play.

Design

The base design for this game is quite simple as everything needs to be on the screen at all times so it leaves the focus on the blocks instead of working around the level, which lead me to use a top-down camera but adjusted to an angle so that the player can still see the sides of the characters and objects, similar to an orthographic camera.

The walls are added to the level just to make the player work more for each attempt to find the correct block, but the problem of having walls meant I couldn't just spawn in blocks anywhere on a mesh which would be the simple way of doing it. Instead, I had to use empty blocks which I could then put manually move around the level and then with the blueprint script it could spawn in that block or choose a different location but i wouldnt then have the problem of it spawning inside the walls.

Randomly Generating Blocks

For the spawning of blocks i went through a couple of different methods of getting this to work but this way seemed the quickest and most simple at the time.So for the emtpy blocks that are placed around the level, there parent inside the editor will have this blueprint so it can get all the children, which means i could then have as many blocks as possible, and put them in a array so it can then randomly choose wether or not to spawn in a block at that child.For this level i found that one real block and five other fake blocks was enough to have around one or two real blocks in the level, the random integer for this goes to six so that there is a one in six chance that there wont be a block spawned on that child making it look like they move for each level.

With this same blueprint script idea i could then replicate this for the dropping bay so that the dropping bay would then move to a different spot each time the level is played, to make this work I added four different target points around each corner of the level, created a array from it and since the game only needs one drop bay it could then just spawn one and not have to be possible on every single child.

Charlie Mason

Gameplay Programmer Portfolio

Projects

Game Projects

Tower Defense Current Development

Turret Targetting

Spawner Wave System

Enemy Behaviour

Leaf Worm Overview

Worm Movement

Seed Spawning

Small Stalks Playthrough

Pickup & Inventory System

Story Design

Laser Beam Overview

Basic Mechanics

Space Cat Nip Overview

AI Behaviour

Gravity Effects

Mega Magnet Overview

Design

Randomly Generating Blocks