Gameplay Programmer / Game Designer
My name is Sarin, and this is my portfolio. It's a collection of gameplay programming and design highlights from games I worked on in the past 10 years I've been in the industry.
AAA / DEVELOPMENT AND LIVE GAME OPERATION
R6M is a deep and tactical FPS game. It was made by a large international team, with hundreds of people involved in studios across Europe, North America and China.
I helped build gameplay on HUD and Operator teams, shipped soft and worldwide launches and worked on patches expanding the live game.
AAA / R6M / DEVELOPMENT AND LIVE GAME OPERATION
I worked on characters and their high-tech gadgets. Mechanics in R6M have complex interactions with the environment and dozens of character-gadget combinations.
For the operators contributed to, I was responsible for gameplay code, technical design and integration of HUD, audio and gadget animations.
AAA / R6M / FEATURE LEADERSHIP
I led the development of a complex customization system, allowing players to rearrange the entirety of controls and HUD.
I was responsible for planning, development, playsession iteration and live game delivery on a team with programmers, artists and designers.
INDIE / GAMEPLAY PROGRAMMING, GAME DESIGN
Prior to joining AAA, I spent several years shipping 3 indie titles with studios in Poland and the UK, on teams of 15-30 people.
I took on gameplay programming and design roles, often owning end-to-end features, core game systems, game modes and individual mechanics.
INDIE / FULL PRODUCTION CYCLE, GAMEPLAY LEADERSHIP
HSB is a juicy online arena brawler, awarded best multiplayer indie game at Gamescom 2019.
I led the gameplay programming team and contributed as a game designer. I was one of the founding members on this 2.5 year production and shaped key aspects of gameplay: verbs, combat, level mechanics and core gameplay systems.
INDIE / HSB / ABILITY DESIGN
I designed character weapon and ability combinations by fitting various ideas into a desired playstyle framework(rusher, conservative, trickster).
Gameplay programming experience allowed me to quickly implement and iterate on characters, frequently holding playsessions with the gameplay team.
INDIE / HSB / TECHNICAL DESIGN
I implemented and maintained a visual scripting solution, opening up parts of gameplay code to level designers.
Originally developed for rapid prototyping, a mature version found an excellent use case in production, enabling fast iteration of arena levels.
INDIE / FULL PRODUCTION CYCLE
Bladebound is an ambitious hack and slash RPG developed for Android and iOS. I was a gameplay programmer and worked on the game through years of production, soft launch and the worldwide release.
My contributions included gameplay, game modes, and the metagame UI.
INDIE / BLADEBOUND / GAMEPLAY PROGRAMMING
I implemented mechanics and behaviours for advanced enemies, working alongside designers and artists on a monster feature team.
Notably, I created a 3 phase encounter for the final boss of the game as of 2016.
PROTOTYPING / POC BUILDS, VERTICAL SLICES
I built many prototypes to validate game ideas for production. These ranged from small experiments testing core mechanics, to polished vertical slices of big games.
Having a good mix of design and programming skills allowed me to thrive working within small interdisciplinary teams, and in some occasions fully on my own.
PROTOTYPING / GAME FEEL, INTERACTIVITY
Second to second gameplay is my strong suit and something I put a great deal of care into when working on any project. I have a good eye for it, particularly when iterating mechanics or setting up 3Cs for a new prototype.
Pictured: test of aerial combat with exceptionally dynamic movement. The camera is balanced to avoid jerkiness while subtly framing participants of the encounter.
GAME JAMS / EXPERIMENTAL GAMES
I lead a global team of gamedev friends through two 3-day game jams each year. We've made 18 games to date, often taking on ambitious and experimental ideas.
My contributions include gameplay code, design and animation. Most importantly though, I make sure everyone's contributions fit together cohesively.
GAME JAMS / HIGHLIGHT / FUN EXPERIENCES
Some of our games enjoy a degree of popularity beyond the jams.
Little Shop of Junk, a shop simulator with wonky physics, landed particularly well and has been finding new players every day ever since it released.
GAME JAMS / HIGHLIGHT / ITERATIVE DEVELOPMENT
Boombox is a puzzle game about opening a matriyoshka-style stack of lockboxes containing a bomb.
This entry is a success showcase of iterative development. We quickly built a functional prototype, then spent a lot of the jam playtesting and polishing the idea to bring out the fun.
GAME JAMS / HIGHLIGHT / TECH ART
Le Petit Jardin is a gardening mini-game that was meant to offer players a moment to relax after a hactic jam.
It features a 10-second day-night-cycle. Behind the scenes I am controlling many parameters affecting lighting, post process effects and a layered soundscape.
The game won first place awards for mood and graphics.