One of the first major projects I put out was my final project for the IGME 235 Intro To Web Technology class at
the Rochester Institute of Technology was 'Reach for the Stars'. A simple modification of the 'Circle Blast' game programmed
as an earlier exercise, this simple Javascript game provides a rudamentary space shooter with fifteen levels, sound effects,
and a few additional ways to change how to play it, it's not one of my proudest projects, but it was one of my first experiences
with an interactive coding project.
As part of the IGME 330 Rich Media Web App Development Class, we were instructed to use the Canvas API to
create a phyllotaxis spiral using an algorithm in Javascript. The above picture is the result of one of the
generated patterns. The instructions were to generate this algorithm to work with buttons that would pause / resume
and restart the pattern and a seperate button to export the current state of the canvas to an image file. We were
told to be creative with the projects, so I provided five different options for colors that generate in different ways.
One other project for the IGME 330 class as mentioned above was to create an audio visualizer assignment that read
music using Javascript and convert that music into data that would update on a Canvas. The style of the visualizer was up
to us to decide, so I provided three different options in a record player, a disco party, and a seismograph as seen in the provided
images. I also applied other functions to the tool from previous audio visualizer assignments such as generating noise and being able
toggle the color, disable certain aspects of the visualizer, alter the color scheme, and impact the base and treble of the music.
As part of the IGME 420 Level Design class, three major projects were to apply the concepts we've learned throughout the semester and
create levels in various genres using those concepts. The games provided were 2D platformer Battleblock Theater, puzzle-platformer
Portal 2, and a first person shooter of our choice, my choice being Quake. The very last project was to choose our favorite level we
made and provide audio commentary and what we enjoyed while making it and what we would do to improve the level in the future.
Battleblock Theater - Harrowing Haywire Havoc
The major aspects we were tasked with applying for the Battleblock Theater level were to get a general feel for the present mechanics
of the game and then apply them with principles of level flow. The main aspect of the levels are to collect 3 of the 7 gems to unlock the exit,
with optional goals of finding a hidden yarnball and finishing in a time limit. I wanted to change up the formula for the level by giving the
player three different directions to the gems with unique aspects of Battleblock's design philosophy. The left leads to tight platforming, the right
to enemy combat, and the top with being an instance of precision platforming with other obstacles. The level was created from a basic sketch, then to
a playable prototype, and then critiqued with peers from the class for the final version playable on the Steam Workshop right now. The provided video
demonstrates the finished version as well as a playthrough of the original.
The level designed for Portal 2 was meant to exemplify it's puzzle aspects and the natural flow of the mechanics as it was introduced to the player.
We were to take an element from the game and then design a level chamber around that mechanic in a three step process; introduce the mechanics to the player
at the start with a simple task, reinforce the task by providing an expansion to the first puzzle, and then apply a twist to the mechanic that makes use of it
in a different way. The mechanic I chose was the Redirection Cube that points laser beams in different direction and activates mechanisms. The original
version was to be three seperate levels that cater to each of the steps with a theme of bringing the redirection cube with you and making use of it throughout,
hence the 'Take Me With You' name which would be followed by 'Take Me Too' which would use a second cube, and 'Take Me Back' which would end with the player losing
the cube. I would've loved to expand the level into this idea, but I eventually combined certain elements to make one chamber for both simplicity and time.
The last level to create was for a first person shooter of our choice, of which I would have chosen the original Doom if it met the proper requirments, so I settled
with Quake instead. We needed to design the level using tools that would make it a viable level from both a gameplay standpoint as well as a visual standpoint. Environmental
storytelling was the aspect we needed to make use of, so I designed the original level as starting within a temple and fighting your way out towards an enemy encampment.
This level was easily the most difficult to create as I worked with Trenchbroom, an external level designing tool as opposed to the internal tools of the previous two projects.
It was diffcult to understand how Trenchbroom worked with it's own components and make the level feel authentic while keeping the original vision intact. Though it was a challenge
to make, I feel as though it was a solid attempt at capturing the idea and making good use of mechanics like hidden walls to keep the experience interesting.
The very last assignment for the class was an audio commentary on the level I enjoyed creating the most and aspects about the course that I enjoyed. The provided video
goes into detail about my choice of Portal 2 being my favorite with some extra notes to explain my design decisions I didn't go into detail on with the original video. The
game footage was captured by me and edited via the video editing tab of Blender, as well as subtitles typed by myself.
'Don't Push Your Luck' Interactive Story
The culmination of my work for the IGME 529 Foundation of Interactive Narrative class is in the story 'Don't Push Your Luck'.
The requirments combined several storytelling techniques learned throughout the semester added to a story that would be told
through three acts that would express character development and reactions. My story is about two roommates who can see the future
and read minds respectively who attempt to keep their secrets from each other when betting goes too far. While rudamentary in interactive
elements, I'm still happy with the way that this project turned out, especially with handling Twine to create all the transitions and sound effects.
In the Summer of 2022, I was brought on board as a 3D Asset Designer for Changeling, a virtual reality narrative experience.
I worked alongside others to model, texture, and animate several of the assets used in the game, which I created with Blender. The
above images are some of the items that I created for the project, taking what I've learned from previous asset design classes and
applying those skills professionally. It was not only my first experience working professionally with others in the field, but a
learning experience into 3D Asset Design process and import
Micro Miner is a small personal project made in Gamemaker Studio 2. The game was primarily inspired by the arcade game Major Havoc which
my father introduced me to, as well as the aesthetics of low-bit systems like the ZX Spectrum. In the game, you control the eponymous
Micro Miner, who recieves an S.O.S. signal from a local mining facility and must venture inside to find the sender while collecting items
to enhance progression and any bit of loot on his way inside.
2/12/2024 Build
This is one of the first builds of the game while it was early in development. The main goal of this build was to get the main controls
and feel of the level design complete before expanding into new playable areas. Several assets shown in the video are placeholders while I
was still getting the level geometry down.
Progress in this snapshot includes:
Basic animation and movement
Basic tilest for levels
Weapon switching and item pickup
Area transition
Ladder logic
5/16/2024 Build
Following a two week hiatus, development resumes and I was underway to create new assets and areas to explore. I went back and improved certain graphics
such as the animation for digging through specific walls to find gems, and got to work on moving platforms and the first enemy and how it's logic functions.
Progress in this snapshot includes:
Code optimization
Improved and additional tilesets
Basic enemy
Various new assets
New rooms leading to entrance of building
! Early showcase. Project currently in development !
Sort Circuit
Sort Circuit is an upcoming arcade platforming game created in Gamemaker Studio 2. In a world where electrical appliances are powered by little creatures called Sparks,
the player takes on the role of an employee of Recharge LLC. As workers of the company, they must carry Sparks to collectors to recharge them while navigating around
obstacles and enemies.
9/27/2024 Build
This is a progress video approximately one month into development on Sort Circuit. The core element of gameplay, carrying and throwing Sparks has been established,
as well as animations for the primary character, menu, collector and generator assets as well as the basic behavior of the first enemy; The Rolling Thunder. My
friend Jestro provided the first song which will be used in the first set of levels for the Arcade mode.
Progress in this snapshot includes:
Basic animation and movement for player
Assets and functionality for main menu
Established the core loop of the game
Introduced the first enemy type
10/16/2024 Build
This update has several additions to the game from the first snapshot. First and foremost is the second playable character, Magnette, who instead of jumping like Volt
to handle platforming, instead flips her own gravity to float directly up and down. The following characters will also have unique controls and way to change up how they
accomplish the gameplay loop of bringing Sparks to the Collectors. On that note with the Collectors, I realized that with a game about sorting objects by color, there would need to be a
Colorblind mode, so I edited the sprites to account for the toggle to include distinguisable shapes on both the Sparks and Collectors to differentiate them. Lastly is an
update to the games graphics, with the checkerboard pattern used to define walls being replaced with a new tileset to fit more in line with the factory theme of this
first set of levels.
Progress in this snapshot includes:
Improving menu functionality with each option having a dedicated submenu
Added Settings tab to adjust game volume and colorblind mode toggle
Edited programming to account for character selection and controls with the second available character to control; Magnette
Created new tilesets for the main level geometry and background details
Standalone Art
Scenic Shots
I took a week to experiment with Aseprite after purchasing it and used the time to get used to working
with multiple layers, transparency, and gradients. I limited myself to 128 by 128 pixels to test myself with
the limited space, and decided to create a few scenes of varying colors and moods.
A distant pair of planets and a supernova.
A calm valley with a shot of a yellow-orange hill.
An icy mountain with a frozen lake. The cold atmosphere
A banner and set of old swords in an abandoned battlefield.
During my junior year at RIT, I found an advertisment on campus for ERSolstice, a student who streamed video games of Twitch. I became a
reccurent viewer, and soon propsed to help out as a channel artist, with my main contribution being Solstice's PNGTuber. Solstice came up with
the idea for the design before I drew the images used for the model in Adobe Photoshop, as well as searching for tutorials to set up the PNGTuber
in OBS. Recently I contributed another piece for the channel in the form of the 'Starting Soon' screen, which I made by creating sprites based on
the PNGTuber, and creating the assets, shaders, and animations in Blender.
GMTK Game Jam 2024
One of the starting rooms, showing Minimus in a small state.
A small puzzle involving breakable walls and bomb flowers.
My friend Jestro invited me to work along side him as an artist for an entry in the GMTK Game Jam 2024 on itch.io. He assigned me to create
sprites for the game with designs he proposed himself, of which I got to work on with Aseprite. I also pitched ideas with him constantly, including
ideas regarding the environment with the jungle theme and the boss design, a big carnivorous plant called Roughlesia. Jestro was on the front end of
composing and programming while I also handled bug testing. We unfortunately found a softlock shortly before the submission deadline, but we still enjoyed
working together on the project and I felt it was a great learning experience.
! - This is the release build that contains the previously mentioned softlock. - !
GigaCard
GigaCard is a small project created by several members of the Discord server for the game 'Gigasword'. The project is a gacha card game created by TechHead
with art for the cards and templates created by other artists and game designers. Many cards are based around not only key aspects of Gigasword and it's development,
but the different projects the server members are working on and jokes circling around the server itself. Presented are some of the cards I have made for the project,
featuring some of the designers and artists, including;
Peanut, Euthanos, and C_hicken: other artists on the Gigasword Discord server
Friends Of James
"Friends of James" is a mod for the game Balatro by LocalThunk. This mod includes several new Jokers to use
that fall in line with other Jokers from the base game. There are Jokers such as Aftershock that retriggers stone cards, Spilled Salt that guarentees chance effects never activate, Reciept
that gives money when skipping booster packs, and many more. Currently there are an additional 36 Jokers to try out. All the art and programming was done by me, but I also included some custom Jokers
with some inspiration from close friends and associates. The pages that detail what each new Joker does as well as the link to the install page can be found below.
