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My Roles
I was responsible for many of the core technical systems of the game including:
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Designing and implementing the enemy monster's AI system
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Creating a procedural animation system for an arachnid-like monster
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Developing a pacing manager to track player progress and dynamically adjust difficulty
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Building designer tools to allow teammates to easily develop and tune levels and scenes without touching code
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Creating the interactive map system, used by the player to monitor and control the environment
I also worked on interactive props found around the game such as the Terry bobblehead​​​
Key Challenges
Inspired by Alien: Isolation, I created a multi-layered AI system using a custom state machine architecture:
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State Machine Design:
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MonsterController: Core logic hub
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MonsterState: Abstract base class
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Concrete states: Seek, Attack, Hide, Divert, Absent, Kill
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MonsterStateMachine: Manages transitions and event triggers
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MonsterAnimator: Controls both procedural and fixed animations
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Pacing Manager:
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Tracked player progress and major events
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Adjusted monster behavior and state machine inputs
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Triggered scripted sequences for narrative and tension spikes
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Creating an intelligent yet "fair" alien AI — smart enough to be threatening, but not omniscient. It also needed to respond dynamically to gameplay tension and scale appropriately
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Used Unity’s Animation Rigging Package for IK
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Controlled leg movement with PrimeTween (Lerp helper package)
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Blended between procedural and fixed animation via weighted influence over IK targets
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Added system for clean transitions between animation systems for gameplay and cinematic moments
Creating a reactive animation system for the alien that could:
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Navigate complex environments
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Blend between procedural IK and fixed animation clips
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Support special animations (climbing walls, dodging, killing)
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Designed a clean, worldspace map UI displaying static elements and moving entities (Conor, the monster)
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Players can click on rooms to swap surveillance cameras
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Used alphanumeric markers for terminals and switches, reducing UI clutter and reinforcing the "retro-futuristic" theme
Keeping controls intuitive while managing a complex scenario involving multiple systems (AI, navigation, alarms, doors, etc.)
Tools & Tech
Engine: Unity 6
Packages / Plugins: PrimeTween, FMOD Studio, Animation Rigging
Design Patterns: State Machines, Scriptable Events, Modular Components
Lessons Learned
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Code Structure Matters - Good architecture is essential, especially for long-term projects.
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Ask for Help Early - I initially tried to “prove myself” with difficult systems solo - a mistake I learned from quickly.
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Learning from Others - Working with more experienced peers was a crash course in design, programming, and collaboration.
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Pair Programming Works for Me - I discovered that I thrive in pair work: bouncing ideas, mutual code reviews, shared accountability.
The Team
I was very fortunate to work with such a talented and driven team. We shared a strong creative bond, particularly over the game’s satirical tone. That shared humor helped keep momentum high during production challenges. Click below to see more of their work.
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