Game Developer & Game Designer

Hey there! I am Pedro Fonseca a Bachelor of Computer Science and Cognitive Science from the University of Michigan. A tough journey lies ahead as I dive head-first into game development and there is no better way to swim than getting some strides going. Below you will find some of the best works I have in my pocket as of this moment. All of them are made under immense time pressure making sure every second of time meant something to the end result. Take a gander and let me know what you think!

Project Nova: Cellosseum

A case study on the rogue-like, bullet hell Nova Drift featuring endless waves of enemies with unique upgrade paths. Built on a team of 49 students over the course of 3 months.

Contributions

• Assigned to a programming subdivision of 7 students to implement the game functionality and the encounter- related requests by the game design team.
• Following an AGILE work ethic with tools like Jira, Confluence, and Bitbucket to maintain our project.
• Implemented features such as enemy movement patterns, screen wrapping, and hazard systems.

Toolkit

The WolverineSoft team developed Project Nova through the Unity game engine and C# scripts. Project management was handled through the Jira Software, documentation was recorded in Confluence, and version control utilized BitBucket which I personally paired with SourceTree. Play now for free on Steam!

One Tap Victory Lap (OTVL)

Tap your way through 300+ levels in this tap, lap, car game.

Contributions

• Built and shipped a mobile app to the App and Google Play store with a team of 4 developers.
• Implemented a notification system to guide players to previously missed menus using static class structures.
• Integrated UI/UX elements into an in-progress project to allow the player to see their reward progress and familiarize myself with the existing codebase.

Toolkit

The AppStop.io team developed OTVL through the Unity game engine and C# scripts. Project management was handled through the Asana Software, and version control utilized Github. Play now for free on the App or Google Play Store!

SpeakVR

A VR application that makes you a better public speaker by honing your skills of projection, eye contact, and gesturing.

Contributions

• Designed and integrated the eye tracking crosshair to alleviate the distractions of a line trace and accurately track the direction the user is looking at.
• Linked audience behaviors to expected behaviors of the user in the case of poor performance to indicate in a visual way that the user was doing something wrong.
• Implemented the note card system to replicated note usage in real-life speeches.
• Wrote and assigned Jira tasks for each sprint for a productive iterative cycle.

Toolkit

I developed this with five partners through the Unreal game engine and VR framework. Most of of the code was written via Blueprints, but some utilized c++ to allow the user to import their own notes. Project management was handled through the Jira Software, and version control was handled with Github. Make sure to visit our website below for devblogs from our 4-5 week journey in Unreal!

Slime-Handed

Made as the final class project for EECS 494: Intro to Game Development. The development occurred over a month and a half with playtesting occuring each week. I picked a good house to pick my way into. Not a soul inside tonight... I heard the owner keeps a gem around here somewhere. CREEEEEEEAK! Gotcha. Not even one alarm trigg- Caught by a mage in an attempt to steal a transmuting gem, our "heroic" thief becomes nothing but goo. Ironically the gem is the only chance at transforming back to human form. As such he must continue the theft... as a slime. Sling the thief like a golf ball across 5 shelfs filled with perilous magics left behind to torture slime people who dared to cross the mage. Careful. The mage leaves the gem just within your grasp only to watch you squirm.

Contributions

• Worked on a 5-person team to explore a larger, team-based game development project.
• Utilized an "Event Publish and Subscribe" pattern to keep a clean and independent systems within our code base.
• Appointed to level designer for the implementation of levels and puzzle elements involving pushing objects and teleporation.
• Handled player guidance through a Toast System to alleviate player frustrations.

Toolkit

My team developed "Slime-Handed" through the Unity game engine and C# scripts. Project management was handled through the Jira Software. I made the slime model we used in game through Blender. Our artist formed the comic strip art through Adobe After Effects and the editing of images and sprites for the purpose of trailers, devblogs, and particle effects, were done through GIMP. You may find a Windows and Mac build as well as dev blogs for the game below!

Legend(s) of Zelda

Made as a class project for EECS 494: Intro to Game Development. Features the first dungeon of the original NES class "The Legend of Zelda" and a custom level where you might feel like you are seeing double. Thank you Melissa Fang for being a great partner!

Contributions

• Redeveloped the first dungeon for the original NES Legend of Zelda game to set a powerful foundation on the Unity game engine.
• Implemented the character's (Link's) weapons and inventory for practice on player controllers.
• Explored Unity's toolkit for dungeon creation to gain knowledge on tile palettes, coroutines, and scene management.

Toolkit

My partner and I created this version of "The Legend of Zelda" through the Unity game engine and C# scripts. Project management was handled through the Jira Software. A WebGL build was then hosted to itch.io which you may find below!

Left Behind

Made as a rapid-prototype for EECS 494: Intro to Game Development. Features a mix of known stamina mechanics and temporary invincibility mechanics with a flying auto-scroller. Migration has already started and you were snoozing off! Fly through the the forest avoiding falling snowing and keeping your stamina up with wind bursts to catch up with your flock!

Contributions

• Developed a solo project to find a novel game mechanic and utilize it in the creation of a closed game loop.
• Managed level segmentation in the interest of keeping perfomance high for long, side-scrolling levels.
• Designed an obstacle system with controlled randomness for novelty across different game runs.
• Followed a singleton game manager procedure to track progress across levels

Toolkit

I created "Left Behind" through the Unity game engine and C# scripts. Project management was handled through the Jira Software. A WebGL build was then hosted to itch.io which you may find below.

CSE Simulator

A special rendition of the CSE lab in the Bob, Betty, Beyster Building that has mysteriously been overrun by ninjas.

Contributions

• Implemented interactable components like lightswitches, fire alarms, and NPCs.
• Designed a special feature allowing the player to equip and fire shurikens.
• Improved the project via iteration based on weekly feedback.
• Handled collision logic on the player to support player damage and pass-through objects during the ambush.

Toolkit

I developed this with one partner through the Unreal game engine and blueprints. Project management was handled through the Jira Software, and version control was handled with Github.

A2Go!

An AR tourist app encouraging you to explore Ann Arbor to plant trees and get rid of critters which might hinder their value.

Contributions

• Designed and implemented all UI elements to provided a low-complexity and welcoming art style.
• Structured a database of tree and enemy objects used to pass data between scenes.
• Utilized Mapbox systems to provide an accurate map of a user's surroundings.
• Diversified enemy types with different movement patterns to make the game aspect more alluring.
• Handled user camera controls to allow preferred perspectives of the environment.

Toolkit

I developed this with one partner through the Unity game engine and AR framework. The mapping data was gained with Mapbox technology and altered to fit our needs. Project management was handled through the Jira Software, and version control was handled with Github.

Ace of Swords

Made for the WolverineSoft 2022 Turkey Jam on a team of 4. We were given 48 hours to construct a game around the theme of "flourish". You are challenged to a duel of wits, beauty, and flourish! You know each of your opponents moves, but do you have the right card up your sleeve to counter each move. Go on an duel in this sword-card take on the classic rock-paper-scissors game. Maybe you can attempt to COMBO these cards and build up some style that you can finish with an ultimate move.

Contributions

I worked with one other partner to do the majority of the programming for the game. This involved setting up the randomized cards, the simulated battle through the unity animator, the start menu and credits scene, and the combo meter represented by the blossoms on the tree that allow you to perform an ultimate flourish.

Toolkit

Our team developed this game entirely through Unity and C# scripts along with face-to-face team communication. The design of the game employed the team's first use of Coroutines which expanded our options into time-based coding. A WebGL build was then hosted to itch.io which you may find below!