MICAH MATEO VARGAS
Game Developer
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Game Development
Unity
C#
Github
5
Developer
6 months
Project Spiral is a boss rush game where an extermination job goes awry after a wizard's spell transforms a small creature into a progressively stronger foe.
Each time the boss is defeated, it transforms, challenging the player further.
Spiral's gameplay consists of a series of boss fights.
After each victory, players can build their character by either refilling health or selecting a new item.
Items can replace primary or secondary attacks or offer passive effects, encouraging diverse playstyles based on item combinations.
Project Spiral is developed using the spiral development methodology, where each build, or “spiral,” is a feature-complete version of the game with closed game-loops.
Each iteration builds on the previous, expanding content and features while keeping the game playable from start to finish.
This iterative approach helps manage scope effectively, ensuring a technically complete experience at the end of every spiral. In effect, this means no matter when time or money runs out, the game is complete.
To track progress, we use a three-number build system:
A key example of our content reuse strategy is the Basilisk boss and the Grappling Hook item.
The Basilisk was designed to create a hazardous battlefield by placing permanent hitboxes and using a tongue attack to drag the player into danger.
The tongue attack was implemented with a custom LineRenderer script, interpolating points between the Basilisk's mouth and the player’s position, visualized using Unity’s LineRenderer component.
Recognizing the reusability of this mechanic, I adapted it into a Grappling Hook item, allowing the player to pull themselves toward any point on the screen.
To reduce our art workload with a team of 4 programmers and 1 audio specialist, I proposed and developed a procedural animation system as a code-driven alternative to traditional keyframed animation.
This system drives both player and enemy animations, requiring only 3D models—no rigs or keyframes necessary.
The system uses a custom Inverse Kinematics (IK) script controlling limb positions through a 3-point structure (shoulder, elbow, hand for arms and thigh, knee, foot for legs).