Aaron Goodwin

Gameplay Systems Developer

---

Indie-focused game developer with experience in Unity / Unreal Engine 5, C# / C++ and a passion for creating both industry standard and niche gameplay systems, AI behaviors and development tools

Overview

I am a gameplay and systems-focused developer with a B.S. in Game Development from Full Sail University. I specialize in designing modular gameplay mechanics, enemy AI behaviors, and state-driven systems that support clear player interaction and maintainable architecture. I primarily work in Unity and Unreal Engine, using C# and C++ to build scalable, team-friendly gameplay systems.My work is driven by an interest in how gameplay systems shape player experience — from pacing and tension to the relationship between mechanics and atmosphere. Across projects such as Earth Untamed, Fluxuate, and Ghostlight, I have focused on AI behavior, gameplay logic, animation integration, and tools that support iterative development.I am currently seeking entry-level roles as a Gameplay Programmer or Technical Developer, and I also provide programming instruction for students ranging from middle school to university-level computer science programs.

Featured Works

Earth Untamed

• Unity | C#

• 4 Person Team

---

Earth Untamed is a psychological survival prototype focused on sustained player tension through systemic design. The experience centers on vulnerability, limited awareness, and escalating pressure driven by a dynamic sanity system.

Sanity-Driven Encounter System

As players move away from safe zones such as campfires, their sanity gradually declines, increasing environmental danger. At critical thresholds, hostile entities known as Shadow Children begin to emerge and pursue the player.

During early testing, encounters lacked urgency, as enemies failed to meaningfully pressure the player. To address this, I implemented perception-driven behavior rules where enemies freeze under direct observation but aggressively advance when outside the player’s view.

Player Experience Outcome

This created a continuous tension loop:
- Maintaining visual contact provides safety but limits movement
- Looking away enables progress but increases vulnerability

The system forces players to make constant trade-offs between awareness and navigation, reinforcing anxiety and sustained engagement without relying on scripted events.

This work emphasized using simple systemic rules to produce emergent psychological pressure, aligning gameplay mechanics directly with player emotion and moment-to-moment decision-making.

Custom Debugging Tools Development

In addition to gameplay systems engineering, I am familiar custom debug tools development. I wrote visual and data-driven debugging scripts for the enemy AI systems

Ghostlight

• Unity | C#

• 3 Person Team

---

Ghostlight is a survival-focused gameplay prototype built around exploration, preparation, and environmental tension. Players alternate between foraging for herbs in a hostile environment while being pursued by a persistent enemy before returning to the safety of home to craft potions and prepare for the next expedition.

Potion crafting involves setting up the recipe book at the crafting station and processing ingredients in the right ways based on the chosen recipe.

Jupiter Skybox

• Blender | Krita | Unity

• Data sourced from NASA Cosmic Imagery Database

---

This project involved creating a high-resolution skybox of Jupiter using publicly available imagery captured by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.

The goal was to transform real astronomical imagery into an environment background suitable for use within a real-time game engine.

To achieve this, I processed and arranged the source images to produce a seamless skybox texture that could wrap correctly around the game environment. A 3D model of Jupiter was also created in Blender to provide an accurate planetary reference within the scene.

The project served as an exercise in asset pipeline development, including texture preparation, 3D modeling integration, and environment rendering within a real-time engine.

---

Technical Skills

Languages & Engines

Gameplay Systems

AI Systems

Debugging

Project Management Tools

Storytelling

I have been telling stories as long as anyone has been around to listen.My path into game development began in the online communities of the early 2000’s, experimenting through the collaborative role-playing forums of various fandoms like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, wading through oceans of both in- and out-of-character relationships.Without realizing it, I was tinkering with narrative design, exploring character-driven interactions, navigating complex relationship dynamics, building detailed canonical lore and structured narrative planning.Those experiences became part of the process with which I build gameplay mechanics and systems today, telling stories to players through systems and interactions rather than words alone.

Exploring emotionally complex characters through my own art is one of my favorite ways to build narrative moments.

I love participating in the entire production pipeline, from concept through asset creation and gameplay programming.

I have often used manga to establish the most essential elements of my stories.

I enjoy developing narrative cornerstones and mechanics by detailing my character's personalities.

This provides opportunities to explore design and development that preserve a focus on the player's connection to the story.

Feel free to contact me via email or phone at any time.