Game Jams

Tavern Tycoon: Brew & Brawl

I worked on this project during December 2024! I had the pleasure and opportunity to take part in the Tavern Keeper Game Jam 2024 as an environment artist and 3D modeler. I created a majority of the things seen throughout the game: tables, bars, keg/barrels, barrel holders, boxes, crates, chairs, stools, benches, candles, vases, kitchen utensils (pots, pans, ladles, knives, cutting board, roller, etc), cauldron, quest board, and so on.

It was a ton of fun and a great learning experience all around. I had the chance to meet some amazing people and make great connections! If you like tycoon games and enjoy a bit of a medieval twist, this is just for you! 

Link can be found to the right.

The Night Before X-Mas (ABK Game Jam 2023)

I made this game along with my team, Team 3, in two weeks in the winter of 2023, from November 27th to December 15th. 

This game was the result of my first game jam. The reason for me attending such an event was to gain knowledge in Unity, specifically environment and level design and to increase my network and connections to others in the field. 

I consider this work to be a success. The only restriction the teams were given was to make the game “holiday-themed,” which we executed beautifully. However, that is not the only thing that makes it a success! The mechanics, environment, lighting, teamwork and cooperation, and programming were spectacular. I could not have asked for a better introduction to game jams and the creation of my first game.

There were a few challenges with this project. The first was getting used to Unity, however, I quickly picked up on things due to my experience with Unreal Engine. Even though the programs are different, there are similar features within them that made it easier to understand how things work in Unity. Another issue that I ran into a few times was using a repository, which was a new concept to me. I struggled with using branches, fetching, pulling, pushing, and merging in the beginning. The whole concept kept going over my head! But thanks to a few of my teammates, I now understand and can use repositories without issue in GitHub. 

This project was a great learning experience for me! I got to connect and team up with people who have no experience in the field, as well as people who have been in the gaming industry for up to 15 years. I got to learn more about environment and level design, which is what I am aiming to do in the industry. I also got to learn more about the lighting and post-processing in Unity. On top of that, I got to be the team’s sole 3D modeler, which was done in Maya, making weapons, props, assets, and more for this project, which was both fun and an honor!

Now that I have started setting up my foundation, I wish to continue to push myself and my limits to see what I can achieve in the future! 

Strengthening Communication and Collaboration

Throughout the two weeks during the game jam, I grew close with my teammates on Team 3, specifically two guys named Mike and Zac. Both were extremely helpful and available throughout the jam. Of course, the other eight people in my group were supportive too, such as Leo and Valerio, who helped me when my repository was malfunctioning. My team as a whole was very communicative and everyone was willing to help out in roles if need be. We supported each other as much as possible!

When facing challenges, I knew that it was best to face them head-on and try to figure out a solution. When running into repository issues, I would first search the internet for things like community devs and other websites where I can reach out to people. I would also immediately reach out to my team and see if anyone was available to meet up. That ended up being the case most of the time, where I would share my screen and we were able to slowly, but surely, find out where and how the malfunctions were occuring.

I realized that I really, really do want to be part of the gaming industry! I already knew that was my career goal, but getting this chance to experience it made me completely sure that this is the only path for me. I learned how much more I have to go to reach the pros, but I was able to figure out that environment and level design is what I want to pursue. I also enjoy taking part in props and assets, creating weapons and the like. I can see myself doing this for a living and am going to strive to achieve it!