Count Death

Count Death marks my entry into game jams! Creating a game with this level of polish in such a short window was a thrill. Beyond the technical result, it was a defining experience in team collaboration—learning to adapt on the fly and align with everyone's strengths under pressure.

This project holds a special place in my heart: it completely shifted my perspective on making critical decisions under constraints, as well as shaping players' emotions within a short gameplay experience.

Count Death was created during the Game Maker's Toolkit Jam 2026, built around the theme "Countdown". At first glance, our team brainstormed countless ways to challenge players using the concept. Finding the right core gameplay loop was our first major hurdle, requiring us to make swift decisions under intense time pressure. With only four days to bring the project to life, we chose a fast-paced shooter paired with a shop system: every death lets you come back stronger, and killing enemies earns time and money to beat the game.

Enemies Movements & Patterns

Designing the enemies was one of my primary responsibilities. Working alongside my fellow game designers, our main challenge was finding the right balance while keeping mechanics intuitive at a glance. Enemies needed to be strong enough to drive the core death-and-upgrade loop, without making the game feel unwinnable.

To achieve this, I implemented custom algorithms and mathematical formulas to control enemy movement trajectories and procedural shooting patterns. Balancing these mathematical models ensured that each of the 5 distinct enemy types offered a fair, predictable challenge while maintaining dynamic and varied encounters.

Enemy Classic

Enemy Triple

Enemy Rafale

Enemy Big

Enemy Spiral

VFX & Shaders

I was also responsible for the Visual Effects (VFX). Designing and coding core mechanics is essential, but adding Game Feel and "juice" is what truly makes a game engaging. Working closely with our artists while programming the enemies, I helped shape their visual identity: custom fireballs, impact explosions, and distinct glows. These effects enhanced enemy readability, making them distinct while giving them a more intimidating presence.

All particles were created using Unity's Particle System, calibrated to stand out without cluttering the screen or sacrificing gameplay readability. For the fireball, I developed a custom shader that gives a glowing lava texture applicable across different materials and meshes.

Bringing together gameplay programming, enemy balancing, and VFX within a strict four-day deadline made the final result incredibly rewarding.

Here is the list of all the people who worked on Count Death :

Game Designer

Ralif TAZUTDINOV

Game Artists

Andréas MARTINS

Raphaël LERAY

Gameplay Programmers

Dylan LUPON

Florian MAJCHER

Sophia SOLIGNAC

Sound Designer

Renaud GAILLARDON

Ugo REYNAUD

Wanna have a look ? Here it is !

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