Sean Smith
Gameplay Programmer & Game Designer
My Work
Honours project (2023)
For my Honours project, I created an online first person shooter with utilizing non-Euclidean space. The game uses 3D world-wrapping, meaning players are able to leave the map and seamlessly re-enter it on the opposite side in all 3 dimensions.
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On the networking side, the game utilizes a server authoritative model where clients send their movement and shooting inputs to the server and the server handles the logic and game state. Client side prediction is implemented so clients always feel an instant response to inputs. There is also a custom prediction model to predict the position of other clients. This proved to be the crux of the project as the method for the 3D world wrapping was to teleport players once they reach the boundary of the map, thus predicting their new position was challenging.
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Below is a video of the game working online over a LAN network. Below that is a video of the game in split-screen with a custom built audio system, made for a separate audio module in university.
DeliveRodent (PC Game, 2023)
Deliverodent is a frantic fast paced local multiplayer game inspired by Crazy Taxi and Mario Kart. It was developed by myself and 7 others for a group project during our 3rd year at Abertay University. We took the game to DARE Academy and won the runners up award.
Because of my experience in Unity, I was assigned the role of lead programmer. I was responsible for helping the other programmers get familiar with Unity and making sure everything ran smoothly, with as few GitHub conflicts as possible.
I was responsible for creating the car physics, which was a very rewarding process as it went through lots of iteration and improvement. During the time developing the game, we had Rockstar Games mentor us. They would give us advice and feedback every 2 weeks and it was very satisfying seeing them enjoy the car physics more and more as time went on.
Parkour Fiesta (Mobile Game, 2020)
Parkour Fiesta is a mobile game that was released on androids and iOS devices. It was created by me and my brother and we began work on it at the 2020 Global Game Jam. My brother was responsible for the 3D models and UI, we used Mixamo.com for the animations and I was responsible for the gameplay programming, animation programming and game design.
On its original release, the player would automatically run forwards and move left and right by tilting the phone and jump and slide by swiping up and down. After release, we received a publishing offer from Ketchapp Games and reworked the game with their feedback to make it more casual.
Unfortunately, the game didn't reach high enough metrics on the soft launch and was subsequently abandoned. That is the version seen below on the right, the original mobile version is seen below on the left. The original version is no longer available on either the App Store or Google Player Store.
Cowboy Drop (Mobile Game, 2018)
Cowboy Drop was the first game I made using Unity. It was originally a college project but I continued to work on it after.
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The game's goal is simple: stay on the platform as long as possible whilst getting points for shooting aliens. Obstacles fall from the sky and block your shots. Big aliens will spawn and push everything off.
It was released on iPhones and Androids with leaderboards, however is no longer available there. There is an older version my Itch.io page: Cowboys, Aliens and Falling Cowboys by seansmith (itch.io)
Climbing Project (University Project, 2021)
As a part of my university course, we were tasked to make a game mechanic in Unreal Engine 5. I was inspired by games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Shadow of the Colossus and Sable to make a free climbing system where the player can climb on any surface.
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There is a stamina system where stamina drains faster depending on how steep the surface is. The stamina also drains when the player jumps. The player can jump up or off the wall depending on their key input and camera angle.
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It was my first time using Unreal, I used mixamo.com for the animations and set up blend trees. The project took roughly 4 months and was all coded with C++.
Game Jams
I have participated in lots of game jams, they're a great opportunity to test new ideas quickly and are just a lot of fun. I've done a few with my brother that can be found in the link below: