PROJECTS
A Tayū's Nightmare
Third year, first semester—the semester before our final one. It's our final Capstone Project in Mirandela, and we wanted to go out with a bang. And with we I mean, Margarida, Simón, Ria, João, and I, who proudly present you with A Tayū's Nightmare, a fast-paced rogue-lite built in Unreal Engine 5, our most ambitious project yet.
Set in a Kabuki Theatre during the Edo Period, you find yourself trapped under the grip of Kazaori—a former Tayū, the highest-ranking Oiran, now a Yokai who controls this famed theatre and forces all within it into a never-ending play. You play as Hanaka, the actress cast as the Oiran, who somehow breaks free. Now, she must fight her way through the cursed performances to free herself and everyone else trapped in this Tayū’s Nightmare.
Thanks to Ria and our teachers, we had a well-organized and successful Pre-Production phase, which allowed us, both as a team and as individuals, to achieve the goals we set for ourselves.
As a programmer, I used this opportunity to push my C++, gameplay programming, and system programming skills to the max. I continuously challenged myself, learning how to set realistic yet ambitious limits within the tight timeframe—while always striving to go one step further.
We’re incredibly proud of this project, not just for its gameplay and visuals, but for everything we’ve accomplished as a team.
Code: https://github.com/ManelNeon/ProjectOiran
Download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xgkBCG3qprm7VgS-m2FHRBLQquAVRDXq/view?usp=sharing
Pipe & Talk
During a Interdisciplinary Week (basically a 5 day Game Jam), I programmed this game, and I requested my group to make it on Unreal Engine 5 to train my C++ skills and improve my Unreal ones.
The final result was "Pipe&Talk", a 3D management game, where you'll manage a Hostess Bar, putting your AI Hostesses to work, and showing the world the rise of IRL Chatbots.
Due to my inexperience with this engine, I faced some challenges, asking my colleagues to take it down a notch, maintaining the core gameplay loop but not including all the possible rooms.
Either way, I was able to implement all the assets made by our team, as well as program some cute mechanics that made the game's aesthetic pop off more.
As a group we were all very proud of what we were able to accomplish, and as an individual, I felt as if this project showed me how I could improve my work pipeline for my next and biggest project yet.
Learning c++
This summer, I challenged myself to dive deep into C++, the dominant language in game development. Beyond learning the syntax, I explored complex topics like memory management, binary, and object-oriented programming. I worked with new tools, like a UNIX-like environment, overcoming initial challenges with persistence.
Despite moments of Imposter Syndrome, I pushed through and built a Tetris prototype using only SDL, without any engine. This project greatly improved my understanding of pointers and memory management.
Bloodsvânia
Building on the Bloodsvânia universe—where vampires, humans, and blood vending machines coexist—our team developed a new game with expanded lore, characters, and story. We decided to create a 3rd person action game with Free-Flow combat, inspired by titles like the Batman Arkham series and Spider-Man.
This project presented a unique challenge as I had no prior experience with animation-based combat systems. Through dedication and persistence, I was able to implement a combat system that I’m proud of. Additionally, I discovered a passion for UI programming and implementation, and took great care in refining the game's UI. Each small detail added to the interface felt like a personal victory.
Connect 4 - godot
This project was a self-imposed challenge to learn the Godot engine. I recreated the classic Connect 4 game, opting to use C# instead of GDScript. Despite the short timeframe—one week to learn the engine and build the game—I successfully brought the game to life in digital form.
While the code can be further optimized, I consider this project a success as it served as a strong introduction to Godot and allowed me to apply my programming skills in a new environment.
heart of steel
For our "Game Engine" class, we were tasked with creating a 2D game in Unity with full creative freedom over the theme and mechanics. As an aspiring programmer with a passion for math, I proposed a turn-based RPG inspired by classics like Final Fantasy and Pokémon. Building on the world of Bloodsvânia, a setting we had previously developed where vampires, humans, and blood vending machines coexist, we created a unique storyline.
Players control Hema, an automaton discarded in a junkyard, who soon discovers that something is terribly wrong. To stop the chaos, Hema battles enemies and upgrades with never-before-seen enhancements for automatons.
Code: https://github.com/ManelNeon/Bloodsvania-Heart-of-steel
Hell'a CHOICE
During an interdisciplinary week themed around "Justice," we decided to take a comedic approach and created Hell'a Choice, a humorous take on the afterlife. In this game, you play as the manager of purgatory, tasked with deciding the fate of souls who pass through. Be wary of the bad guys who might try to trick you, and don't let any of the rings of hell become overloaded—that would be truly diabolic! Alongside your trusty security team, including the famed Baker of Aljubarrota, you’ll face the challenge of dealing with the worst of the worst during the final judgment.
This project allowed me to sharpen my skills under a tight deadline, delivering quick and functional builds for playtesting.
Eye of sareeye
For our end-of-semester project, we created an RPG set in a fantasy world where religion has taken control of the continent as the most powerful organization. The player takes on the role of Screminem, a sorcerer with the ability to cast spells instantly. Along his journey, he encounters an ancient, sentient tree that reveals the world’s history before the rise of The Entity. As the story unfolds, players face numerous dangers, break the law, and meet a cast of fantastic creatures and characters, including the most powerful sorcerer in existence.
This project allowed me to explore new aspects of game development, including creating a skill tree system and a level-up mechanic. I also designed and implemented NPCs for the first time, which was a rewarding experience.
KITCHEN TIMEMARES
During the winter break, my team and I participated in a Game Jam with the theme "Against Time." We created Kitchen Timemares, a fast-paced cooking game where players must prepare various dishes as the clock speeds up, all while impressing Gordon Timesy, a clock-themed antagonist. As both a game designer and developer, I contributed to gameplay mechanics, character design, and the overall game structure. We integrated the theme by making the final boss a literal clock, intensifying the time-pressure element.
Code: https://github.com/ManelNeon/Kitchen-Timemares-Scripts