As an integral component of the advanced coursework provided by the Game Design Initiative at Cornell University (GDIAC), I collaborated within a team of eight to architect a cross-platform mobile game, Panic Painter. Our collective was structured into two subteams: programming and arts. As the leader of the programming division, my role encompassed assigning tasks to individual members, overseeing the management of the codebase structure, and ensuring the diligent execution of respective responsibilities by all team members.
The game’s construction relied on C++ language, using a tailor-made game engine, a creation of the GDIAC, based on the Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL) library. The consequent codebase underwent compilation in Xcode and Android Studio to produce the respective iOS and Android builds. Contrary to utilizing a pre-existing commercial game engine, like Unity, we handcrafted numerous aspects of the project. This included the input handling mechanism, the sound system, and the particle system. We even engineered a custom OpenGL shader to realize the specific paint effect we sought.
The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic presented a formidable challenge to our team. The entire university was thrust into a three-week hiatus, necessitating a rapid adaptation to a completely virtual workflow. Complicating the scenario further, several team members, myself included, had to relocate to our home countries, contending with significant time zone differences. This circumstance posed substantial challenges to effective collaboration and overall team morale. To address this issue, I engaged in dialogue with the team, collectively and individually, to understand and accommodate their respective difficulties.
Ultimately, we delivered a product that we can genuinely take pride in. The final product (available on Android,Windows, andmacOS) and the corresponding codebase are accessible onGitHub. Due to Apple’s restrictions on sideloading, the iOS version is not currently available. This endeavor was conducted as part of my minor degree in Game Design.