My Contribution at a Glance
- Owned two playable survivors, one Champion (boss), new mechanics, multiple enemies, drones, and interactables.
- Acted as Temporary Internal Lead Designer during a key project transition.
- Designed combat encounters, AI behaviors, and 3C for multiple systems.
- Implemented gameplay features in Unity (C#), including UI integration and tools support.
- Collaborated closely with Gearbox to ship content that fits the Risk of Rain 2 experience.
Description
Risk of Rain 2 is a third-person roguelike action game developed by Hopoo Games and published by Gearbox Publishing. Expanding on the original's 2D formula, it transitions into full 3D, where players explore procedurally generated alien worlds while battling escalating waves of enemies. The game emphasizes replayability through randomized loot, impactful item stacking, and a diverse roster of unique survivors with distinct abilities. It supports both single-player and online co-op, where teamwork and item synergy are essential to survival.
Responsibilities
Design
- Owned 3C design (Character, Camera, Controls) across multiple gameplay systems.
- Designed and tuned combat sequences for Champion encounters.
- Balanced difficulty, pacing, and encounter flow through iterative playtesting.
- Defined AI behaviors for drones, monsters, and Champions in collaboration with the programming team.
- Delivered full feature ownership from initial concept to final implementation.
Technical
- Implemented gameplay features and systems in Unity using C#.
- Engineered and integrated UI systems aligned with gameplay needs.
- Hooked up and iterated on animations, sound effects, and visual effects for key features.
- Authored clear, detailed documentation for mechanics, behaviors, and technical requirements.
- Debugged and resolved gameplay issues across multiple systems and content areas.
Leadership & Collaboration
- Acted as Temporary Lead Designer during a critical project transition.
- Coordinated cross-disciplinary efforts between design, engineering, art, VFX, audio, and production.
- Mentored designers on internal tools, workflows, and system integration.
- Collaborated closely with Gearbox stakeholders to ensure creative and technical alignment.
Survivors (playable characters)
The Drifter [Hoarder]
Overview
The Drifter is designed as a supportive character when playing alongside other survivors. Her special skill allows her to drop helpful items and create a junk cube that teammates can use to reach higher ground. Despite her supportive nature, she's also a tough brawler. The Drifter swings her bag, stuffed with the items she gathers on her journeys, to clear any danger standing in her way.
Development Experience
As the feature owner, I led the adaptation of this character from Risk of Rain: Returns. The biggest challenge was translating her 2D abilities into the fully 3D world of Risk of Rain 2, which required re-designing most of her skill kit.
Key Contributions
- Owned the full feature pipeline from design to implementation.
- Adapted and reworked the character's mechanics to function within a 3D environment instead of her original 2D version.
- Trash to Treasure (Passive Skill)
- Blunt Force (Primary Skill)
- Clean Up (Secondary Skill) - Note: the current version throws random items instead of only projectiles.
- Junk Cube (Alternate Secondary Skill)
- Salvage (Special Skill)
- Integrated all animations, sound effects, and visual effects.
- Produced detailed documentation outlining mechanics, behavior, and requirements.
- Provided programming support to trigger effects, resolve bugs, and iterate on skills based on design-direction feedback.
Operator [Drone Tech]
Overview
Operator survives the harsh world of Risk of Rain by commanding an array of specialized drones. Each drone now features a unique skill that can only be triggered by her, giving her a versatile and tactical playstyle. She can also order her drones to lift her into the air, allowing her to glide and maintain aerial mobility, adding a distinct movement identity to her kit.
Development Experience
I initially supported the design phase and later took ownership of the feature during development. Unlike The Drifter, Operator is a brand-new character conceived by our team at Side, developed in close collaboration with Gearbox.
Key Contributions
- Owned the feature during the implementation and testing phases.
- Integrated her dedicated HUD, including UI animations for drone commands.
- Connected and refined several of her animations, sound effects, and visual effects.
- Authored comprehensive documentation covering her mechanics, behaviors, and technical requirements.
- Delivered programming support by wiring up effects, fixing bugs, and iterating on skills based on design-direction feedback.
Special Monsters
Solus Amalgamator [Teleporter Boss]
Overview
Solus Amalgamator is a teleporter boss formed from an assembly of Solus units fused into a single entity, illustrating how the Collective's once single-purpose mining robots have evolved into unpredictable and dangerous adversaries. Conceived as an experimental prototype, the Amalgamator represents a failed attempt at adaptation, where forced integration replaced coordination, resulting in a powerful but unstable construct driven more by survival and malfunction than by its original directive.
Development Experience
This one is my child. I supervised and supported the integration of this boss throughout development. The original concept was created by Lead Designer David Blosser, and from that foundation I expanded the design to give the creature a stronger identity, clearer gameplay purpose, and more distinctive abilities. A key part of my role involved close collaboration with the art, VFX, and animation teams to define its silhouette, movement language, attack readability, and overall presentation.
Unlike much of the content later handed off to Gearbox, the Solus Amalgamator shipped exactly as we built it.
Key Contributions
- Owned the feature from the design phase through final implementation.
- Integrated and refined all core animations, VFX, SFX, and the signature Detach mechanic.
- Developed the AI for both the main body and the autonomous detached parts.
- Balanced health, damage values, ability behaviors, and overall AI difficulty.
- Designed and tuned the multi-phase combat encounter.
SPEX [Hidden Realm Keeper]
Overview
SPEX is the enigmatic keeper of the Hidden Realm: Computational Exchange. Surrounded by cryptic energy and ancient secrets, it remains largely passive, unless disturbed. Push it too far, and SPEX will shut you out. But if you manage to discover the mysterious object it seeks, it will open the path to a new adventure.
Development Experience
Unlike most monsters, SPEX has no abilities or combat actions. Development instead centered on integrating its art, VFX, and SFX to convey presence, mystery, and personality through atmosphere alone. I also proposed a hidden interaction inspired by the Shopkeeper from the base game, giving the DLC a touch of its own identity. I won't spoil it here, but I strongly recommend bothering SPEX to see what happens.
Key Contributions
- Owned the feature from concept exploration through first implementation.
- Integrated and refined core animations, sound effects, and visual effects.
- Designed and implemented the wake-up trigger and the secret disturbance outcome.
Monsters
For the monsters listed below, I handled the integration of visual and audio assets, including art, animations, VFX, and SFX. I designed and tuned their gameplay by defining stats, AI behaviors, and abilities, served as feature owner throughout development, and contributed gameplay code to their final implementation.
Drones (Ally Minions)
I integrated the art, animations, VFX, and SFX for all drones in the DLC, and was responsible for balancing their stats, AI behaviors, and abilities. I acted as feature owner and contributed to the coding of their implementation.
