I'm a game designer and developer, focused on creating and implementing game mechanics - I write obsessively modular code.
I make shooter games with unique mechanics, design intuitive controls, and I value
Game Feel in the design process.
A new game changes my life and wrecks me emotionally at an approximate rate of once per year.
Reach out to me at evelynstraughton@gmx.com!
A collection of my most notable works - listed here are a combination of solo and team projects.
All art is placeholder, or the work of others! These showcases are for mechanics and gameplay only, without proper models, textures, and animations.
These examples are primarily games or prototypes, but I also create modular and flexible developer tools for Unity, such as my Weapon System and Health System.
Flagship Solo Project
My heavily in-development, solo passion project (release date TBA), conceived as a true hybrid between the real-time strategy and third-person shooter genres. The player uses an entire squad of units in immersive, third-person combat, with intelligent and adaptive AI, deep yet intuitive controls, and the ability to directly control unit weapons as an extension of the player.
The game is in heavy concept and testing at this stage, more images will be shared as the project develops.
Flagship Team Project
An in-development third-person magic-shooter game, set to release in 2026 and developed by a team of 6 including myself.
I am a principal game designer and gameplay programmer for the project, responsible for the development of player movement, weapons (via module), health (via module), among other systems. I also contributed to many important aspects of game design, such as the unique healing system.
The game is in alpha and heavy development at this stage, more images will be shared as the project develops.
Solo Project
A gameplay proof-of-concept which may be implemented into “Squads” in the future. Featuring combat based around a swarm of drones stored in the player’s wings, commanding them to perform tasks such as attacking enemies or shielding the player. A playable demo is available on itch.io here.
Solo Project
A toybox simulation of two well-known algorithms in game development - the bird-oid object algorithm, commonly known as "boids", and an implementation of A* pathfinding. A playable demo is available on itch.io here.
Unity Developer Tool
A modular framework to design various weapons, with support for many different mechanics and variants - it is designed to work with GameObjects, such that custom functionality can be added to weapons or projectiles easily. It remains under heavy and active development, used within flagship projects "Squads" and "Spellslinger", as well within the "Drones" prototype and many smaller projects.
Unity Developer Tool
A modular health mechanic, with options for advanced features such as overheal and the bespoke Lifeleech mechanic of Codename "Spellslinger". It also contains a system for passive effects, such as elemental damage-over-time effects. It also remains under development, used within the above flagship projects, among others.
Team Project
A duo project stealth game, developed by myself and another programmer. The demo features traditional stealth gameplay, with the addition of a drone owned by the player hovering above the playable area. The drone may be used to supplement the player’s limited resources, but is only available in outdoor areas. I was responsible for the weapons (via module), the most of drone’s mechanics, and a portion of the enemy AI and stealth mechanics. The demo is available on itch.io here.
Team Project
A vertical slice remake of the 1996 classic, developed by a team of 4, myself included. I was one of two programmers for the project, responsible for player movement, including the recreation of Resident Evil’s famous “tank controls”, as well as an alternate modern control scheme, weapons (via module), enemy AI, and the remaking of the fixed camera system.
I am a hardworking, passionate game designer and developer, specialising in gameplay programming and the Unity engine. I particularly enjoy working on shooter games and similar, but I enjoy all genres and would love to broaden my horizons.
I was exclusively home educated as a child, and had never set foot in a traditional schooling environment before university. As such, I had freedom to follow my interests alongside my education, which instilled in me a deep love and passion for games – they have repeatedly changed how I see the world, and allowed me to meet and connect with some of the most important people in my life.
They are also simply something fun to play, and I think all these aspects – being satisfying, beautiful, challenging, emotional, connective, and fun all at once – are what give the medium its soul, and I believe the interactivity atop it all allows them the greatest potential of all contemporary artforms.
As an individual, I value kindness above all else. I also consider myself to have strong skills in communication and supporting others, and the ability to receive and adapt to constructive criticism.
• University Centre Grimsby – BA (Hons) Game Design (Game Development) -–2023-current (anticipated grad. 2026)
• The Open University - Science, Technology, and Maths Access Module (Y033) – 2019-2020 – Distinction
• Pearson Edexcel iGCSEs – 2023
o Computer Science – Grade 9
o Physics – Grade 9
o Mathematics – Grade 9
o English – Grade 9
o Human Biology – Grade 9
• Codename “Squads” – An in-development solo passion project (release date TBA), conceived as a true hybrid between the real-time strategy and third-person shooter genres. The player uses an entire squad of units in immersive, third-person combat, with intelligent and adaptive AI, deep yet intuitive controls, and the ability to directly control unit weapons as an extension of the player.
• Codename “Spellslinger” – An in-development third-person magic-shooter game, set to release in 2026 and developed by a team of 6 including myself. I am a principal game designer and gameplay programmer for the project, responsible for the development of player movement, weapons (via module), health (via module), among other systems. I also contributed to many important aspects of game design, such as the unique healing system.
• “Drones” Prototype – A solo project and gameplay proof-of-concept which may be implemented into “Squads” in the future. Featuring combat based around a swarm of drones stored in the player’s wings, commanding them to perform tasks such as attacking enemies or shielding the player. A playable demo is available on my itch.io.
• Resident Evil Fan Remake – A vertical slice remake of the 1996 classic, developed by a team of 4, myself included. I was one of two programmers for the project, responsible for player movement, including the recreation of Resident Evil’s famous “tank controls”, as well as an alternate modern control scheme, weapons (via module), enemy AI, and the remaking of the fixed camera system.
• “Project Stealth” – A duo project stealth game, developed by myself and another programmer. The demo features traditional stealth gameplay, with the addition of a drone owned by the player hovering above the playable area. The drone may be used to supplement the player’s limited resources, but is only available in outdoor areas. I was responsible for the weapons (via module), the most of drone’s mechanics, and a portion of the enemy AI and stealth mechanics. The demo is available on itch.io.
I take particular interest in gameplay programming and game design, especially the intersection of the two – I like to design mechanics and then immediately implement them.
I enjoy all aspects of game design, but I particularly wish to promote physicality, persistence, game feel, weird and unique gameplay, fast and fluid movement, intuitive controls, accessibility, approachability, and better tutorials.
I still play games regularly – my favourites include ULTRAKILL, Celeste, Minecraft, Titanfall, and many, many others.
I enjoy travel and hope to visit more countries and cultures, to even further broaden my horizons. I also enjoy hiking around the UK countryside.
I have been learning Japanese for around 6 months - I hope to eventually become fluent.
Available upon request