When you make a material instance of this material, you have pretty much full control of all the layers of the material! This greatly reduces resources as then only one Material needs to be calculated and all the instances are much easier to render.
Development Logs
Regular updates and development logs of the projects Zach's been working on.
Friday, July 25, 2025
Game Gen - Week 74
When you make a material instance of this material, you have pretty much full control of all the layers of the material! This greatly reduces resources as then only one Material needs to be calculated and all the instances are much easier to render.
Friday, July 11, 2025
Game Gen - Week 72
Game Jam and Blender
Fight Club Game Jam
Some screenshots from Blender:
Friday, June 13, 2025
Game Gen - Week 68
The Wisp Awakens!
This week has been absolutely incredible for my horror game development! I'm thrilled to share some major breakthroughs that have brought my vision to life in ways I didn't think were possible just a few weeks ago.
Introducing "The Wisp" - A Multi-Dimensional Terror
The biggest accomplishment this week was successfully implementing a brand new enemy that I've been dreaming about for months: the Wisp. This multi-dimensional creature is designed to be one of the most unsettling elements in the game, randomly appearing to jump scare and harm players in truly unexpected ways.
Getting this enemy to work exactly as I envisioned was incredibly challenging. The concept I had in my mind seemed almost impossible to execute technically, but with tremendous help from Vives and other mentors, we finally cracked it! The result is everything I hoped for and more.
Here's this Dev Log's Video!
The Wisp's Haunting Features
What makes The Wisp so terrifying is its mysterious nature:
Distance-Based Visual Distortion: The texture of the skull shape distorts based on how far you are from it. Unless you're close enough, you can't actually tell what the shape is - it's just this ominous, shifting form in your peripheral vision that immediately puts you on edge.
Ghostly Particle Effects: We created custom particles that give the Wisp an ethereal, supernatural presence. It doesn't feel like a solid enemy - it feels like something that shouldn't exist in your reality.
Dimensional Fading: In special locations throughout the mall, the Wisp fades in and out of view. You might catch just a glimpse of movement, something that makes you question whether you actually saw anything at all. This creates that perfect horror game moment where you're not sure if you should investigate or run.
The Jump Scare Mechanic: Here's where things get really intense. Once you get close enough to investigate what you've been seeing, the Wisp has two possible behaviors:
- It might jump away with a haunting cry, leaving you startled but unharmed
- Or it triggers a full jump scare with a horrifying ghost face I created in Krita that comes screaming toward you
When the jump scare happens, the ghost doesn't just disappear - it passes directly through your player character, completely destroying your visuals momentarily and dealing damage. It's this visceral, disorienting experience that makes you feel genuinely vulnerable.
Learning and Growing as a Developer
Beyond the exciting new content, this week was also valuable for my growth as a developer. Vives taught me some excellent techniques for using ChatGPT and other LLMs more effectively when I'm stuck on problems I can't solve through traditional resources. These AI tools have become invaluable for troubleshooting complex issues and finding creative solutions to technical challenges.
We also tackled several important bug fixes that have been nagging at me, cleaning up various aspects of the gameplay experience. It's amazing how fixing these smaller issues makes the entire game feel more polished and professional.
Visual and Gameplay Polish
I spent time this week updating graphics and implementing gameplay tweaks that really clean up the overall experience. While these might seem like minor changes, they contribute significantly to that immersive, eerie atmosphere I'm trying to create in this liminal mall setting.
Looking Ahead
Getting the Wisp working has opened up so many possibilities for other supernatural elements in the game. I'm excited to continue building on this foundation and adding more multi-dimensional horror experiences that will keep players constantly on edge.
The combination of technical achievement and creative vision coming together this week has been incredibly motivating. Despite the challenges of balancing development with my hectic work schedule, seeing these complex ideas actually come to life in the game makes all the effort worthwhile.
I can't wait to show The Wisp in action in my next video update - this is definitely one of those features that needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated!
Next Goals:
- Work on fixes to multiplayer replication on interactable objects.
- Continue adding further 3D models and objects to the game (I could use some help sourcing some things, since I don't think I can model everything.)
- Continue polish!
Friday, May 16, 2025
Game Gen - Week 64
Level Upgrades!
The last two weeks, I've mainly been focused on improvements to the level itself for the game demo. It has been mocked up, but I now get to model and texture all the assets I'll need for the level to look truly magnificent. So far, I've been working on the elevator doors, the walls, and the columns that go against the walls. I still have plenty to make, but Ucupaint has made the process much easier! I couldn't get these to upload to Sketchfab with the materials, but here are some screenshots of the materials I've been working on.
Friday, May 2, 2025
Game Gen - Week 62
Game Development Progress Update
This week's development on my horror game has been focused on polishing, replication fixes, and preparation for upcoming features. While there's still plenty to do, I'm excited to share the progress I've made so far!
Here's my Progress Update in Video Form!
Adding "Juice" to the Game
I've been working on making the game feel more alive and immersive by adding various elements and adding some "juice." This includes implementing new sound effects for player actions and environmental interactions, improving UI and visual feedback with subtle animations, and adding VFX elements like particle effects and lighting adjustments. These small touches make a huge difference in creating that eerie liminal mall atmosphere I'm aiming for.
Multiplayer Replication Progress
Replication has definitely been one of the more challenging aspects of development, but I'm making steady progress. I've continued working on ensuring all game elements replicate properly for multiplayer sessions. This includes ensuring items can be picked up by all players, enemies behave consistently across clients, and player actions are visible to everyone in the session.
Inventory System Fixes
The inventory system continues to be a work in progress, with several issues being addressed:
- Fixed items occasionally disappearing when moving between inventory slots
- Working on replication of item pickups so all players can see when items are collected
- Improving the visual feedback when interacting with inventory items
These fixes are crucial for the core gameplay loop, as item collection and management are key elements of the horror experience I'm creating.
Steam Multiplayer Integration
Thanks to the Advanced Sessions System plugin, the Steam multiplayer integration is about 95% complete! Just a few minor bugs left to fix:
- Ensuring player names display correctly on the party screen
- Fixing an issue where quitting the game as a non-host player causes everyone to disconnect
- Fine-tuning the session joining process for a smoother experience
I'm looking forward to getting this fully operational so we can properly playtest the multiplayer aspects of the game.
Designing New Functionalities
I've continued designing several new mechanics that will add to the dream-like, non-Euclidean feel of the game:
- Further development of the portal system that will allow players to travel between seemingly impossible spaces
- A metal detector mechanic that will help players locate hidden items or secret areas
- More work on non-Euclidean spaces that defy normal physics and spatial relationships
These elements will help create that unsettling feeling where physics doesn't quite work the way you expect it to in the real world.
Bug Fixing and Adjustments
A significant portion of my time has been spent on various bug fixes and adjustments:
- Fixed player model size inconsistencies so all players appear at the proper scale
- Addressed several replication errors that were causing desync issues in multiplayer
- Improved collision detection in certain areas of the map
Next Steps
Moving forward, my focus will be on continuing to add "juiciness" to the game experience through:
- Additional sound effects and ambient audio to enhance the atmosphere
- Better materials and textures for existing assets
- Modeling or sourcing the actual assets for level completion instead of using placeholder blocks
- Further refinement of the enemy AI behavior
Despite my hectic work schedule, I'm making steady progress on turning this liminal, 90s-inspired horror game into a reality. I can't wait to show more of these features in action in future updates!
Friday, March 21, 2025
Game Gen - Week 56
Story Writing and Lore Building
The Note Collection System
Non-Euclidean Portals
Steam Multiplayer Integration
Furthering my Unreal Technical Knowledge
Here's a brief video of some of the things I've worked on the last two weeks:
Next Two Week Goals
Friday, March 7, 2025
Game Gen - Week 54
Major Updates!
Unfortunately, my work has been pretty hectic, and I've missed the last few blogs, however, I haven't missed working on my game! This liminal, 90s-inspired horror game is still moving along, and I'm excited to share some of the progress!
Here's a short video to show some of the progress I've made:
Since my last blog, here are the updates I've made:
- Nearly finished the inventory system.
- The players can now pick up and drop items, move them around their inventory, and move them to their main hand. The last thing I need to implement here is being able to use the number keys to "switch pockets".
- Improved manniquine enemy.
- I improved and adjusted the functionality of this enemy and added some more sounds and things to improve the "spook factor". I've gotten scared many times while testing from these guys.
- New Enemy - The Shade:
- I've also added a new enemy, on which I'm still adding the finishing touches on. This creepy alien-like creature crawls on all fours and is afraid of light. The only way to protect yourself is to make sure you have a flashlight! There are still some tweaks I need to do to this enemy, but I'm excited about the progress on him!
- Level 1 Complete Block Out
- I've blocked out the entire first level of the game. Now, it feels a lot more like an abandoned mall.
- Multiplayer Sessions System
- You can now create a multiplayer session and/or join other existing sessions.
- Character Meshes
- While I still need to implement the ability for the player to choose which character to be, I have both character models in place and fully functional in-game.
Future Goals:
- Continue to improve the functionality of AI.
- Work on more animations for the AI to add to the creep factor.
- Work on 3D Models for environment items.
- Continue to fix and improve overall gameplay.
- Start level 2! Including more, different enemy AI and puzzles.
Most Recent Post
Game Gen - Week 74
The Mall Comes to Life! Over the last few weeks, I have spent creating and adding assets, materials, decals, and all the necessary environme...
