The Capstone Project at University of Baltimore is the senior project for the B.S. in Simulation and Game Design, where students in the art and programming tracks for the degree program come together in small groups to make a game. Over the course of the year, students are expected to do meticulous planning, meet regularly, work as a team, meet deadlines, handle setbacks, and, most importantly, deliver a game.  

Pocket Pets is the product of the teamwork between myself and my classmates Crystal, Jacen and Jennifer. 

Pocket Pets is a twist on a traditional pet simulation game. What at first appears to be a cute game about caring for a pet along with the help of a friendly guide soon takes a turn toward horror as the player follows clues leading them toward the truth. Play with your pet forever, or uncover the secrets that may lead you to freedom. The choice is yours.

The player can earn rewards through a set of minigames to feed and bathe their pet, and spend coins earned to liven up the pet’s room from the shop. 

My roles in the development of Pocket Pets were manyfold. I was responsible for designing and coding the cooking and math minigames, as well as the shop and inventory systems. I also programmed the tutorial and the dialogue system seen throughout the game.

My classmate Jacen and I worked together to design the characters and narrative of Pocket Pets and from there, I wrote much of the dialogue and implemented the story triggers. Near the end of development, I focused on polishing existing systems and fixing bugs.

During the course of Pocket Pets’ development, the team and I coordinated regularly and often collaborated often for the game to reach its full potential. Crystal and I teamed up to design and bring together the design and function of systems like the inventory, dialogue boxes and shop. Jacen and I collaborated on the narrative and dialogue.

I also worked very closely with my fellow programmer, Jennifer, to achieve a cohesive and responsive game. We often interfaced with the other’s code and worked together to flag and quash bugs when they arose.

My achievements for the Capstone Project demonstrate my programming skills in C# and Unity, and experience in developing a game from start to finish with a team of programmers and artists. Watch to learn more about my contributions.