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GAME PREVIEW
Duration: December 2022 - Present
AN OPEN WORLD, ONLINE MULTIPLAYER HORROR SURVIVAL GAME
Developed in Unreal Engine 5.3 with Blueprint & C++ scripting, Demise is available to wishlist on Steam. Demise is solo developed, has been my longest tenured project, & is my most achieved with over 3000+ wishlists. Below are clips showcasing the game's mechanics I developed.
INVENTORY SYSTEM
DRAG AND DROP
I built a drag-and-drop system for inventory, storage, and crafting, with full gamepad support for smoother resource management.
CRAFTING SYSTEM
I built an engram system for unlocking recipes & added craft stations like a weapons bench, giving survival gameplay more progression.
WORLD MAP & MINI MAP
I added large and mini maps with optional coordinates UI, helping players navigate Demise’s custom island more easily.
PLAYER WINDOW
I created a live 3D player view that shows equipped weapons, armor, and even active emotes so players can view themselves.
REPLICATION PREVIEW
CLIENT-SERVER MULTIPLAYER
Demise runs on a client-server multiplayer system so players can host their own games with full replication. The GIF offers a glimpse of the gameplay experience.
HARVESTING SYSTEM
FOLIAGE & RESOURCES
I built a harvesting system where players chop trees, break rocks, & gather foliage, even starting with sticks and stones, giving every resource value & motivating players to grind.
ADVANCED HARVESTING MATH
Harvesting tool choice matters: pickaxes yield more stone & metal, hatchets more wood, & iron tools always outperform stone, adding strategy & progression to resource gathering.
BUILDING SYSTEM
FULL BUILDING PREVIEW
Demise features over 60 unique placeable structures, from crafting stations to decorative pieces with strategic uses. The system draws inspiration from games like Conan Exiles, ARK, & Rust. The majority of placeables are shown below!
USE ARROWS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT TO MOVE THROUGH IMAGES
BUILDING SNAPPING
All structures snap together for faster building, using collision boxes, actor tags, & traces in “build mode.” This makes construction fun & efficient for players.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT CHECKS
Structures run placement checks before being set, showing red if invalid and blue if clear. I built this system with line traces & invisible collisions to give players instant feedback.
VIEW BUILDING INFORMATION
Running up to a structure reveals replicated info such as owner, health, demolish options, or interactions. This gives players clarity on ownership and functionality.
DEMOLISH & DESTROY BUILDINGS
Structures can be raided & collapse if their core is destroyed. Wood, stone, & metal tiers scale in health & need specific tools, creating progression and defense in base building.
UPGRADEABLE STATS
PLAYER STATS SYSTEM
Players earn XP from tasks like crafting or combat, leveling up to all core stats by 10 each time. A level icon in the UI tracks progress, giving players clear goals & rewards.
FOOD AND WATER
Survival depends on managing food and water, as low levels drain health. Eating restores these stats, & leveling up reduces how often players need to eat or drink, rewarding progression.
SPRINTING AND STAMINA
Stamina fuels sprinting in PvP, draining food & water faster while slowing players as it runs low. Upgrades improve endurance, adding strategy to movement and survival.
LEVEL DESIGN
USE ARROWS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT TO MOVE THROUGH IMAGES
Using a height map, I hand-sculpted a massive open world for 100 players, with biomes defined by a custom landscape material. Foliage is procedurally generated through UE’s new PCG system, while water combines UE’s water tools & the Oceanology plugin for realistic oceans.
ARMOR MECHANIC
EQUIP AND DEQUIP
Players can equip or remove armor to reduce damage, with changes replicating in their UI and to others for clear, immersive gear management.
ADVANCED ARMOR MATH
Equipping armor boosts durability by type and hit location, reducing PvP health loss. A custom function with advanced math balances damage based on the weapon used.
ARMOR DURABILITY
Armor degrades as it takes damage, with a slot health bar showing durability. Once it reaches zero, the item breaks and unequips, adding strategy to gear management.
WEATHER SYSTEM
PROCEDURAL CLOUDS
Procedural clouds evolve into rain or snow, forming the start of the weather system and adding realism to the world.
RAIN AND LIGHTNING
The game includes a timer I made giving random procedural rain and lightning, with strikes briefly lighting the world using UE’s lighting system.
DAY AND NIGHT CYCLE
I setup real-time day and night cycles with the sun and moon moving on the game’s clock. A sped-up preview shows the flow of time players experience.
FOG
Demise’s weather also features procedural fog, adding tension and horror. Limited visibility makes raiding bases during fog especially thrilling.
SKY AURORA
A rare, procedurally generated aurora can appear in Demise, adding beauty and wonder to the world. That is as long as your base isn't getting raided.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
WHAT WENT WELL?
The harvesting & building built a strong 'foundation' for survival gameplay, giving players clear progression & a reason to grind, as well as a gameplay loop. The weather & world design added atmosphere, especially with the hand-sculpted map. Armor worked smoothly, making combat & co-op immersive & reliable. Overall, it is a very fun survival experience.
WHAT WENT WRONG?
Balancing progression was tough, especially with tool advantages and armor durability. The building system and overall inventory replication caused the biggest issues, often needing extra polish to prevent exploits or confusion. Weather effects sometimes hurt performance, and snap logic required repeated debugging. It all has taught me a lot though!
WHAT I LEARNED
I learned how interconnected systems like the harvesting, crafting, building, weather, & armor, must all work together for a survival loop to feel rewarding. I gained experience balancing progression across tools, stats, & gear, as well as managing replication to keep features consistent in multiplayer. Working on a project of this scale also gave me valuable project management experience.
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