Hamster Havok
Join the Havok and climb into your hamster ball as you engage in trying to knock out your other Hamster friends from the bedroom table in order to be crowned the favorite Hamster! In order to do so though you ll have to engage in some
Prepare for an indie developed party game experience in Hamster Havoc, featuring a treasure trove of fun for you and your friends. Up to you and three other friends will be pitted against each other as you fight to knock each other off in a game of life or death… Ok maybe not death but you get the idea. The one who comes out on top will be crowned the favorite Hamster and will rule over…. something of some sort I'm not too sure.
Engine
Language Used
Role
Lead Technical Game Designer
Project Type
Group Project
Project Overview
Hamster Havok was the final module for my last year at University of Staffordshire. This project was developed over the course of 5 weeks on Unreal Engine 5 using blueprints. As a Lead Technical Designer, I contributed to manage my tech team by setting up meetings and adhering to my co-workers if they need assistance. My tasks consisted of creating the whole UI for the project. Furthermore, I fixed various bugs that my coworkers couldn't solve. Lastly, this project aimed to simulate a professional studio environment, which developed my communication and collaboration skills as a tech lead.
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My Contributions:
-Led the technical design and implementation of core gameplay systems for Hamster Havok as the Lead Technical Game Designer. -Organised and led tech team meetings to discuss project progress, assign tasks, share ideas, and help keep development on track. -Collaborated closely with peers throughout development, communicating technical solutions and supporting the team to overcome design and implementation challenges. -Developed the complete in-game UI, ensuring a clean, accessible, and engaging player experience. -Created the player joining system, allowing multiple players to seamlessly join the game through controller/button input. -Implemented dynamic camera systems with smooth transitions that react to gameplay events and player actions. -Designed and developed the balloon mechanic, where balloons enter the arena and drop bombs to create chaotic and unpredictable gameplay. -Created gameplay interactions and event-driven mechanics to improve game flow and player engagement. -Balanced gameplay mechanics to maintain fun, fairness, and pacing during multiplayer matches. -Troubleshot and optimised gameplay systems to improve performance, responsiveness, and overall polish. -Oversaw the technical direction of gameplay features while contributing creative ideas to enhance the overall player experience.
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The Result
As the Lead Technical Game Designer for the first time ever, I found the development process both enjoyable and highly rewarding. The project allowed me to take ownership of key gameplay systems, including the UI, player joining mechanics, dynamic camera transitions, and gameplay hazards, while combining technical problem-solving with creative design decisions. Seeing all the systems work together to create a fun and chaotic multiplayer experience was extremely satisfying, and the project helped further develop my leadership, scripting, and technical design skills within a collaborative game development environment.
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