OVERVIEW:

 

Delta Time is a pseudo-3D rail shooter with a time limit. 

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KEY CONTRIBUTIONS:

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I served as the engine architect and primary gameplay programmer for Delta Time. I implemented the entity-component architecture, designed the UX and UI (including menus and HUD elements), and developed the pseudo-3D rendering and collision systems.

 

All of the game’s objects exist in 2D space but include a simulated third-axis position. Each frame, the collision system detects when two objects pass each other along that axis — when one moves from behind to in front — and performs a 2D collision check at that moment. This approach allowed us to achieve a convincing sense of depth and interaction while maintaining the performance and simplicity of a 2D engine.

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I also handled procedural generation throughout the game, including the asteroid belt environment and the parallax background stars, which are actually distant game objects. On the design side, I built the entire level directly in a JSON file (available here) without dedicated tools. I was responsible for the overall gameplay design, player controls, enemy behavior, and system balance.

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CHALLENGES:

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I had to figure out how to render the game in pseudo-3D, which seems easy in retrospect. At first, all I knew was that objects get smaller and closer to the center of your field of vision as they move away from you.

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Eventually, I realized all I had to do was divide an object's size and screen position (center-origin) by its distance from the camera.

 

I had some outside help, too - our school's COO suggested squaring the denominator to give the game more depth, and a professor advised making objects darker as they get farther away.

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