The House on the Hill (Capstone)
This section provides a breakdown of my contributions to Zenko Studios and my role in developing The House on the Hill.
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Project Origin: This project was a capstone project as part of the GDAP program through Sheridan College
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Purpose: To simulate working in a small team and developing a game in a short period (4 months).
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Key Learning Outcomes:
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Communication in a team
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Unity Dialogue System
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Cameras (fixed) and transitioning them
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Some environmental design and changes
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Creating a GDD and TDD
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Creating a physics-based bouncey system
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Version Control
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Itch.io :
7-Dial Alphabet Combination Lock System
Developed a fully functional alphabet-based combination lock system in Unity, built using ProBuilder and implemented as a final in-game asset. The lock consists of 7 independent rotating dials with full alphabet support, enabling a wide variety of potential puzzle combinations. Programmed the interaction and validation logic to support clue-based gameplay, requiring players to locate environmental hints to determine the correct sequence and unlock a door. Emphasis was placed on modularity, interaction design, and gameplay-driven system integration.
Combination Lock Dial – Unity
Modelled and implemented seven of the seven rotating dials for an interactive combination lock puzzle using Unity ProBuilder, designed to rotate around a cylinder and contribute to the final lock system featured in the game.
Bounce Physics Prototype – Unity
Developed and tested a physics-driven bounce system for gameplay experimentation in Unity, demonstrated through a working prototype video. While the feature was later cut from production, the implementation successfully showcased functional object interactions and responsive physics behavior. Additionally handled the project migration from URP to HDRP at the request of the level design team, resolving technical issues and errors resulting from the rendering pipeline conversion.
Loading Animation Test & Implementation
Designed and tested a custom loading animation in a development environment before integrating it into the project’s final loading screen, improving visual polish and player feedback during transitions.
Combination Lock Interaction System
Developed a modular rotating dial mechanic in Unity for an environmental puzzle system. Programmed raycast-based player interaction, rotational logic for 26 alphabet states, and a letter indexing system to map dial rotation to corresponding character outputs. Leveraged event-driven architecture (Unity Events) to communicate dial changes to the puzzle manager, supporting clue-based gameplay progression and locked door interactions.
Combination Lock Puzzle System – Unity
Designed and programmed a multi-dial combination lock system in Unity to support progression-based environmental puzzles. Developed a modular system that listened for event-driven dial interactions, dynamically tracked player input, and validated entered combinations against a predefined solution. Upon successful completion, the system triggered animations, environmental interactions, and door functionality to seamlessly integrate puzzle-solving into gameplay progression.
Rigidbody Buoyancy System – Unity
Programmed a physics-based buoyancy system in Unity using HDRP WaterSurface projection, distributed gravity, displacement force, velocity drag, and angular drag. The system allowed objects to float using multiple floater points, creating more natural object movement on water. This prototype was used to validate buoyancy gameplay before the mechanic was later cut from the final project.
Dynamic Camera Transition System – Unity Cinemachine
Designed and implemented a trigger-based camera switching system in Unity using Cinemachine to support cinematic fixed-camera gameplay. Programmed trigger logic to dynamically transition between camera zones, manage camera state flow, and prevent unintended repeat activation through counterpart trigger synchronization. Integrated optional transition animations and player orientation updates to create smoother, more immersive camera changes during exploration.