📋 Detailed description

Faithful recreation of the player interaction system used in Star Citizen, developed by Cloud Imperium Games. This project demonstrates advanced mastery of real-time interaction systems and immersive UX in 3D environments.

✨ Key Features

• Dynamic proximity detection with visual feedback
• Two-level highlight system (light green then dark green)
• Contextual interaction menu appearing on hover
• Smooth transition between interaction states
• Support for multiple actions per interactive object

⚙️ Technical implementation

🎮 Challenges

• Optimization of distance calculations to maintain 60 FPS
• Smooth management of color and state transitions
• Creation of a responsive and intuitive interface
• Synchronization between the camera system and the cursor
• Faithful adaptation of the original Star Citizen system (reverse engineering)

🛠️ Tools used

📋 Detailed Description

This is an exercise carried out in 1 week where the aim was to reproduce one of the mechanics present in the game “Baba Is You”. I decided to reproduce the rewind mechanic, which allows the player to go back in time according to the actions he has taken.

✨ Key Features

• Instant time reversal — Allows the player to rewind at any moment without loading screens.
• Full state restoration — Faithfully replays previous positions and active game rules.
• Rule reversibility — Cancels logical changes (e.g. “WALL IS YOU”) through rewind.

🎮 Challenges

• Performance — Minimize memory impact from storing successive game states.
• Synchronization — Maintain consistency between all entities during rewind.
• Engine integration — Prevent conflicts with physics and input systems.

🛠️ Tools used

📋Detailled Description

Sideways is an arcade racing game of the survival time attack type. This project, developed on Unreal Engine 5.7, aims to combine drifting with time attack. In addition, Sideways takes a different approach to the use of boost, where players no longer empty their boost reserves but must learn to use their boost so as not to overheat the car and thus die.

🧠Design

☁️ Drift Mecanic

• The Dilemma: At high speeds, the car loses directional grip (Understeer).
• The Advantage: Drifting allows for sharp direction changes while preserving momentum and speed.
• The Disadvantage (Skill): The car becomes volatile. Touching a wall or obstacle during a drift is fatal or halts progression. It’s a precision tool, not a safety net.

⚡️ Boost Mecanic

• Boost is unlimited. No nitro bars to refill.
• Using it generates exponential heat. (The car's taillights change from green to red.)
• Car's taillight red --> Critical Overheat --> Explosion (Game Over).
• Players must push the car to the brink of destruction to reach the next Checkpoint (Cooling Zone) or drift close to walls/obstacles to cooldown.

👻 Ghost Hunting

• The player can let the system choose the closest ghosts that are better than him, or he can select specific ones.
• If the system chose : It keeps the player into a learning loop to get better on a specific track.
• If the player chose : Allow the player to learn from the best player of the community.

🧠Game Feel, User Experience and juiciness

ℹ️ Sign and Feedbacks

• Camera Shake: The more you heat it up, the more the camera shakes.
• Dynamic FOV: Field of view stretches (Tunnel Vision) while gathering speed.
• Haptics (Vibration): Distinct tactile feedback for smooth asphalt vs. impact.
• Signs: The more speed you get, more speedtrails and vignette are visible
• Sounds: The engine revs up and loop at its "max"

🖥️ Total Immersion (No HUD)

• No 2D UI should distract the eye from the track.
• The car is the health bar.
• Rear lights shift from Green (Safe) to Flashing Red (Critical Danger). Tire smoke indicates grip levels.
• The timer is a projection on the ground.

🏢 A world that dances

• Rhythmic LD: Tracks are built like music sheets (Straight lines for build-ups, turns for drops).
• Reactive Environment: City lights and track edges pulse to the Kick/Snare of the Drum and Bass track.
• Synesthesia: The global color grading shifts based on music intensity (Calm = Blue, Drop = Red/Purple).

🚧 Traps and Surfaces

• Physical: Pillars, barriers, flying traffic (static or mobile).
• Ground Modifiers: Slick Zones (Oil/Rain): Force involuntary drifting.
• Ground Modifiers: Boost Zones: The boost can’t be deactivate.
• Ground Modifiers: Recharge Zones (Checkpoints): The only safe havens.

💭 References