Lucid’s Dream was a 10-day game jam project and my first real experience with Unreal Engine. Although I’d previously coded in C# and Java at Georgia Tech with Android Studios, Unreal’s Blueprint system opened up a ton of possibilities, even as I was just learning the ropes. My responsibilities spanned core system implementation, gameplay design, and bug fixing.

I designed and developed several key gameplay systems, like enemy AI, animations, and combat logic. The enemy lineup included both ranged attackers (emerging from the ground) and melee types, plus a two-phase boss fight that ramps up in difficulty as its health drops.

One of the most memorable features I built was the gacha-inspired power-up system. Players collect coins, earned by defeating enemies or found throughout the level, to “pull” random abilities. Just like in a real gacha game, sometimes you get a dud, sometimes a powerful upgrade, complete with rarity and a pity system to keep things interesting. This added replayability and a sense of surprise to every run.

I also handled the UI, menus (main and options), health bar and tracking, in-game currency collection, the dash ability, and cutscene/dialogue systems. For the level designer, I created interactive platforms: bouncing beds, vanishing clouds, and warp portals with instanced editable variables for easy tweaking. Other features I implemented included unique power-ups like black holes that pull in enemies, instant explosions, and logic for player weapons and hit detection.