I design and build scalable and performant gameplay systems with a love for delightful player experiences.
Hi! My name is Aidan Michaels and I am a gameplay engineer based in New Jersey, USA. I am incredibly passionate about creating games that spark interest in systemic design just as titles like Minecraft and Terraria have done for me. With a programming and creative development background, I’ve worked with various game engines including Unity, Unreal Engine, and Godot. I've worked in professional and academic environments on 3D, 2D, and VR projects. Games have the power to bring people together and my dream is to create games for others that foster long-lasting memories and friendships like they did for me.
Relevant Skills:
Some of the projects I graciously had the opportunity to be part of. These include commercial, personal, and school projects.
A dark fantasy VR extraction game for Meta Quest and PCVR. I engineered a networked notification system for real-time feedback and refactored core weapon architecture for modularity. Operating in an Agile environment, I collaborated with designers to iterate on gameplay features, participating in daily standups and maintaining high code quality through peer reviews and strict PR workflows.
A top-down puzzle game created in Unity using C#, Cinemachine, and A* Pathfinding.
Engineered and shipped the 'Tic-Tac-Toe' module to iOS, Android, and Amazon storefronts, optimizing performance for low-end mobile hardware. Collaborated within an Agile pipeline using Git for version control and daily coordination.
A stealth-action game prototype I led as project manager while also contributing as a gameplay programmer during my study abroad at Northumbria University, UK.
A 2D Retro-arcade shooter created in Godot 4 over the summer of 2023.
A side-scrolling action game developed for RevolutionNJ as part of my Design Perspectives in Interactive Multimedia course at TCNJ.
Specializing in game development at The College of New Jersey, I’ve focused on game programming and design projects to prepare for a career in the games industry. In Spring 2024, I studied abroad at Northumbria University in England, gaining global perspectives from industry professionals, and have participated in multiple game jams. I have been on the Honors Dean’s List through my entire university career since Fall 2022, and was invited to join the Phi Kappa Phi honors society for ranking in the top 7.5% of my class.
Completed a specialized Computer Science curriculum focused on Web Development and Object-Oriented Programming. Two-time SkillsUSA State Champion (2021, 2022) in Web Design, achieving a 9th place ranking nationally in 2021.
Thank you for visiting! If you have any comments, questions, or simply want to get in touch, please use the form below. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
This submit button will open to email. You can also email me at agmichaels7957@gmail.com
