Hi, thanks for checking out our game!

I'm Caitlyn Sherman, and I was an all-rounder on Devilish Double Down, contributing across multiple areas, including programming, art, and mechanics. My primary contributions were designing the camera and player movement systems, as well as creating the various skeleton NPC sprites seen throughout the level. Behind the scenes, I focused on world-building and testing, ensuring the game’s mechanics and atmosphere felt cohesive.  According to our Kanban board, I estimated around 21.5 hours of work. In reality, this project took around 25 hours.

What did I do?

Designing the Exploration Mode

I took it upon myself to work on the overworld aspect of the game while our other two programmers, Dameron and Vincent, focused on the battle mechanics. In the first week, I researched and planned the mode, drawing inspiration from 2D top-down games and to adapt player movement and camera behavior for a 3D environment while maintaining compatibility with 2D sprites. I created multiple variations with different mechanics to determine what best fit the mode. After testing and refining, I presented my work to the team, gathered feedback, and iterated on the design to reach its final version.

Programming the Player and Enemies

In the second week, I finalized player movement mechanics and programmed enemy behaviors. I created a system that detects when the player interacts with an enemy and seamlessly initiates a battle. Below are the links to the Player Character BP and the full Enemy Character BP, which I collaborated on with Vincent, who developed the dialogue system.

Player Character BP: https://blueprintue.com/blueprint/t0rfuu2n/

Enemy Character BP: https://blueprintue.com/blueprint/e5m-3ytx/

Creating the NPC Sprites

During the final days of development, we decided to populate the level with NPCs to enhance the world’s atmosphere. However, our artists were occupied with finishing the music and enemy sprites. I volunteered to create the NPCs, proposing a design where they would be skeletons of past players. Using the player's concept art by Kyra as a reference, I designed their sprites and suggested dialogue to help build the world’s narrative while also teaching the player the battle mechanics.

My Experience

Devilish Double Down was both my first team project and my first time using Unreal Engine 5.5. I hadn’t worked in Unreal Engine for over two years, so I had to push myself to re-learn the software and its logic while also learning how to communicate effectively within a team. It wasn’t an easy journey, nor did I enjoy every moment, but it was a tough lesson that I’m relieved to have gone through and proud to have completed!

Challenges

One of the biggest struggles throughout the project was poor communication. Decisions we had agreed upon were often changed without notice, and tasks I had assigned to me were sometimes taken by others without warning. There were also creative conflicts over various aspects of the game that made collaboration difficult. Because of this, I found myself acting more like an employee who does what they're told rather than a true team member. While it was frustrating, I’m grateful for the experience because it taught me valuable lessons about teamwork and ensuring my voice is heard.

Proud Moments

Despite the challenges, I’m proud of what we accomplished in just three weeks. I learned so much about Unreal Engine, from behavior trees and data tables to interfaces and functions. I’m also proud of the assets I contributed, helping to enhance the player’s experience. This project gave me a newfound respect for game development as a whole, especially for the card genre I don’t typically play.

Lessons Learned

The biggest lesson I took away from this experience is the importance of respecting myself and my work. I put in the effort to make this game as polished as possible, even when it meant discarding my own ideas. I consistently asked questions to ensure things were done right and did my best to make every element intentional. However, many of my contributions were ignored or dismissed without explanation, which at times made me lose passion for the project. Moving forward, I’m committed to standing by my ideas, communicating more effectively, and advocating for my work.