MICHAEL KINYON
Game Developer
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Real Time Interactive Simulations
I am a game developer that has worked as a gameplay, engine, graphics, and tools programmer through a variety of projects. I graduated from DigiPen Institute of Technology with a Bachelor in Computer Science in April 2020. More recently, I have completed a variety of Game Jams.
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I worked as the sole programmer on CORNered, a top-down zombie shooter for the Curdle Jam, and as a gameplay programmer for D'MEO, a first-person dungeon crawler for the Dungeon Crawler Jam.
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I worked as a graphics and tools programmer on Cut, Copy, Paste, a 2D platformer in a custom engine, which was featured at PAX. For 20XX MAXX, I worked as a gameplay and graphics engineer on a local multiplayer car-based battle arena built in Unity. I also worked in UE4 for Shoot to Thrill, an action packed FPS, as an gameplay and AI programmer.
CORNered
(4 days - May 2023)
A top-down zombie shooter in which the player has to fend off against corn-ified monsters. CORNered was made in Unity as part of a 4 day game jam, with a team consisting of 3 artists, a sound designer, and me as the sole game designer and programmer.
I developed the entire game, including three unique weapons, four types of enemies (including multiple stages of a boss), dynamic destructible props throughout the level, a wave system for spawning enemies, as well as implementing and adapting art and audio assets made throughout the jam.
D'MEO
(7 days - April 2023)
A first person dungeon crawler in which the player fights their inner demons while traversing the dungeon that is their own mind. D'MEO was made in Unity as part of a week long game jam with a team consisting of an artist and 3 total programmers.
I worked on systems throughout the game, mostly the movement and combat systems. The classic dungeon crawler grid-based movement system was a requirement for the jam, and I made a very adaptable, smooth system. The combat was turn based, where the player attacked with a accuracy minigame and had to dodge the enemy's attack, Undertale style, with a grid-based twist.
20XX MAXX
(Aug 2018 - Dec 2019)
A car-focused battle arena with fast-paced combat and 6 different car types with various kits and weapons. This project was made with Unity and is being deployed with the Xbox Creator's Program.
I designed and implemented the camera to work in a fast-paced 3D environment, fully equipped with targeting and player controls. I also created a scaling decal system so players can have customization options and artists can fully customize decal types, as well as car and decal colors. As the producer of the team, I planned the road ahead and encouraged the team to keep pushing the boundaries.
Cut, Copy, Paste
(Aug 2017 - Apr 2018)
A puzzle platformer that incorporates cut, copy and paste abilities into a blocky world to solve puzzles and get to the end of the level. It was made in a custom engine and was featured at the DigiPen PAX booth.
I worked on a fully featured level editor with JSON integration, and implemented the graphics pipeline, along with various effects like chromatic aberration and screen distortion. As the producer of the team, I managed, encouraged, and guided the team in a time constricted environment.
Shoot to Thrill
(Jan 2020 - Apr 2020)
Shoot to Thrill is a parkour focused, first person shooter where the player plays a movie star filming the climactic scene of an action movie, where the player gains points by performing cool action moves and taking out stuntmen. It was made using Unreal over a semester.
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I designed and built the AI enemies as well as populating them throughout the level. The AIs I designed used a complex selection of weapons and also featured flying support drones. I also created and refined different weapons to fit with the AI's playstyles and strengths.
CONTACT
Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions!
michaelkinyon@gmail.com • (619) 366-7062 • /in/mkinyon