Game Elevator Pitch
Operator AR is an Augmented Reality game with stealth and robots!
When R.O.B. corp. shut down their robotics facility after an “incident”, Capital City’s newest agent found a lead and discovered there was more to it. They were sent to retrieve intel from the facility control room but tripped the security alarm on their way out!
That’s where you come in, operator. Use our new AR drone control system to guide our agent to the rooftop escape point. Watch out for those security bots! Distract them by setting points for our agent to throw one of our handy noisemakers to avoid getting caught.
Project Description
Operator AR was a collaborative project developed by an indie team called Pathway Studios, which I joined as a Technical Artist. Our small but ambitious team of four included a Unity Developer and Technical Artist (my role), a Project Manager and UX Designer, a Level Designer and Unity Developer, and a 3D Artist and UI Designer.
The idea for Operator AR emerged shortly after we graduated from university. Eager to push our creative and technical limits, we set ourselves a bold challenge: to publish a game within six months using emerging technology. We chose Augmented Reality (AR) as our focus, inspired by its potential to transform traditional gameplay mechanics. Ultimately, we realized that AR paired with the stealth genre could create uniquely immersive and dynamic experiences.
Augmented Reality (AR) Gameplay Demo. Distract them by setting points for our agent to throw one of our handy noisemakers to avoid getting caught.
App features
Unique gameplay made possible by the latest advances in Augmented Reality technology
Classic stealth, strategy, and puzzle-like gameplay as you sneak past the robots
5 hand-crafted levels
With more than 1 path to take per level, you choose how to accomplish the mission! Devise the perfect plan or go with your instincts
My Role
In Operator AR, my primary role was as a Software Engineer, with secondary responsibilities as a Technical Artist and 3D Artist. I architected the Core Systems, including Game Management and Data Management, and developed Gameplay Systems, such as user interactions and touchscreen mechanics. Additionally, I engineered the AI Systems using Finite State Machines and managed the integration of the Augmented Reality (AR) SDK. Beyond development, I established version control systems and created testing tools and pipelines to streamline our workflow.
To facilitate rapid prototyping and testing, I implemented a development infrastructure utilizing Unity MARS AR. This setup enabled agile workflows, allowing the team to iterate quickly without the need for device-specific builds. As a result, we could efficiently test core UX concepts, such as user onboarding processes, and explore gameplay features in a simulated AR environment.