RocketWerkz

ICARUS

I joined the team working on ICARUS in the later stage of its development. Mainly helping out with the HUD, Accolades, Marketing and the Steam Store page.

My role on ICARUS was more supplementary compared to previous projects I had worked on, but I was still able to accomplish some exciting goals during my time on the game. One of the highlights was designing the Steam Store takeover image, launch popup GIF, and store capsule images.

On ICARUS, I was tasked with redesigning key elements of the HUD, including the vitals area in the bottom left, the weather radar in the top right, stamina and encumbrance bars, and streamlining the interface by hiding unnecessary elements to keep things tidy. This project marked the start of my deep dive into Blueprint in Unreal Engine, building on my previous experience with UMG and Unreal from other projects. Working directly with the programming side of things helped speed up the implementation process and allowed for a smoother workflow. This just went further and further when starting It's Only Money.

A late addition to the game was the Accolades System, which was implemented by two programmers and myself with just about a week before the full release. The ribbons above are representative of the final output, and I ended up creating nearly 350 different ribbons within just a couple of days for the system. Despite the tight timeline, the tracking system worked out incredibly well, and there were very few bugs to address before launch. It was a rewarding experience to see the system come together so smoothly and contribute to the game's progression and rewards.

Alongside the UI and store page assets, I worked closely with the marketing team, particularly during the rollout of the Beta Weekends in the months leading up to the game's release. For each playtest, we introduced a new feature and a section of the map for players to explore, encouraging them to provide feedback. This strategy proved to be an excellent way to engage players and streamers, helping them become familiar with the game while also gathering valuable insights for refinement. It was a great way to build excitement and get the community involved in the development process.