2021 — 2026 · Gameplay Engineer
Safety Quest
A pixel-art arcade platformer built entirely in-house — from the physics engine up
About this project
Safety Quest is the project I spent the longest stretch of my career on — more than four years, from early production through to the point where it became a product the studio could package and resell to clients. It's a pixel-art arcade game spanning entire worlds of platformer levels alongside a large set of mini-games and modes, with each level and mini-game built around its own distinct mechanic.
Almost nothing in it came off the shelf. The physics engine, animation system, grid systems, and AI were all built in-house, which meant the gameplay layer and the tech underneath it evolved together over the years. It was designed first for arcade cabinets on desktop hardware, then later ported to the web, and it ships with a leaderboard and a scoring system robust enough to hold up under competitive arcade play.
Key features
Proprietary 2D physics engine built in-house rather than relying on the stock solution
Custom animation system driving pixel-art characters and effects
Grid systems underpinning level construction and mini-game logic
In-house AI systems for enemies and interactive elements
Worlds of platformer levels, each built around its own unique mechanic
A large catalogue of mini-games and modes with distinct rulesets
Leaderboard and a robust scoring system tuned for arcade competition
Originally built for arcade cabinets, later ported to run on the web