Reality Channel
Reality Channel
Reality Channel is a work in progress first-person narrative puzzle experience built around state management frameworks in Unreal Engine. The project features a multi-channel TV grid with interactive state transitions that affect the environmental conditions to create a dynamic space where player interactions have a ripple effect through interconnected systems in order to unlock narrative progression.
Location
Portland Oregon
Skills Utilized
State Management Design, Implied Environmental Narrative, Visual Programming
Technology Used
Unreal Engine, Blueprint, AutoDesk Maya, Substance Painter
year
2025
Overview
State management as narrative mechanics.
Reality Channel explores how state management systems can create compelling narrative experiences by transforming player interactions into environmental changes. Set in a mysterious room with a wall of TVs, a reality-shifting window, and a Rubik's cube puzzle, the game uses complex state transitions to tell a story through systems rather than explicit narrative.
Key elements of the state management system include:
Multi-channel TV grid with individual and collective state tracking
Reality window that transforms based on system conditions
Rubik's cube interaction system that acts as a reality-tuning device
Dynamic material instantiation tied to player actions
Environmental response systems that reflect player-driven state changes
This project demonstrates how technical implementation of state management can transcend pure functionality to become the core storytelling mechanism, creating an experience where the narrative emerges through system interactions.
My Approach
Technical foundation for streaming integration.
The development approach focused on creating a robust framework that could later be extended into an interactive streaming environment. This required balancing technical complexity with visual clarity to ensure systems that remain understandable to both to single time players and potential streaming audiences.
Key components of my approach included:
Building a modular Blueprint system for TV state management
Creating visual feedback systems that clearly communicate state changes
Implementing material parameter controls that respond to player interactions
Designing puzzle mechanics that naturally emerge from the state system
Establishing a technical foundation for future streaming audience participation
The technical challenge involved creating a state management system complex enough to generate interesting emergent behaviors, while still remaining stable and predictable enough to build narrative experiences within. The solution I came up with leveraged Unreal Engine's Blueprint system to create dynamic interactions without requiring any code.
Results & Impact
Systems that bridge games and interactive media.
Reality Channel demonstrates how game development techniques can extend beyond traditional games into interactive media experiences. The project showcases my ability to design complex state management systems with practical applications in multiple contexts.
Some notable outcomes include:
Functional TV grid system with state management capabilities
Visual feedback systems that clearly communicate complex state transitions
Technical framework adaptable to live streaming environments
Integration of narrative elements through environmental response systems
Practical implementation of theoretical systems design concepts
The state management framework developed for Reality Channel provides a foundation for future exploration of interactive media spaces where audiences can collectively influence a shared environment. By focusing on robust system design first, the project creates opportunities for expansion into streaming integration and more complex interactive experiences.
What is systems design in games?
Systems design is the practice of creating interconnected game mechanics that work together to generate emergent player experiences. Rather than scripting every possible outcome, systems designers build rule sets that interact in dynamic ways, allowing players to discover unexpected strategies and experiences. This approach creates games with greater replayability and player expression, as the interactions between systems can produce outcomes the designers themselves may not have anticipated.
How does your psychology background inform your design approach?
What types of game systems do you specialize in?
What tools/engines do you work with?
Reality Channel
Reality Channel
Reality Channel is a work in progress first-person narrative puzzle experience built around state management frameworks in Unreal Engine. The project features a multi-channel TV grid with interactive state transitions that affect the environmental conditions to create a dynamic space where player interactions have a ripple effect through interconnected systems in order to unlock narrative progression.
Location
Portland Oregon
Skills Utilized
State Management Design, Implied Environmental Narrative, Visual Programming
Technology Used
Unreal Engine, Blueprint, AutoDesk Maya, Substance Painter
year
2025
Overview
State management as narrative mechanics.
Reality Channel explores how state management systems can create compelling narrative experiences by transforming player interactions into environmental changes. Set in a mysterious room with a wall of TVs, a reality-shifting window, and a Rubik's cube puzzle, the game uses complex state transitions to tell a story through systems rather than explicit narrative.
Key elements of the state management system include:
Multi-channel TV grid with individual and collective state tracking
Reality window that transforms based on system conditions
Rubik's cube interaction system that acts as a reality-tuning device
Dynamic material instantiation tied to player actions
Environmental response systems that reflect player-driven state changes
This project demonstrates how technical implementation of state management can transcend pure functionality to become the core storytelling mechanism, creating an experience where the narrative emerges through system interactions.
My Approach
Technical foundation for streaming integration.
The development approach focused on creating a robust framework that could later be extended into an interactive streaming environment. This required balancing technical complexity with visual clarity to ensure systems that remain understandable to both to single time players and potential streaming audiences.
Key components of my approach included:
Building a modular Blueprint system for TV state management
Creating visual feedback systems that clearly communicate state changes
Implementing material parameter controls that respond to player interactions
Designing puzzle mechanics that naturally emerge from the state system
Establishing a technical foundation for future streaming audience participation
The technical challenge involved creating a state management system complex enough to generate interesting emergent behaviors, while still remaining stable and predictable enough to build narrative experiences within. The solution I came up with leveraged Unreal Engine's Blueprint system to create dynamic interactions without requiring any code.
Results & Impact
Systems that bridge games and interactive media.
Reality Channel demonstrates how game development techniques can extend beyond traditional games into interactive media experiences. The project showcases my ability to design complex state management systems with practical applications in multiple contexts.
Some notable outcomes include:
Functional TV grid system with state management capabilities
Visual feedback systems that clearly communicate complex state transitions
Technical framework adaptable to live streaming environments
Integration of narrative elements through environmental response systems
Practical implementation of theoretical systems design concepts
The state management framework developed for Reality Channel provides a foundation for future exploration of interactive media spaces where audiences can collectively influence a shared environment. By focusing on robust system design first, the project creates opportunities for expansion into streaming integration and more complex interactive experiences.
What is systems design in games?
Systems design is the practice of creating interconnected game mechanics that work together to generate emergent player experiences. Rather than scripting every possible outcome, systems designers build rule sets that interact in dynamic ways, allowing players to discover unexpected strategies and experiences. This approach creates games with greater replayability and player expression, as the interactions between systems can produce outcomes the designers themselves may not have anticipated.
How does your psychology background inform your design approach?
What types of game systems do you specialize in?
What tools/engines do you work with?
Reality Channel
Reality Channel
Reality Channel is a work in progress first-person narrative puzzle experience built around state management frameworks in Unreal Engine. The project features a multi-channel TV grid with interactive state transitions that affect the environmental conditions to create a dynamic space where player interactions have a ripple effect through interconnected systems in order to unlock narrative progression.
Location
Portland Oregon
Skills Utilized
State Management Design, Implied Environmental Narrative, Visual Programming
Technology Used
Unreal Engine, Blueprint, AutoDesk Maya, Substance Painter
year
2025
Overview
State management as narrative mechanics.
Reality Channel explores how state management systems can create compelling narrative experiences by transforming player interactions into environmental changes. Set in a mysterious room with a wall of TVs, a reality-shifting window, and a Rubik's cube puzzle, the game uses complex state transitions to tell a story through systems rather than explicit narrative.
Key elements of the state management system include:
Multi-channel TV grid with individual and collective state tracking
Reality window that transforms based on system conditions
Rubik's cube interaction system that acts as a reality-tuning device
Dynamic material instantiation tied to player actions
Environmental response systems that reflect player-driven state changes
This project demonstrates how technical implementation of state management can transcend pure functionality to become the core storytelling mechanism, creating an experience where the narrative emerges through system interactions.
My Approach
Technical foundation for streaming integration.
The development approach focused on creating a robust framework that could later be extended into an interactive streaming environment. This required balancing technical complexity with visual clarity to ensure systems that remain understandable to both to single time players and potential streaming audiences.
Key components of my approach included:
Building a modular Blueprint system for TV state management
Creating visual feedback systems that clearly communicate state changes
Implementing material parameter controls that respond to player interactions
Designing puzzle mechanics that naturally emerge from the state system
Establishing a technical foundation for future streaming audience participation
The technical challenge involved creating a state management system complex enough to generate interesting emergent behaviors, while still remaining stable and predictable enough to build narrative experiences within. The solution I came up with leveraged Unreal Engine's Blueprint system to create dynamic interactions without requiring any code.
Results & Impact
Systems that bridge games and interactive media.
Reality Channel demonstrates how game development techniques can extend beyond traditional games into interactive media experiences. The project showcases my ability to design complex state management systems with practical applications in multiple contexts.
Some notable outcomes include:
Functional TV grid system with state management capabilities
Visual feedback systems that clearly communicate complex state transitions
Technical framework adaptable to live streaming environments
Integration of narrative elements through environmental response systems
Practical implementation of theoretical systems design concepts
The state management framework developed for Reality Channel provides a foundation for future exploration of interactive media spaces where audiences can collectively influence a shared environment. By focusing on robust system design first, the project creates opportunities for expansion into streaming integration and more complex interactive experiences.
What is systems design in games?
Systems design is the practice of creating interconnected game mechanics that work together to generate emergent player experiences. Rather than scripting every possible outcome, systems designers build rule sets that interact in dynamic ways, allowing players to discover unexpected strategies and experiences. This approach creates games with greater replayability and player expression, as the interactions between systems can produce outcomes the designers themselves may not have anticipated.
How does your psychology background inform your design approach?
What types of game systems do you specialize in?
What tools/engines do you work with?