OddBallers is an online multiplayer party game where each round is a new absurd type of dodgeball.
Position: Game Programmer
Duration: 2 years
Developer: Game Swing
Publisher: Ubisoft
Engine: Unity
General: I was a game programmer on OddBallers for two years leading up to it's release and maintaining it afterwards as a live-service game. The game is released on all major platforms simultaneously (PS4, PS5, XBOX ONE, PC, Switch) and was developed in Unity and used Photon for multiplayer networking.
Design: As a gameplay programmer I got to work on both the programming and design sides of the game. As a designer, I made whacky game modes that put a twist on the dodge-ball game. For example I designed Cursed, a game mode where the dodgeball is a "hot potato" that electrocutes the player who holds it after a 10 second countdown.
Game feel: I also designed several fun items to throw at your friends that would fit the humorous tone of the game. For example, I created a throwable banana that flies like a boomerang, allowing players to do trickshots, and a controllable blob of lava that falls from the sky like a piano in a cartoon.
Programming: As a programmer, I worked with Photon to make the gameplay efficiently networked. I also optimized the graphics and improved the framerate of the game through using the profiler. Other systems I worked on include a menu system for changing your characters clothes, accessibility features like a colorblind mode and managing certification and porting for PS4 and PS5.
Project management: From a project management perspective we worked very iteratively, playtesting the game once a week and making changes accordingly. We worked with Ubisoft as a publisher and utilized their structure for prioritizing and time-estimating tasks. We also worked with their international team of QA testers from Mumbai to ensure high levels of polish.
In the pictures you can see the in-game lobby and the character creation screen I worked on, along with screenshots from the game modes Volcano Wrath and Cursed. Below is the release trailer for the game which showcases many gamemodes, items and levels.
