Krzysztof Paczkowski

During University I thought of an idea for a horror game, that could both show off my skills as a developer and help me practice my craft. After a week of work or so I managed to put together a vertical slice of what the game would be, and posted it on reddit for some feedback. After I saw how it resonated with them I started putting more effort into creating a full GDD, short story board, moodboards for the in-game locations and the level layouts in the game.

Thanks to a course I followed I researched and developed a monetization and marketing strategy for this game to be succesfull. I am developing Distraught Using Unity and using models I've either purchased or found online under the CC0 license.

For my final project at University I developed a program that the National Video Game Museum could use during their educational workshops. The primary focus was to teach their attendees how to code through a gamified learning process.

By leveraging a Roslyn C# runtime compiler I created a set of instructions with exercises that the target audience used to learn game development with.

Through gamification techniques such as badge rewards, progress tracking, and immediate feedback, the testers had improved retention and a positive experience learning coding!

Here's a walkthrough video!

Recreating a level from the original DOOM in Unreal Engine was an exciting project that let me combine retro gaming with modern tools. My goal was to stay as true as possible to the original, keeping the layout and feel intact while giving it a fresh, updated look. It was fun experimenting with Unreal Engine’s lighting and textures to bring a new level of atmosphere to the classic design while still capturing the gritty, eerie vibe of the original.

Working on this helped me get comfortable with Unreal Engine’s core features. I learned how to create the User Interface, set up lighting, apply textures and creating new scenes. Figuring out how to bring Doom's retro look to a modern engine was a challenge, but it taught me a lot about the tools and how to make a good looking environment. Every tweak to lighting and textures brought me closer to creating something that felt like a modern take on a classic.

I also dove into bot AI and player controls to recreate the old-school feeling of the classic. Overall, the project gave me a solid understanding of Unreal Engine and how to take advantage of it to create future projects.

Download it here, and try it out!

Creating a game from scratch was an exciting way to dive into learning level design. I learned how things like object placement, pacing, and visual cues impact how players interact with a level. It was a great first approach at making an impactful experience for the players. It was awesome to see how small details could make such a big difference in the overall experience.

At the same time, I got to learn the tools behind the scenes. I worked on creating UI that was easy to use and visually appealing and experimented with creating a noir lighting to set a detective-y mood.

This project taught me so much about both the creative and technical sides of game design. It was a great hands-on way to learn how all the pieces fit together and how even small decisions can shape the player’s experience.

Download it here, and try it out!

In a team of eight students, we created an augmented reality (AR) app for Android to teach users about rare and endangered plants in the Netherlands. The project lasted five months, and our goal was to make learning about biodiversity fun and engaging. From building AR features to curating educational content, we worked hard to bring the idea to life while balancing technical challenges and user-friendly design.

I started as a programmer, working together with another student on creating the entire app within Unity and combining it with the Vuforia Engine for the AR functionality. Halfway through, I stepped up as the product owner, taking charge of prioritizing tasks, ensuring smooth communication, and keeping the project on track. It was a big shift, but it gave me valuable experience in leadership while still contributing technically.

Looking back, I’m really proud of what we have achieved. The app combined AR with meaningful education, and seeing people respond positively to it was incredibly rewarding. The experience taught me a lot about teamwork, adaptability, and using tech to make a difference!