"Loophole to Happiness", Spelkollektivet Halloween Game Jam (Sweden, 2023)
Tools I used: Unreal Engine 5, Audacity, Photoshop
My tasks: level prototyping, HUD, UI, core mechanics implementation, SFX, organizing sponsorship and game music deal.
Autumn 2023.
Theme: "Loop". Halloween Game Jam (Väckelsang, Sweden)
About the game.
Are you ready for the ultimate challenge of your life?
Introducing Loophole to Happiness, the endless runner video game that tests your skills and your virtual liver! In this game, you have to drink as much alcohol as you can while avoiding obstacles and staying on the sidewalk. But be careful, too much alcohol will make you dizzy and lose control, while too little will make you sober and bored.
Find the perfect balance between being tipsy and wasted, and see how far you can go in this hilarious and addictive game. Don't miss this chance to have some fun and get drunk without any consequences!
Soundtrack: Maailma Päris Elu - Tsükkel
Team: Erich Brutus (3D, animation, developer), Mohammad Darwazeh (developer, audio), Siim Soonsein (lead developer, audio)
"Vengeance of the Black Baron", Ludum Dare 54 (Tartu, 2023)
Team: Yogini Mauree (Game and Narrative Designer), Regina Grozdova, Taavi Kõrgeperv (3D Art),Tauri Põdra, Hennaliis Luhaäär (2D Art), Siim Soonsein (Developer).
Tools I used: Unreal Engine 5
Autumn 2023.
Theme: "Limited space", Ludum Dare 54, 2023 (Tartu, Estonia).
About the game. Synopsis: Christoph and Dorothea, who have recently moved into an old family apartment, have died mysterious deaths, with no sign of foul-play. As the investigator, you have to find your way around the house, in an attempt to solve the case.
Inspired by the story of The Black Baron at Pikk-Jalg 14
DISCLAIMER: Opening the Inventory [Q] sometimes crashes the game, then CTRL+ESC, close the game window [X] and open the game again.
Controls: [W][A][S][D] - Move [Q] - Inventory *** [E] - Interact [N] [M] - Special keys [ESC] - Main Menu
DL. Ludum Dare page.
"ShroomCom", Global Game Jam (Pärnu, 2023)
Team: Yogini Mauree (3D Artist), Mari-Anna Lepasson (Sound Designer), Siim Soonsein (Developer),
Tools I used: Unreal Engine 5
Winter 2023.
Theme: "Roots", Global Game Jam Pärnu 2023 (Pärnu, Estonia).
About the game. Explore the fungal network underworld and experience symbiosis firsthand. Transport sugars and nutrients between trees to spread your roots.
Inspired by the symbiotic relationship between trees and fungi. Fungi helps to deliver nutrients and sugars from one tree to another and as a sort of payment for their services, the mycorrhizal network retains part of the sugar that the connected trees generate through photosynthesis.
The core loop:
Collect nutrients & deliver to tree roots
Acquire sugars & deliver to mycelium
Expand mycorrhizal network
"Chop-chop", Ludum Dare 51 (2022)
Team: Yogini Mauree (3D artist), Siim Soonsein (Developer), Jaanus Jaggo (Developer), Rasmus Talioja (UI), Merily Krill (3D artist), Robert Meier (3D artist).
My role: programming, a bit of sounds (recording, editing). Though, I was putting together the whole level, I got enormous amount of help from Jaanus (created the movement of walls-floors) and Rasmus (created the UI and helped with bug-fixes), the result wouldn't be possible without them.
Tools I used: Unreal Engine 4
Autumn 2022.
This game was made for Ludum Dare 51 (theme: Every 10 Seconds) submission, during University of Tartu Game Jam 2022 (Estonia).
About the game. There is a door, a door that is locked, locked with the key hidden, hidden in a maze, a maze that is deadly, deadly unless you can chop it. Chop-Chop!
You can find playable on Itch (331Mb, for Windows only).
A small mobile app for my personal use and to develop my skills in using UE UMG. Demo video.
Solo project
Tools: Unreal Engine 4.27
Summer 2022
Forestry App
2022-07-12 15-06-55.mkv"Sorting Numbers" related to Divided Attention Research
Game for a research purpose. More info soon...
Team: Yiannis Laouris team (idea, research), Siim Soonsein (developer).
Tools I use: Unreal Engine 5
Spring 2022
Easier Said Than Run, UT Game Jam / Global Game Jam (2021)
This game was made under Global Game Jam 2021 together with art school students (theme: "Lost and Found").
It's a point & click memory game where You have to remember Your walking path - suddenly You notice You have lost Your phone and have to go back using the same path to search for Your phone and to find it.
Team (We Showed Up): Maria Orle, Kris Leies (2D), Sissely Pärn, Raigo Tselištšev (3D), Siim Soonsein.
My role: programming
Tools I used: Unreal Engine 4
Music: audionautix.com / Title: Sidewalk / Album: MED
Spring 2021
Team:
Annika Varol (writer),
Sandra Silver (writer),
Marco Neeme (audio, artists team lead),
Dominik Laantee (2D artists),,
Raigo Tselistsev (2D artists),
Siim Soonsein (programming)
World of Colorcraft, UT Game Jam (2020) / Ludum Dare 47
Warming up for Basic Game Development course homework (Tallinn University). We got a lot of help from Tartu Art School 3D students.
Gameplay meets color theory in this 2D game in which the colors of the world are in danger of being swallowed by the Evil Black Hole. The Guardkeeper of all the colors in the world has become old and feeble and the task of saving the colors has been transferred to his apprentice. Can you collect primary colors and take them to the Guardkeeper in time to produce secondary ones? How about tertiary colors, or even more? Embark on a journey looping the color wheel to keep peace and harmony in the world of colors.
My role: programming
Tools I used: Unreal Engine
Fall 2020
Virtual Geometry, APT Game Jam (2020)
The game helps to understand how to describe 3D-objects in 2D-medium and interpret (recreate 3D-objects of) 2D-drawings, how to draw multiviews of any object, explore sacred geometry through different time-critical tasks. Beside tasks students can interact with topic-related gadgets. Planned as VR Game, but executed as PC version. 2 years later, this project transformed to Geometry Maze, with which I work together with my colleague in Tartu Art School right now.
Team: Vadim Shved (programming), Oliver Vainumäe (programming), Siim Soonsein (idea, 3D-modeling)
Tools I used: Sketchup, Unreal Engine
Spring 2020
Roll With It, Garage48 Arts & Robots (2020)
A board game
Best Design Price.
Team: Lasma (Creative/Arts), Rhea - (Marketer), Siim (Creative/Arts), Martin (Developer), Enlik (Software Engineer), Aigi (UI/UX design), Elina (High School Student), Karina (Product Designer).
My role: Helping to develop game mechanics and content, which took us from all the first 40 hours to figure something out. I was working with interaction part (interactive lightning according to player figure placement) of the physical prototype, because I have some earlier experience with electronics and microcontrollers. But we abandoned that part and reduced it to very mechanical level...only art (thanks to our Latvian teammembers) , no robots :)
Tools I used: Arduino IDE
Spring 2020
ShroomPunk, Global Game Jam Riga (2020)
Tabletop AR
Team: Vil Muhametshin (project manager), Māris Putns (developer), “dissid” (developer), Maarja Rebane (3D-artist), Carol Schults (3D-artist), Siim Soonsein (3D-artist)
My role: 3D-art (texture mapping mushrooms), but also helped a bit with figuring out the game mechanics.
Tools I used: Blender
Spring 2020
Logopuu, Garage48 EdTech (2019)
Desktop/mobile app
Logopuu is an interactive web-based learning platform made to support Estonian children’s speech and language development. It’s main goal is to help parents and people working with children detect, prevent and overcome speech and language developmental problems as well as help those who need systematically organized and science-based information about Estonian language.
People with speech problems don’t get help and therapy (too long time to get an appt. Solutionplatform to fill time with useful tasks (games, exercise videos, materials between visits). Technology and speech and language dev platform.
Team: Nikita Tikhomirov (marketing / team lead); Jane Meriloo (education expert); Kati Mäesaar (education expert + business mind); Polina Minaeva (designer, animation artist); Siim Soonsein (designer); Serhiy Krynytskyy (product manager); Maris Põkka (education expert).
My role: different skills and experiences where needed during this project. I think the most interesting part was to make an animation of users’ game experience, animating a story with speech exercises. We had a talented animator (Polina) in our team who prepared character sprites but unfortunately had to leave the country during the event and I continued her work as editor to put the animation together with a video editor (After Effects), which I had to learn on the run :)
Tools I used: Adobe AfterEffects
Fall 2019
CQR, Riga IFF Goes VR (2019)
VR game
1st Price.
Imagine how cool it would be, if going to school would mean only experiencing nice, predictable environment, welcoming attitude and interesting lessons? But reality, unfortunately is far from this – every day thousands of children in Latvia experience stress and other aspects of behavioral disturbances, not being able to swiftly adapt to the new environment.
Not only going to new places, but simply attending school is a huge problem, especially for children in the Autism Spectrum.
The Autism Society of Latvia is aimed to encourage the design of a new approach, that would aid to get used to new environments though immersive tech – virtual reality headsets with specific social scenario, teaching how to overcome stress in a fun and entertaining way. (Autism Society of Latvia)
A solution to children with autism spectrum wins the virtual reality hackathon
Team: Marina Petrakova (project manager), Lukass Dzalbs (developer), Siim Soonsein (3D-art), Edza Polis (3D-art, testing), Aivars Ivanovs (3D-art), Eriks Dou (developer).
My role: Level design (helping out Aivars), but also helped working with game actions and challenges, preparations for the pitch (fact search, business model, roadmap). This was my first game jam, I didn't have any experience, so I tried to help out with anything I can. That event triggered me to start learning game engines :)
Tools I used: Sketchup, Blender
Fall 2019