Hit - A collision library for GameMaker

I created this lightweight code library as part of the annual Cookbook jam in which members of GameMaker engine’s community create tutorials and build new opensource code libraries, tools and assets that empower developers.

Having used Unreal Engine professionally for a while, I noticed how GameMaker had frustratingly always lacked a simple to implement and easily customisable collision system. The aim of this code library was to introduce a robust and modular collision system that required minimal maintenance and coding from the user, which added enhanced features to the existing object collisions and introduced a fully customisable tile collision system to improve the level design experience.

Features:

Simple to implement for less time coding collision and more time creating.
Modular and scalable to meet all project requirements.
Custom collision callbacks.
Delta timing for perfect collisions every game frame.
Custom tile collision data.
Moving tile collisions

View on GitHub

Thanks to Aardman’s collaborative, cross-disciplinary culture, I was selected for an internal mentorship program to develop my level-design and UI/UX skills, enabling me to transition from Lead QA on Chicken Run 2: Eggstraction into a designer role. Under the guidance of senior designers, I rapidly mastered Unreal Engine blueprints, thanks to my familiarity with written programming languages and experience with various game engines, to craft compelling level layouts, integrate interactive elements and enemy encounters, and fine-tune pacing and flow. The experience rekindled my passion for creating fun, engaging user experiences first-hand, rather than contributing solely as a respected QA tester through feedback and constructive critique, setting me on a clear path towards a Junior Game Designer role.

Designing the world hub and training level:

As the game’s production quality grew, we began porting it from a mobile-exclusive title to PC and console platforms. I noticed the front-end still heavily catered to mobile conventions and lacked a dedicated space for players to safely explore mechanics. In response, I proposed a training hub: a compact, explorable area where players could freely experiment with equipment, practice core mechanics, and engage in light challenges, whilst unwinding from the game’s main campaign.

Due to scope limitations, the original concept was scaled down, but it laid the foundation for the final Training Ground level, which is a standalone level where players could try out weapons and abilities against training dummies modelled after in-game enemies, without the risk of failure or consequence.

First pass of the hub world designed in Miro

The basis for this level design originated from a large-scale test map I had developed to support QA, engineering, and design. This map contained all unit tests used in the game and was created using our in-house procedural generation tools. I designed targeted scenarios to validate new features, simulate full gameplay loops, and troubleshoot edge cases.

To support more advanced testing conditions, I implemented interactive logic between level elements such as doors, switches, and environmental triggers. This enabled more complex, repeatable setups and improved our ability to validate systems in a controlled environment.

To streamline playtesting and debugging, I improved and extended the debug UI using Unreal Engine’s Blueprint and Widget Blueprint (WBP) systems, along with integrated data tables. I built interactive panels that allowed testers and developers to control game states, modify user data such as character and level progress, acquire virtual currency, and obtain items.

Visual Polish and Photoshop Automation

Alongside level design and QA tooling, I contributed to polish and presentation tasks across the project. This included capturing in-game and promotional screenshots, which I edited in Photoshop to create bespoke level preview thumbnails for the level select screen.

I also developed custom Photoshop actions to automate the conversion of animated character portrait sequences for the in-game UI, ensuring consistent presentation of character actions and expressions throughout the user interface.

Drawn by the mesmerizing visuals on authentic Game Boy Advance systems, I contributed my QA skills to Goodboy Galaxy’s alpha and beta phases. My role involved a unique blend of testing on original hardware and emulation, helping to root out performance glitches in this trailblazing 2023 game that was the first commercial release on the GBA in over 13 years!

As VFlects: Battle for Virtua Prime moved from prototype to development, I pivoted from being QA Lead to Level Design for this NFT blockchain game. Dissatisfied with traditional paper-prototyping methods, I created a custom deck-shuffler in batch script and utilized the Tiled level editor software to simulate the game’s virtual tabletop in order to streamline testing and give a more realistic feel for the final product. I collaborated with the design team on developing unique card packs for character moves and attacks and crafted multiple levels, both during the paper design phase and via the game’s proprietary level editor.

The prototype's Deck-Shuffler running through the game-loop.

The Enchanted Isle (TEI) was a well-known Minecraft server that stood out for its inventive game modes and custom-designed maps, which frequently attracted many popular YouTubers, notably Stampylongnose and The Yogscast.

Launching in 2014, TEI remained an extremely popular family friendly Minecraft server until its closure in 2017. I joined the build team not long after its launch and worked as a level designer through too its final days. During that time, I contributed to several key aspects of the server, from Skywars arenas to Hunger Games maps and original mini-games.

As a level designer, my focus was mostly on Skywars, although I also contributed to other projects like Hunger Games maps and other custom mini-games that the server hosted:

Skywars: An elimination game where player’s are stranded on floating islands and must build out to kill other players.
Hunger Games: The original battle royale that gave birth to PubG and Fortnite!
Ballistic Bows: A fast-paced, bow-only combat team-deathmatch!
RailBusters – An on-rails shooter that is still unique to the server.

Ufo

This was one of my first Skywars maps. It followed a fairly standard design template seen on many servers—individual islands positioned around a central structure. It worked well for quick, high-intensity games, but I felt there was room to evolve the format.

Cloud-9

For Cloud-9, I wanted to address the common issue of early player elimination. Most players rushed toward the center and were knocked out within the first few seconds of a match starting. To counter that, I redesigned the flow of the map:

Players spawned safely inside floating hot air balloons.
From there, they could build a path onto a nearby outer-ring of terrain resembling clouds, spreading players out early in the game.
The center of the map held a single thundercloud with a few valuable loot crates. Reaching it required building across open space, which made it a calculated risk.

The result was longer, more strategic matches where players had choices to either take their time and build out, or risk an early push to the center.

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Richard Jones

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Designing the world hub and training level:

Unreal Widget Blueprints for Improved Debugging

Visual Polish and Photoshop Automation