VR Roguelike Tower Defense Shooter

Overview

Single-handedly developed sci-fi VR shooter combining tower defense, bullet-hell, and roguelike elements for Meta Quest and PCVR. Led complete development from concept through AppLab release, conducting extensive playtesting with 150+ users and iterating based on analytics and community feedback.

Tech Stack

Unity, C# (DOTS/ECS), Burst Compiler, C# Job System, FMOD, Meta XR SDK, OpenXR, Boids Algorithm, Custom Procedural Generation, Unity Timeline/Animator

Game Concept

1 billion years in the future, a robot collector scours space for ancient technologies. Navigate cosmic junkyards defended by swarms of enemy drones in this fast-paced VR shooter with procedural generation and permadeath mechanics. Gameplay: Sci-fi bullet-hell tower defense featuring swarm-based enemy AI, 12 fantasy weapons with unique mechanics, procedural arena generation, and dual progression systems (session-based and meta-progression).

Try JankerMan:

• Itch.io
• Meta Quest AppLab

Technical Implementation

High-Performance Swarm AI (Unity DOTS/ECS)

• Architected full ECS implementation managing hundreds of simultaneous enemies and projectiles at 72fps on Meta Quest 2
• Developed custom flocking behavior using Boids algorithm for coordinated swarm movement patterns
• Implemented ECS-based pathfinding system optimized for large-scale enemy coordination
• Achieved performance through ECS job system parallelization, burst compilation, and data-oriented design patterns

Massive-Scale Object Optimization

• Built sophisticated object pooling system for projectiles, enemies, and VFX to eliminate runtime allocations
• Implemented spatial partitioning (octree/grid-based) for efficient collision detection and culling
• Leveraged ECS component archetype design for cache-friendly data layouts, minimizing memory access latency
• Utilized Unity’s C# Job System with Burst compiler for multi-threaded AI calculations and physics
• Applied aggressive LOD systems and frustum culling for rendering optimization
• Batched draw calls through GPU instancing for identical enemy meshes and projectile effects
• Employed asynchronous scene streaming to manage memory footprint across procedurally generated arenas

Weapon Systems & Combat

• Designed 12 distinct weapon types with unique VR interaction models: laser beams, ballistic projectiles, energy weapons, grenades, explosive ordnance, gravity traps, and black hole generators
• Each weapon featured custom physics behaviors, visual effects, and tactical advantages against swarm patterns

Procedural Generation & Roguelike Systems

• Built procedural arena generation with randomized enemy configurations and spawn patterns
• Designed session-based progression with weapon/upgrade unlocks and persistent meta-progression between runs
• Implemented permadeath mechanics with build variety through combinatorial upgrade systems

Audio Design (FMOD Integration)

• Integrated comprehensive FMOD audio system with adaptive music responding to combat intensity
• Implemented 3D positional audio for enemy localization and weapon feedback
• Created dynamic soundscapes enhancing immersion and spatial awareness

Data-Driven Iteration

• Established analytics pipeline tracking retention, session length, difficulty spikes, and player progression
• Conducted 150+ playtests with recorded gameplay analysis and community surveys via Discord
• Iteratively refined difficulty curves, weapon balance, and progression pacing based on quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback

Cross-Platform Development

• Delivered optimized builds for Meta Quest standalone and PCVR using OpenXR abstraction
• Maintained unified codebase with platform-specific performance tuning

Additional Contributions

Contributed prototype work, technical consultation, and testing for Ultra Boxing VR Advised Ultralab teams on VR development best practices including performance optimization strategies, comfort considerations, and interaction design patterns.