Lycia Stenson | Game Programmer

Nightbird Engine | Lycia Stenson

Godot Gameplay Prototypes

Throughout my research placement, I developed various gameplay prototypes in Godot. At the time, Godot 4 had recently released and I wanted to become more familiar with the engine.

3D Platformer

A 3D platformer inspired by Super Mario 3D World, developed in Godot as a showcase of game feel for a university taster session.

The students could tweak various parameters to get a sense for how they affect the feel of the character, and explore a simple platformer environment I build out of transformed rock models.

Movement parameters:

  • Acceleration
  • Jump Height
  • Time to reach apex
  • Time to descend from apex

Aesthetic Parameters

  • Presence of trailing cloud particles
  • Speed threshold to spawn trailing particles
  • Presence of sound including running, jump, and double jump sound effects

Asset Credits

  • GDQuest's Godot-themed Sophia character with included movement animations
  • Raffaele Picca's rock terrain models to build out the level

Doctor Who

A Doctor Who-inspired gameplay demo featuring a 'Weeping Angel' that only moves when not in the player's view, and a TARDIS which appears bigger-on-the-inside through a portal system.

LIDAR

The player uses a 'LIDAR scanner' to place points in an invisible environment, allowing them to discern the geometry.

© 2025 Lycia Stenson