SUNA
Competitive FPS Game
SUNA is a competitive first-person shooter game, set on a dystopian planet devastated by the ongoing war between the native population and the Corporation entity. The gameplay is highly inspired by Counter-Strike and VALORANT as they are both leaders in the genre.
This project was started with the team presented later on this page as part of our third year at Creajeux. It is a student project aimed at improving our skills in game development and teamwork, as well as exploring new technologies and methodologies.
Considering the scope of the project, we all endorsed multiple roles and responsibilities to ensure its success. My roles were Game Designer, Gameplay programmer and Graphics programmer.
Development started in January 2025 and ended in May 2025
SUNA was made using
C#
UnityGame Engine
GitVersion Control System
SVNVersion Control System
GitHubCode Hosting Platform
Visual StudioIntegrated Development Environment (IDE)
MiroOnline Collaboration Tool
You can find more of SUNA at
Main features
Recoil, Grenades and Objectives
From the start we focused on implementing core mechanics that match what players would expect from a competitive shooter. This includes features like procedural recoil patterns, different grenade types allowing for varied gameplay and strategies, and objective-based gameplay mimicking popular titles in the genre. Economy being a central aspect of the gameplay loop, we designed a system that rewards players for their performance, as individuals and as a team.
Networking and Multiplayer
SUNA features a robust networking architecture using Netcode for Entities (superset of Unity DOTS). We utilized a client-server architecture to ensure smooth gameplay experiences, with dedicated servers handling game logic while clients use predictions that get confirmed by the server. This allows for low-latency interactions and a more responsive gameplay experience.
Entity-Component-System Architecture
SUNA was built using DOTS (Data-Oriented Technology Stack), the Entity-Component-System (ECS) architecture made by Unity. It allowed us to create an efficient and scalable codebase to rapidly prototype and iterate on gameplay features. Thanks to the decision to use DOTS, we were able to achieve great performance frametime-wise, which is one of the main constraints for any competitive shooter.
Materials and Render Pipeline
At first, we decided to use the HDRP (High Definition Render Pipeline) for its advanced rendering capabilities which would allow the artists to work on stunning visuals. As the project evolved, we decided to switch to the URP (Universal Render Pipeline), a more lightweight pipeline to improve performances since the genre demands high frame rates over visual fidelity. The artists and developers worked closely together to create highly modular shaders that achieve the desired look while maintaining performance.
Gallery
My contributions
As a Game Designer :
- Wrote the Game Design Document (GDD) defining the game's mechanics and overall vision, serving as the foundation for the development.
- Iterated on the level layout and greyboxing, refining pacing and timings based on playtests and team feedback.
- Led balancing efforts to ensure the game was both fun and tactical, making adjustments based on inputs from testers.
As a Gameplay Programmer :
- Implemented and refined the Character Controller to enhance responsiveness and achieve competitive-ready movements.
- Developed and integrated core economy systems (buy weapons, rewards when killing players, ...).
- Expanded on already existing systems, made by my peers :
- Weapon System Added grenades (explosive, flashbang, smoke and gas), improved modularity.
- Shooting System Supported various firing modes and balancing variables (damage falloff, RoF, accuracy, ...). Added the ability to aim down sights. Aided in the implementation of procedural recoil patterns and introduced visual recoil.
As a Graphics Programmer :
- Collaborated with the lead artist and artistic director to design shaders balacing visual quality and performance.
- Parallax effect Implemented a custom parallax shader to improve ground texture rendering.
- Tile blending Developed a triplanar shader to blend multiple texture based on height and noise values.
- Fake godrays Created a fake godrays shader to simulate light rays without using volumetric effect or post-fx.
- Spawn shield Designed the shield visuals around spawns using noise, scene color and depth textures.
- Delivered both Unity's shader graph and handwritten HLSL/Shaderlab implementations.
Other Contributions :
- Performed CPU and GPU profiling and targeted 8.33ms average frame time (~120 frames per second).
- Achieved 7.14ms average frame time (~140 fps) on target hardware through system and rendering optimizations.
- Designed a noise texture generator tool to assist artists in creating seamless noise textures.
You can find all my commits on Github
What I learned
Hard skills
- Advanced gameplay programming (character controllers, weapon/economy systems, multiplayer interactions)
- Shader development (HLSL, Unity Shader Graph, optimization techniques)
- Performance optimization (profiling, memory management) on CPU and GPU
- Level design and greyboxing (gameplay flow, level layout)
- Version control and collaborative development (Git, Github, branching)
Soft skills
- Communication (collaborating with team members, presenting ideas)
- Problem-solving (debugging, optimizing workflows)
- Time management (prioritizing tasks, meeting deadlines)
- Adaptability (learning new tools, adjusting to feedback)
Personal growth
SUNA has been a true catalyst for my personal and professional growth. We have faced numerous challenges, from technical hurdles to creative differences, and each obstacle has been an opportunity to learn and improve.
I had never been in charge of game design before, this project allowed me to learn to balance vision (gameplay intent) with execution (practical implementation with technical constraints).
This project also contributed greatly to my confidence as a developer and team member when I am looking back at the challenges we overcame and the game we created. I am also more assertive in sharing my ideas, advocating for my vision and defending my design choices.
Being confident is one thing, being humble is another. I learned to accept feedback and criticism constructively, seeing them as opportunities for growth rather than personal attacks.
This project also strengthened my adaptability. Switching between different roles and responsibilities taught me to be flexible and open-minded in front of change. It definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone and improved my organizational skills, especially in managing my time and priorities.
Last but not least, SUNA made my passion for game development go through the roof. Seeing our ideas come to life and witnessing players enjoy our game is an incredibly rewarding experience that fuels my enthusiasm to be part of this industry.
Contributors
Main Contributors
Extra Contributors
- HOCTOR George Miller - Voice Actor
- MICHEL Kylian - Artist