Jacob VanDomelen
Programmer, technical artist, and composer for 9 years focused on building immersive game
experiences. Below are some of the projects I've worked on. More projects can be found on my
Itch.io page.
An experimental research project aiming to evolve compelling NPC behavior for potential use in video games. Runs many Unreal Engine simulations of souls-like combat and uses genetic algorithms to derive a variety of different combat strategies. Performance of individuals is collected, aggregated, and judged against others to persist interesting behavior.
A surreal survival horror game built in Unreal Engine 5, originally prototyped in Godot for Ludum Dare 53. The player must be careful to avoid sticking out among a hostile crowd and match the expectations of a despotic speaker. Using behavior trees, this game simulates the collective behavior of dozens of NPCs and their myriad interactions with the player to achieve a nerve-wracking experience.
A space exploration survival game built in Unreal Engine 5 focused on managing ship tools and resources to withstand the unforgiving environment of space. Features simulations of ship systems like electricity, life support, and communications. Demonstrates the ability of the ship to affect the environment, with a laser to slice asteroids, and sensors to detect resources.