My Game Projects
Top-Down Zombie Game
This was my first personal game project, developed as a learning exercise to develop skills with Unity and C#. I created it as my final project form my game design course in 2024. This project allowed me to explore the fundamentals of game development and apply them to a real game.
In this game, players move around the environment to kill or avoid zombies. The player can either shoot them on foot, or get in the truck and run them over!
VR Environment - Campsite
This was my final project in my VR course in 2025. The project tested my ability to create a performant and visually immersive environment. The game can be played on a Meta Quest headset, but the image and recording were captured from its web-based version.
When the player interacts with the environment in virtual reality, they can hear the fire and nearby river in 3D space. The axe in the stump can be grabbed and tossed by the player, or socketed back into place. The player can also grab a flashlight and shine it around the environment. Various bottles can be knocked over and interacted with.
Mobile AR Game - Fast Food Fling
This project was my first foray into augmented reality game development and was my final project from the augmented reality course I took in 2025. It allowed me to explore the integration of real-world environments with digital game elements.
In this game, players use their phone to scan a QR code which spawns the game's conveyor belt. The goal is to pick up the food and fling it onto trays to complete orders. By the time the tray reaches the end, the order must be complete and accurate to score points. This was my first android project. The game uses the phone's camera and sensors to create an augmented reality experience.
3D Modeling
3D Donut
This donut was the final project for my 3D modeling course in 2025. I made the entire donut and all textures from scratch using Blender. I focused on creating a realistically deformed donut mesh and applied realistic texturing try to make it as good as possible. The marshmallows were particularly challenging because they required the use of nodes. I procedurally applied rotations to the marshmallows to ensure they looked realistic and natural, and ensured they matched the height of the icing.
Graphic Design
Concert Poster
I am proud to have made this professional-quality concert poster in 2024 for the III Marine Expeditionary Force Band in Okinawa, Japan, where I worked for six years. I used Adobe Illustrator to make this project so that I could ensure high-quality print fidelity at any size. I made promotional materials using the same poster by changing the original proportions. I also designed visually consitent tickets and programs for the event. This high quality poster rasied the bar for the Unit's concert promotion materials.
The design incorporates the Marine Corps' signature colors to create a visually striking poster. The singer's hand gesture points directly towards the time and date, giving the viewer a clear path to follow to quickly find the information they need to know. The background image gives a clear preview of the event itself, therefore enabling the poster to convey the experience of the event without any words.
Movie Poster
This was one of my projects from my Graphic Communication class in 2024. In this project, I used Adobe Photoshop to create a visually appealing movie poster by portraying an unsettling mood. The combination of the lighting, font style, the creepy T-pose, and the spring-headed man paint a visually consistent theme. It gives the viewer a sense of unease and anticipation of what the movie might be about.
My Skills
Education
- B.S. in Web and Digital Design - University of Maryland Global Campus
- Innovation Through Design - University of Sydney
Game Engines and Tools
- Unity
- VS Code
- Blender
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
- Figma
- Microsoft Office
Programming Languages
- C#
- C++
- Python
- Java
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
Game Development Experience
- VR and AR Development
- Vehicle and Flight Physics
- 3D Sound Design
- Procedural Mesh Generation
- Procedural World Generation
- Data-Oriented Design
- 2D A* Pathfinding
Benjamin Smith
beastyben7@gmail.com
As a Marine Corps veteran transitioning into game design and development, I foster a commitment to self-improvement and lifelong learning. Throughout my time in the Marine Corps, I developed and applied leadership skills daily, training and mentoring the Marines under my charge and leading small teams. After two years of service, I decided to concurrently pursue a B.S. in Web and Digital Design, maintaining a rigorous schedule of military service and academic excellence. Progressing through this diverse degree, I specialized in game development and related subjects. Between courses, I worked on side projects to expand my skills. I’m currently focused on advancing my expertise in Unreal Engine, C++, and real-time interactive simulation.
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