DevLog: Week 16 Course Conclusion
The final week of the Skills Bootcamp in Game Development was a profound shift from "development" to "presentation." This week was dedicated to high-level peer reviews, understanding the publishing pipeline, and preparing for the transition into the professional games industry.
It was an eye-opening experience that transformed my perspective from that of an individual developer to a collaborative professional.
1. The Value of Peer Review: A Collaborative Audit
One of the most valuable sessions of the entire bootcamp was the peer review of our final projects. Seeing how other developers tackled the same briefs provided fresh insights into problem-solving.
UX Testing: Watching a peer play my game for the first time revealed "blind spots" in my UI and level design that I had missed during months of internal testing.
Code Diversity: Discussing architecture with fellow students showed me alternative ways to structure State Machines and Event Systems, broadening my technical toolkit for future projects.
Constructive Feedback: I provided and received feedback on performance optimization and "game feel," simulating the collaborative environment of a professional game studio.
2. Next Steps: Publishing & Distribution
Our tutors provided a comprehensive roadmap for taking a project from a local build to a public release. We explored:
The Publishing Pipeline: Understanding the technical requirements for different platforms, from itch.io for indie prototypes to the rigorous standards of the Steam and Epic stores.
Build Optimization: Learning how to strip out debug logs and optimize asset bundles to ensure a clean, professional build for the end user.
Version Control Continuity: Discussing how to maintain a project post-launch using Git for patches and updates.
3. Career Readiness: Entering the Job Market
The final focus of the week was the professional transition. We reviewed the current landscape of the games industry and the specific qualities studios look for in Junior Gameplay Programmers.
Portfolio Presentation: Refining how I document my C# scripts and Unity systems to highlight my problem-solving process to recruiters.
The "T-Shaped" Developer: Identifying my core strengths in C# scripting and physics manipulation while showing a broad understanding of the entire Unity pipeline (Shaders, UI, and AI).
Reflection: Ready for Hire
This 16-week journey has been about more than just learning Unity; it has been about "industrializing" my skills. I have moved from a university graduate with a passion for games to a Technical Developer with a portfolio of modular, scalable, and polished projects.
I am now officially available for hire and eager to bring my technical foundation in C# and Unity to a professional development team. Whether it’s building robust gameplay systems, refining AI behavior, or optimizing 2D/3D physics, I am ready to contribute to the next generation of interactive experiences.
Play all my project games on https://alexander-vining.itch.io/
I am currently open to internship and junior-level opportunities. Let’s connect and build something remarkable.