Samantha Esparza-Baker

Gameplay Programmer

A collection of architecture, data structures, and design pattern demo projects and games showcasing player mechanics, AI behaviors, encounters, and animation integration in Unity and Unreal Engine.

Demo Projects

Procedural Generation

Unity 3D

Procedural dungeon generation system in Unity spawning modular prefab rooms and hallways based on adjustable spawn probability and layout rules.

Spatial Partition

Unity 3D

Implemented a spatial partitioning system to optimize object queries by organizing entities based on their positions. Reference Erik Nordeus, the system enables enemies to efficiently locate and engage the nearest player in real time.

Ultra Simple State Machine

Unity 3D

A finite state machine (FSM) demo in Unity using interfaces to manage player movement states; standing, ducking, jumping, and diving, following the approach outlined by Nystrom's State Machines
- This system is modular and easily scalable

Flocking

Unity 3D

Implemented a flocking algorithm using separation, alignment, and cohesion to simulate natural group movement. Designed as an interactive agent-based system suitable for swarms, crowds, or enemy formations.

Game Projects

Time Wound

Unity 3D | Multiplayer Couch Co-op 2024 | Solo Developer

Vault Raiders

Board Game | 3-4 Players | 2024 | Solo Designer

After a famous treasure hunter reveals the location of a mysterious treasure underneath a mountain, you gather up your courage and embark on a journey. In order to receive this treasure you must explore the caves beneath the mountain to find vaults and keys. However, there are fellow adventurers and strange monsters who you must fight against. Obtain the most treasure and go down in history as the greatest treasure hunter of all time.

Train to Mawthorne

Unreal 5 | Capstone 2026 | Project Manager & Gameplay Programmer

A biomechanical survival horror game where a passenger train has become a host for a parasite that feeds on its passengers flesh and emotional turmoil. Playing as Lillie, a grief-stricken woman trying to return home after her sister’s septic death, the player must discover how the parasite spread, and figure out how to kill the train.

CONTACT

About

B.A. in Simulation Science, Games, and Animation
Minor in Computer Science
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
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Current Project: Capstone project in Unreal as project manager and gameplay programmer.Currently Learning: PHP/MySQL for game backend services and DevOps principles.Current Hobbies: Modding my Wii, reading The Stranger by Albert Camus, and playing Marvel Rivals

Skills

Code literacy
Leadership
Collaborative teamwork
Clear communication
Adaptability
Problem-solving
Agile mindset

Software Proficiencies

Game Engines
Unity
Unreal Engine 5Modeling & Animation
Houdini
Maya
ZbrushProgramming
C++
Blueprints
Unity C#
Python
PHP
SQLArt & Design
Photoshop
After Effects
Premiere Pro
Substance PainterTools & Communication
GIt/Github
Slack
Microsoft Suite
ShoGun Motion Capture

Time Wound

Unity 3D | Multiplayer Couch Co-op | 2024
Solo Developer

DETAILS
Time Wound is a digital adaptation of an original board game I designed and balanced over a full academic term. The video game version builds on that foundation, translating tabletop mechanics into real-time, systems-driven gameplay with a focus on local multiplayer, AI behavior, and scalable architecture.
GAMEPLAY
- Local multiplayer using Unity split-screen
- Unity 6 Input System supporting keyboard and gamepad controls
- Enemy AI behavior tree and ballistics attacks
- Object pooling system for enemy spawning to reduce runtime allocations and improve performance
FUTURE IMPLEMENTATIONS
- Integrating my prefab procedural dungeon generator project to produce randomized level layouts
- Expanding AI behavior tree

Procedural Generation

Unity 3D | 2025

Developed a procedural dungeon generation system in Unity to create dynamic, replayable environments using modular prefab rooms and hallways. The system was built inspired by and expanded from this example.Each room contains defined entry points that evaluate probabilistic generation rules to determine whether to spawn a hallway, regular room, special room, or a terminating wall. This approach balances controlled structure with randomness to prevent invalid layouts while maintaining variety between runs.The generator is designed to be easily configurable and extensible, allowing room types, probabilities, and layout rules to be adjusted without rewriting core logic. The system is intended for integration with gameplay mechanics, AI navigation, and replay-focused level design.A downloadable executable is provided to demonstrate the system in action.

Train to Mawthorne

Unreal 5 | Capstone 2026 | Producer & Gameplay Programmer

"A first person biomechanical survival horror game where a passenger train has become a host for a parasite that feeds on its passengers flesh and emotional turmoil. Playing as Lillie, a grief-stricken woman trying to return home after her sister’s septic death, the player must discover how the parasite spread, and figure out how to kill the train."Our team of 5 (2 programmers and 3 artists) developed this game during our senior capstone class (~8 months) and showcased the demo at GDC 2026.

Gameplay Developer
- Designed gameplay loop, systems, atmosphere, and "feel" of the game.
- Created and implemented the following features using Unreal Blueprints:
- AI behaviors for enemies using behavior trees.
- Enemies have gameplay tags and weapons have damage types to calculate resistance and damage amount to receive throughout the game, as the player discovers more weapons.
- Some enemies are dormant until the player damages or touches them, or events call that enemies awake function.
- Using AISense, enemies react to sound, sight, damage, and touch from the player.
- Enemies with the "scared of fire" gameplay tag will shrivel away from the lighter if equipped and in range.
- Organ enemy behavior, pickup and enemy spawners during combat.
- Organ death sfx
- Event driven dialogue/quest system
- Crafting system, simple combining inventory items to create a weapon
- Molotov physics throwable item, catches on fire, DOT, and chaos fracture

Producer
- Managed version control (Diversion) for coordination across disciplines.
- Assigned tasks
- Maintained organized documentation of GDD, workflows, and backlog.
- Communicated and solved conflicts between design and programming teamsChallenges & Solutions
- Due to the class structure, we only had a few weeks to develop our core gameplay loop. Even though I had been iterating on this game idea before my senior year, we had to pivot multiple times as we solidified our pillars and goals for the game.
- Only having 2 programmers, and one also being the producer, meant utilizing tutorials and pre-built systems to streamline development, allowing us to focus our efforts on customization and core gameplay features.