Thomas Malandris

About

Unity/C# game developer who served as CEO and lead developer on the Unity 2D pixel RPG "Rum Runner's Revenge," owning technical direction, modular architecture, and core gameplay systems; the project earned a TIGA award nomination. Also shipped a commercial Unreal Engine title and built an adaptive difficulty system using player performance metrics, leveraging AI tools for rapid prototyping and debugging.

Experience

Education

Key Strengths

• Led and architected a Unity/C# game as CEO and lead developer
• Designed modular gameplay architecture (drag-and-drop behavior modules) for maintainability and extensibility
• Implemented core gameplay systems including HFSM player controller, interaction systems, and combat
• Managed team workflow and codebase stability via GitHub, ClickUp, and code reviews/integration
• Built adaptive difficulty system in Unreal Engine using player performance metrics and scoring
• Project recognition: Rum Runner's Revenge nominated for a TIGA award

Reference Highlights

• Turned around a stalled project quickly (demo ready in 6 weeks)
• High initiative (refactored the whole project without prompting)
• Strong technical problem diagnosis
• Clear communication with non-technical teammates
• Strong ownership and accountability
• Effective team leadership
• Data-driven and proactive about feedback
• Good at breaking work into manageable procedures
• Collaborative and alignment-focused in weekly meetings
• Organized under heavy workload; handled tasks step by step
• Keeps stakeholders updated on progress
• Creates helpful, information-packed documentation and videos
• Positive, lighthearted communication style