About Me.

Hello! I'm Benjamin W Hamby of Kewanee/Silvis, Illinois. I’m a gameplay and systems designer currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Interactive Technology with a focus in Game Design at Full Sail University, following my Associate’s degree in Game Development. My work centers around creating systems-driven gameplay experiences that combine design, technical implementation, and player interaction into cohesive mechanics.

I primarily work in Unreal Engine 5, Minecraft server ecosystems, and multiplayer-focused environments where gameplay systems must function consistently under real player behavior. A large portion of my current work involves designing and implementing interconnected survival mechanics, progression systems, loot structures, multiplayer status systems, world generation tools, and gameplay frameworks that prioritize scalability and long-term player engagement.

One of my largest ongoing projects is DeadFall, a custom survival experience built through a combination of datapacks, Paper plugins, and resource packs. The project focuses heavily on systemic gameplay design, including bleeding and infection mechanics, hydration management, rarity-driven loot economies, dynamic airdrop systems, multiplayer UI frameworks, and custom progression balancing. Alongside gameplay design, I also develop supporting backend infrastructure and tooling to support deployment, server management, authentication systems, and live multiplayer environments.

In addition to multiplayer systems work, I have also been developing a personal Unreal Engine 5 project centered around physics-based puzzle solving using interactive cubes with unique mechanical behaviors. The project explores how players learn, combine, and experiment with mechanics through environmental interaction and momentum-based gameplay. Different cube types introduce their own gameplay functions, including propulsion, gravity manipulation, wall locking, teleportation, and physics interaction systems inspired by sandbox and immersive puzzle design philosophies. The project places a strong focus on mechanic readability, iterative puzzle design, environmental communication, and emergent player problem solving.

Outside of direct game development, I maintain a self-hosted infrastructure stack that includes containerized services, reverse proxies, Git hosting, authentication systems, cloud platforms, and automated deployment pipelines. This technical background has strengthened my approach to systems design by reinforcing scalability, organization, debugging, and long-term maintainability throughout development.

I enjoy projects that sit between creative design and technical execution — especially systems that require iteration, balancing, problem solving, and emergent gameplay interactions. My strongest interests are gameplay systems design, technical design, multiplayer systems, progression frameworks, survival mechanics, physics-driven gameplay, and world simulation.

I’m currently seeking internship or entry-level opportunities where I can continue developing as a designer while contributing to collaborative game development environments focused on gameplay, systems, or technical design.