PROJECTS.EXE
About.txt
Contact.msg
PROJECT MORGUE
Socials.net
DEVLOG.EXE
Currently working for Coleg Gwent, Studying USW Games MA and owner of Dazed & Confused Studios cyf
🎓 First Class Honours Graduate
🎮 Unity • Unreal • Pico-8
💻 C# • C++ • Lua • HTML
I'm Hollie, a First Class Honours Game Development graduate from the University of South Wales.
I graduated with Distinction in Computer Science & Cyber Security and have an Associate Fellow of Advance HE (AFHEA).
I enjoy building gameplay systems, weird mechanics and experimenting with game feel.
Personal notes, development updates, project discoveries and occasional ramblings.
For our latest game jam, we were given a simple challenge: take an existing released game and imagine how it could work as a Nintendo-style 99-player game. Being a fan of Tetris 99, our group eventually landed on an idea that sounded ridiculous enough to be worth trying: Plants vs. Zombies 99.
The idea was to keep the basic Plants vs. Zombies formula intact. You collect Sun, place plants, defend your lawn and survive waves of zombies. The twist comes from the other gardens playing underneath you. Whenever you defeat a zombie, additional pressure can be sent towards another opponent, while their victories can result in more zombies being sent back to you. Essentially, we wanted to see what would happen if the familiar PvZ formula was turned into the chaotic last-player-standing structure of Tetris 99.
With only one week to build the prototype, creating an actual 99-player online game was obviously far beyond the scope of the jam. Instead, I created 20 AI-controlled gardens to simulate the idea. These opponents could generate resources, place plants, fight zombies and participate in the zombie-sending system, with their games displayed around the player's lawn using live mini-screens.
The AI was probably one of the most entertaining parts of development because it was far from perfect. Sometimes an opponent would put together a surprisingly reasonable defence. Sometimes several AI gardens would seemingly discover the exact same strategy. Other times an AI appeared to simply give up on the concept of playing Plants vs. Zombies altogether. With another few weeks I would have loved to develop their decision-making further, but with only a week available, getting the idea functioning was more important than getting every opponent playing intelligently.
The prototype was developed in Unreal Engine 5.6. Most of the gameplay was built using Blueprints, with systems for plant placement, Sun generation, zombie combat, waves, lawnmowers, AI gardens, elimination and the PvZ 99 zombie-routing mechanic all having to work together. I also used Scene Capture components and Render Targets to display the opponent gardens around the main game.
One thing I realised during our final presentation was just how much we had actually tried to fit into this prototype. We started explaining the systems, the AI, the opponent gardens, the zombie queues, the Battle Manager and all of the technical decisions behind them... and I noted in my development diary that we may have gone slightly too far into the details. By the time we finally reached the playable prototype, I am fairly certain a portion of the audience was beginning to fall asleep!
It was a useful lesson in presentation as much as development. A complicated system can be interesting to build, but that does not mean every part of it needs to be explained before showing the result. If I presented the project again, I would show the game much earlier and use the prototype itself to introduce the technical systems afterwards.
I also noticed a weakness in my development workflow this time around. GitHub was still used for source control and I committed throughout development, but I did not make as much use of GitHub Issues as I should have. Towards the end of the project I went back and documented more of the individual systems, but keeping Issues updated alongside development would have created a much clearer record of features, bugs and decisions as they happened. That is something I want to improve in future jams.
There were also several ideas that did not survive the one-week deadline. We experimented with clearer visual feedback to show which opponent received a zombie, a manual Send Zombie interface, more advanced opponent targeting, additional zombie types and a central display for highlighting the strongest opponent. Some were unfinished, while others were deliberately disconnected because they introduced bugs or performance problems. Cutting them was ultimately the better decision than risking the working prototype.
Despite its rough edges, I am genuinely happy with how much of the concept we managed to demonstrate. The AI could certainly be smarter, some interactions still need polish, and a real multiplayer implementation would be an entirely different technical challenge, but the prototype answered the question I was most interested in: could Plants vs. Zombies actually work as a "99" game?
I think there is something surprisingly fun in the idea. Plants vs. Zombies already revolves around managing pressure and building a defence, so having other players indirectly increase that pressure feels quite natural. If an official game in the franchise ever attempted something similar, it would need far better balancing, smarter targeting systems, more zombie variety and much clearer feedback about who is attacking whom. But as a game-jam experiment, I think our prototype was enough to show why the idea could be interesting.
More than anything, I really enjoyed making this one. It was chaotic, occasionally frustrating and definitely over-ambitious for a single week, but those are also the projects that tend to teach me the most. Going from a silly "what if Plants vs. Zombies was Tetris 99?" conversation to seeing twenty little gardens fighting away underneath the main game was incredibly satisfying.
The prototype is available on Itch.io for anyone who wants to try it and see how long they can keep their garden alive.
Play Plants vs. Zombies 99
A little while ago, I announced that I was working with Dazed & Confused Studios as a programmer while we got everything set up behind the scenes. Well... things have changed quite a bit since then!
I'm incredibly excited to announce that I am now the co-owner of Dazed & Confused Studios. This opportunity wouldn't have been possible without the amazing support of my lecturers during my final year at the University of South Wales. They believed in me every step of the way, and with their encouragement, the USW staff offered to support me in opening my own game studio. It was a huge decision, and after a lot of thinking—and with the love and support of my friends, family, and lecturers—I decided to take the leap.
I'm co-owning the studio alongside Matthew, who was my biggest supporter throughout my final year of university. Having someone who believed in both me and my ambitions made all the difference, and it's exciting to now be building something together.
We've also started growing our team! We currently have one employee, and interviews are already underway as we look to bring a talented 3D Artist on board.
All of the official paperwork has now been completed, and we're settling nicely into our new office space in Caerphilly. It's exciting to finally have a place we can call home, and thankfully the commute isn't too far for any of us.
Our first project has actually been in development for a few months already, although progress was a little stop-and-start while we focused on getting the business side of things sorted. Now that everything is officially in place, we're looking forward to giving it our full attention and working towards publishing our very first game.
I'll be sharing plenty more devlogs over the coming months about the journey of opening a game studio, the challenges we've faced, and, of course, the games we're creating.
To celebrate graduating from the University of South Wales with First Class Honours, I wanted to create something fun and creative to mark the occasion.
After seeing so many beautiful graduation cap designs and decorations shared on TikTok, I felt inspired to make my own game. That idea became Graduation Cap Decorator, a small game where players can customise their own graduation cap using a selection of stickers and a colour wheel.
The game was developed in Unity 6, with all of the programming, artwork, UI, and overall design created entirely by me. It has been a really enjoyable project that allowed me to combine my love of game development with the excitement of graduating.
The current version is available now on Itch.io. While the music was sourced from another creator on Itch.io, I plan to add full credit to the artist on the project page as I continue updating the game.
At the moment, most of my development time is dedicated to our current project at Dazed & Confused, so finding time for my own projects can be challenging. Rather than wait until everything was complete, I decided to publish what I have now and continue expanding the game with more decorations, features, and quality-of-life improvements whenever I have the opportunity.
Graduation Cap Decorator is a small celebration of reaching an important milestone in my journey, and I hope to keep growing it alongside my future projects.
Play
I graduated with First Class Honours in Games Development from the University of South Wales.
Looking back over the last few years, I am incredibly grateful to my lecturers, friends, and family for believing in me. Their support gave me opportunities I never thought I would have, to working at Coleg Gwent to being part of Dazed & Confused.
I genuinely would not be where I am today without the people who stood beside me, supported me, and encouraged me to keep going.
University was not always easy. There were moments that tested me more than I ever expected, but I refused to let them define me. Instead, they made me more determined to keep learning, keep creating, and keep moving forward.
Here's to new beginnings, a career I am proud of, and proving that resilience will always outshine cruelty.
One thing I've realised while building this portfolio is that not every project needs a permanent place on my website or Itch.io page. I've always wanted those spaces to represent completed games or projects that reached a meaningful stage before eventually finding their way into my Project Morgue.
Like many developers, I spend a lot of time experimenting. Sometimes I'll build a mechanic over a weekend, prototype an idea, or explore a technical challenge simply because I find it interesting. These small experiments teach me a lot, but they rarely grow into something that belongs alongside my finished work.
Rather than leave those ideas hidden away on my hard drive, I've decided to open my Instagram as a place to share them. It'll be somewhere for gameplay clips, programming experiments, work-in-progress features, and the occasional strange idea that probably won't become a full game—but was still worth making.
My website will continue to act as an archive of completed projects and the work I'm most proud of, while Instagram will be a more casual development diary that shows the journey between those larger milestones.
FOLLOW MY DEVELOPMENT INSTAGRAMUSW'S showcase of student work from the Games Design and Animation courses was fantastic to attend. Seeing the range of projects on display, alongside how professionally the event was organised, was genuinely inspiring.
Having previously collaborated with an Animation student (Owen Williams), on the prototype for Strive, it was particularly rewarding to see the creativity and talent being celebrated across different disciplines.
What stood out most was the strong sense of community between students. The event highlighted how much can be achieved when developers, artists, and designers support one another, share ideas, and work collaboratively towards a common goal. It was a reminder of the importance of creating environments that encourage people to grow together rather than compete against one another
Today I attended Bristol's IMPACT Indie Games Conference, and it was easily one of the most inspiring events I've been to as a developer.
I originally went with a specific goal in mind: to track down a studio whose upcoming game I've been following closely. Their project strikes a balance between thoughtful gameplay and a relaxed atmosphere that really resonated with me, and I was hoping to pick up some advice from the team behind it.
What I didn't expect was how refreshing the entire event would feel.
IMPACT introduced me to a huge range of independent developers and projects, opening my eyes to a side of game development that exists beyond university classrooms and coursework. Every booth had something unique to offer, whether it was an interesting mechanic, a creative art style, or a new perspective on design.
More than anything, the event was filled with positive energy. Everyone was welcoming, enthusiastic, and willing to share their experiences. It was encouraging to speak with developers who were open about both their successes and the challenges they had faced throughout development.
The conversations I had throughout the day provided valuable insight that I'll be taking forward into my own projects. It's always motivating to meet people who are passionate about creating games and eager to support others doing the same.
A huge thank you to all of the developers who took the time to chat, share advice, and point me towards useful resources. Your generosity and openness made the event a fantastic experience.
I wish everyone the best of luck with their upcoming releases, and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Narrative VR dissertation exploring the experiences of women studying STEM subjects.
- Lead Project Contributer Hollie Shakesheff
Read More by clicking the button below
Open File
Plants vs Zombies 99 is a one-week game jam prototype inspired by the battle-royale format of Tetris 99. The project reimagines the classic Plants vs Zombies formula as a last-garden-standing experience.
The player builds their defence using familiar plants, collects Sun and survives increasingly difficult zombie waves. The twist is the PvZ 99 system: defeating zombies puts pressure on opposing gardens, while their victories can send additional zombies back towards the player.
The prototype was developed in Unreal Engine 5.6 and uses 20 AI-controlled opponent gardens to simulate the larger multiplayer concept. Development included:
. Grid-based plant placement
. Sun resource and purchasing system
. Zombie combat and wave spawning
. AI-controlled opponent gardens
. Two-way zombie sending system
. Live opponent screens using Render Targets
. Player and AI elimination systems
The playable prototype can be viewed on Itch.io, while the GitHub repository contains the project's development history, source control and documentation.
- Game Jam Project
Play on Itch.io View on GitHub
Uni Grade Tracker is a simple, friendly tool designed to help students stay organised throughout the academic year. Originally created for a friend, it turned into a full app with features such as:
. Add modules, assignment . Credits & due dates . Track your marks and calculate progress automatically . View how many credits you need for a 2:2, 2:1, or 1st . Pastel "mission calender" to keep deadlines clear . Profile section with fun achievements . XP - Style progress bars toward degree goals
- Lead Project Contributer Hollie Shakesheff
Open File
Website development was first introduced to me during college, where I learned the fundamentals of building websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Since then, I have created a variety of websites, including wedding galleries for family members, personal portfolios, and interactive web-based projects. These experiences have allowed me to develop both my technical skills and my ability to create engaging user experiences.
- Lead Project Contributer Hollie Shakesheff
Open File
A beat-em-up adventure prototype following Octavia's search for her missing cat. Developed in Unity over a three-week period for an Animation student showcase at the University of South Wales. As the sole programmer on the project, I was responsible for implementing all gameplay systems, player controls, combat mechanics, and overall game functionality.
- Programmer Hollie Shakesheff
- Art work Owen Williams
- Art work BlackWater
Play
A first-person 3D action shooter developed in Unity, created to explore and demonstrate core 3D game development skills, including player controls, combat systems, AI behaviour, level design, and gameplay mechanics. Players take on the role of an alien experiment fighting to escape an underground research facility. x
- Sole Contributer to the project
Play
Originally developed in 2022 as a university project using Pico-8 and Lua. I was responsible for the game's programming and implementation, while the artwork and visual assets were created by a fellow university student.
- Programmer Hollie Shakesheff
- Art work Matthew Pope
Play
For my foundation studies, we were tasked with creating a game in Unity to demonstrate our understanding of core game development principles. I chose to build a 2D platformer inspired by the classic gameplay I grew up with.
The game focuses on traditional platforming mechanics: jumping on enemies to defeat them , navigating moving platforms, flipping switches to unlock paths, and using bounce pads to reach new areas. The experience builds toward a main boss encounter, where players must avoid projectile attacks and timed hazards while using stomp-based combat to win.
This project allowed me to showcase player movement systems, enemy interactions, and level-based puzzle mechanics within a cohesive platforming experience.
- Sole contributer
- Art found on Itchio
External communication channels remain active.
For project enquiries, collaboration requests, or general questions, please use one of the approved channels below.
Primary communication channel.
INITIATE TRANSMISSIONThe following files contain records of suspended, cancelled, and abandoned development projects.
Access granted for research purposes only.
Breaking The Code was a narrative virtual reality experience developed as my final-year dissertation project. The project explored the experiences of women studying STEM subjects through interactive storytelling, environmental design, and immersive VR gameplay.
As the lead contributor, I was responsible for the design, development, programming, implementation, testing, and research associated with the project. The experience focused on using virtual reality as a tool for empathy, education, and awareness.
Development involved extensive research into gender disparities within STEM education, alongside the creation of interactive systems, narrative sequences, and immersive environments designed to communicate real-world experiences through player interaction.
VIEW EVIDENCE
Following the successful completion of the showcase, active development concluded and the project was archived.
VIEW EVIDENCE
BubbleGum TakeOver was archived during active development. Originally created as part of a university project, it represented my first attempt at developing an indie-scale game within Unreal Engine. As development progressed, the scope of the project expanded significantly while running alongside several other university game projects.
Rather than reduce the quality of the intended experience or rush development to meet deadlines, the project was placed into archive status. Although unfinished, the project served as a valuable milestone in my development journey and provided extensive practical experience with larger-scale game systems.
VIEW EVIDENCE
As part of a five-person development team, I contributed to both technical and artistic aspects of the project. My responsibilities included assisting with enemy art design and 3D modelling, alongside implementing key gameplay systems. Features developed by me included the wizard's shrinking and growing mechanics, dialogue systems, item collection functionality, and level loading systems.
VIEW EVIDENCE
Playable projects and archived builds.
ACCESS GAME DATABASEProfessional profile and experience.
ACCESS PERSONNEL RECORDProfessional profile and experience.
ACCESS PERSONNEL RECORDProfessional profile and experience.
ACCESS PERSONNEL RECORDBehind the scenes, development updates and creative projects.
ACCESS VISUAL ARCHIVEProfessional profile and experience.
ACCESS PERSONNEL RECORD