Jeff Slavens
Engineer / Technical Designer
Brea,CA
Summary
Senior Gameplay Engineer with over 10 years in software development and 6 years focused on gameplay engineering. Expertise in designing and implementing complex gameplay features, from architecture to optimization. Proficient in C++ and experienced in collaborating with cross-functional teams to bring creative concepts to life. Demonstrated technical leadership in AAA and independent game development, emphasizing scalable systems and maintainable code.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Co-Founder
Olympus Mons Games
06.2018 - Current
- Designed and developed narrative-driven survival driving simulation game for PC and console, enhancing player engagement and immersion.
- Architect Unreal Engine Plugin to read BigTiff file format to use USGS data for procedural generation of Martian landscape.
- Designed and implemented driving physics, controls and abilities for navigating the terrain using Unreal 5 Chaos Vehicles.
- Created topic-based dialogue system with dynamic text highlighting, enabling players to navigate conversations intuitively.
- Implemented procedural world generation algorithms to spawn interactive elements and create realistic geographical terrain.
- Developing game concept for Rove project
Gameplay Engineer
Otherside Entertainment
07.2021 - 10.2025
- Contributed from early prototyping to alpha release of unreleased immersive sim game directed by Warren Spector, shaping foundational gameplay mechanics.
- Collaborated with design, art, and creative leads to develop engaging game systems for open-world immersive sim, enhancing overall player experience.
- Designed and refined systemic gameplay systems, improving interactivity and player engagement.
- Worked closely with other engineers to develop cross-system interaction in a deeply systemic game.
- Contributed to designs of systemic gameplay systems.
- Cancelled - Argos: Riders on the Storm
Lead Developer
Swift Star Studios
06.2019 - 07.2021
- Led small team in developing first-person puzzle/narrative game for PC and console releases.
- Designed and implemented player interaction with environmental items and objects for solving sandbox puzzles.
- Acted as a mentor for junior engineers to develop skills for quality code.
- Acted as mentor for junior engineers to develop skills for quality code.
- Interfaced with a small team of artists, producers and engineers.
- Coordinated quality assurance efforts to ensure project readiness for publisher approval.
Game Programmer
Code Headquarters LLC
10.2017 - 07.2019
- Collaborated with team to develop MMO sandbox survival game in Unreal Engine 4 for PC and consoles, enhancing gameplay experience.
- Released Outlaws of the Old West on Steam, providing ongoing support to maintain player engagement post-launch.
- Implemented engine optimizations for massive worlds and large player counts, improving performance and stability.
- Worked with designers and debugged crafting systems including UI integrations.
- Participated in design and architecture reviews of game systems throughout development.
- Interfaced with the QA team to identify and fix issues within the game code.
- Released Outlaws of the Old West on Steam and continued with support for game post-release.
- Release - Outlaws of the Old West
Education
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI05-2013
Skills
C, C#, Unreal Engine 4/5, Unity Engine, Visual Studio, Gameplay Design, Gameplay Engineering, AI Programming, Software Architecture Design, Blueprint Scripting, Unreal GAS System, Behavior and State Trees, Unreal UMG, Software Architecture Design, Gameplay Optimization, Team Collaboration, PC/Console/Mobile Development, Gameplay Networking, Subversion, Git, Perforce, Asana, Jira, Agile Development, QA testing and bug fixing
Timeline
Gameplay Engineer
Otherside Entertainment
07.2021 - 10.2025
Lead Developer
Swift Star Studios
06.2019 - 07.2021
Co-Founder
Olympus Mons Games
06.2018 - Current
Game Programmer
Code Headquarters LLC
10.2017 - 07.2019
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
Marquette University