Gem Digger - A CMU Project
(Game Dev)
A two-week game prototype aimed at first-time-friendly VR: could new players immediately understand how to operate a bulldozer? As producer, playtest coordinator, and sound designer, I set the cadence (sprints, stand-ups) and built a minimal but tight ops stack in Google Workspace, plus basic source-control etiquette (Perforce) to keep builds stable.
Gameplay Video
Project Goal
Build a VR world for a naïve guest using indirect control
Prompt: Operating Heavy Machine
Platforms: Quest 3 (standing scale), with limited physical space
Duration: 2 weeks
Team: 2 Programmers, 2 Artists, 1 Producer
Overview
MY ROLE:
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Producer
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Playtest Coordinator
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Sound Designer
PT. 1 GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW
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You’re an employee sent to a sketchy mineshaft to gather gems; zombies emerge mid-run (a reveal, not telegraphed at start). We optimized for immediate affordance: start engine → break into mine → collect gems → react to zombies → escape. Controls centered on one primary “smash” action to reduce cognitive load.
EXAMPLE GAME SCENES:
01 ENTRANCE
02 GEM & ZOMBIE
03 SYSTEM BREAKDOWN
04 EXIT
PT. 2 PRODUCTION DECISIONS
AGILE WITH GOOGLE WORKSPACE
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Own the Google Sheet for project management.
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All docs are organized in the same Google Drive space.
Google Sheet
Google Drive
TRIM TO CLARITY:
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Pushed to standardize on one core verb (“smash”) for engine start, gate break, gem collection, and zombie defense—so first-timers could transfer learning.
Start Engine Button
Smash Button
PLAYTEST-FIRST LOOPS:
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Wrote onboarding test scripts and guest behavior predictions.
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Documented playtest observations, feedback, and future plans.
Onboarding scripts
Playtest Documentation
BUG TRIAGE & SCOPE GUARDRAILS:
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After each test, I led triage (pri/sev), batched fixes by risk, and cut lower-value flourishes to protect stability.
