Portfolio
Christian Thielsch

Architecture

At the foundation of SHIELD's development was a carefully designed project architecture that I built from the ground up. This structure ensured scalability and maintainability throughout the project's lifecycle. I defined clear boundaries between gameplay systems, user interface components, and data management, applying modular and reusable patterns that encouraged clean, efficient code.

Vision

As the project's technical lead, I translated high-level creative objectives into concrete development strategies. This involved daily decision-making on system design, implementation priorities, and task breakdowns. I worked closely with content creators and domain experts to ensure the interactive elements not only met functional requirements but also aligned with SHIELD’s educational and outreach goals.

Implementation

Creative input from science communicators and the director’s broad vision was translated into actionable development tasks. I served as the bridge between narrative intent and technical execution, identifying core interaction loops, assessing feasibility, and building prototypes when necessary. Features were prioritized to support iterative delivery and readiness for public demonstrations.

Coordination

While the producer led planning milestones and assigning responsibilities, I acted as vision keeper by consulting closely to ensure all production plans aligned with the grant’s overarching goals. Additionally, I managed internal workflows, reviewed code contributions, and resolved integration issues. This collaboration ensured that the team maintained clarity of objectives and progressed toward a cohesive, vision-driven product.

Deployment

In addition to core programming, I handled a wide range of non-code Unity tasks, from building interactive UI flows to configuring complex scene logic and cutscene sequences. I also took full responsibility for preparing and deploying builds for both PC and mobile platforms, ensuring performance, resolution, and input support were properly configured for each target environment.

Gameplay Development

In the early days of development on Fall of Porcupine, I was the only full-time developer. Alongside me was the game’s director, who also handled the writing, so he insisted on implementing the dialogue system himself. My work involved developing nearly every other major system, from the full character controller to the prototyping and implementation of all minigames. I also created tools for designing new levels for these minigames, which I later passed on to a junior game designer.

Eventsystem

Another major task I undertook was creating an event system. Our goal was to develop a system complex enough to handle the needs of a linear narrative game like Fall of Porcupine, while also being accessible without requiring any additional coding. This allowed our director to easily build cutscenes and other events.

Porting

Throughout development, I took full responsibility for porting the game to all last and current-gen consoles, including the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series. I personally handled everything from the initial implementation into the project to direct communication with companies like Nintendo and Sony. Additionally, I ensured the game was successfully launched on platforms such as Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store.

Localization

Another key task I took on was orchestrating and implementing the localization of the game into seven languages, including Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. I managed and regularly updated the localization tables, while also communicating all changes and resolving issues with our Asian and European partners.

Lead

As the game team grew, and Critical Rabbit brought on additional freelancers and interns, I naturally took on a leadership role due to my in-depth knowledge of the codebase. I worked closely with the director to identify and create tickets for upcoming tasks, ensuring the project stayed on track. While team members had the flexibility to choose the bugs they wanted to tackle, I was responsible for overseeing the overall bug fixing process, verifying that the solutions were effective. Additionally, I acted as the primary liaison with our bug testing company in India, coordinating their efforts to ensure smooth communication and efficient issue resolution.

Prototyping

After the release of Fall of Porcupine, we began pre-production on our next title, Codename Tortuga. I was deeply involved in the prototyping process, contributing to the early design and testing of new gameplay ideas. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding, the company had to be put on hold, and all employees, including myself, were laid off.

Extended Tool Development

Given that our second project was also narrative-driven, we prioritized the development of robust tools to streamline future production. Two of the most significant tools I developed were a keyframe animation tool, which minimized the need for numerous individual animation files, and a node-based event system that greatly enhanced the visualization and organization of cutscenes and events.

3rd Person Turtle Controller

My final major task on Tortuga was the creation of a third-person turtle swim controller. This system focused on achieving a balance between realistic underwater physics and responsive controls, ensuring an engaging and intuitive game feel.

Interactive Design

At Ahoiii Entertainment, I worked closely with designers to translate their creative ideas into engaging gameplay features. I led the prototyping process, rapidly iterating on concepts to test and refine mechanics. This hands-on approach ensured that gameplay elements aligned with both the project’s artistic direction and its educational goals, resulting in experiences that were both enjoyable and accessible for young audiences.

Profiling

While working on Ahoiii's projects, I conducted extensive profiling of the codebase to identify performance bottlenecks that impacted scalability and responsiveness. By implementing targeted optimizations, I significantly improved the games’ performance across a variety of platforms, ensuring a smooth and consistent experience for players regardless of their device.