VR Developer & Gameplay Programmer

Justin Salanga

VR Developer and Gameplay Programmer with 10+ years of software engineering experience, 3+ years focused on complete game releases, and a track record of shipping polished systems under tight production windows.

Strongest in Unity VR/XR, tactile interactions, gameplay architecture, Unreal C++, AI, tools, and small-team technical leadership.

Contact Justin Open Resume
7 published titles · Award-winning VR work · Unity VR/XR · Unreal Engine 5 C++ · 100+ students mentored
GitHub itch.io LinkedIn
Gameplay Reel

Proof that ships.

The work is small-team and deadline-driven, but the systems are built with the clarity expected from senior engineering.

10+ years software engineering
3+ years gameplay focus
7 published titles
100+ students mentored

Honey & Hemlock: 1st Place Enjoyment · 1st Place Presentation · 2nd Place Use of Theme

Featured systems work.

Four flagship case studies carry the main portfolio story: solo VR interaction craft, team VR combat, Unreal C++ systems, and production tooling under pressure.

Honey & Hemlock VR potion station with ingredient containers, cauldron interaction space, and customer-serving flow.

Flagship VR case study

Honey & Hemlock

A cozy VR potion shop with a cosmic horror turn, built solo in 6 days for VR Jam 8 and awarded 1st Place for Enjoyment, 1st Place for Presentation, and 2nd Place for Use of Theme.

Solo developer · Unity · C# · XR Interaction Toolkit · ScriptableObjects · Timeline · URP

  • Built dry ingredient dropping, liquid pouring, and analog squeeze-to-drip interactions.
  • Designed progressive recipe filtering that removes impossible recipes as ingredients are added.
  • Created event-driven customer flow and ScriptableObject data for recipes, ingredients, and 24 story variants.
Read the VR systems case study Play Code
Mascot Wrestling title poster

VR combat and IK

Mascot Wrestling

A 7-day team VR boxing game with physical punches, grabs, uppercuts, and readable enemy feedback.

Primary gameplay programmer · Unity · C# · XR Interaction Toolkit · IK

Read case study Play
Sunset Hollow combat system view showing top-down action gameplay and ability-driven encounter design.

Unreal C++ systems

Sunset Hollow

A top-down combat demo with QWER abilities, enemy AI, custom navigation, and Blueprint-facing C++ systems.

Gameplay programmer · Unreal Engine 5 · C++ · GAS · Behavior Trees

Read case study Play Code

Supporting case studies.

These pages add breadth without competing with the flagship work: technical leadership, ability design, Unity architecture, and fast systems prototyping.

Aeromancy

Technical lead on a 5-person wizard action game. Modular skills, enemy AI, character controls, and Timeline cutscenes.

Unity · C# · URP · Behavior Trees · ScriptableObjects · Timeline

Read case study Play Code

Cook-n-Dash

Solo cooking prototype focused on OOP architecture, state persistence, flexible recipe validation, scoring pressure, and restart loops.

Unity · C# · URP · OOP architecture · State management

Read case study Play Code

Scrappy Ball

Drag-spin pitching, hidden hit-zone challenge, game-state flow, contextual audio, camera priority, and replay sequence.

Unity · C# · HTML5 · Splines · Cinemachine

Read case study Play

Systems I build.

My strongest work sits where design intent meets engineering execution: tactile player input, clear internal architecture, and tools that let a team move faster.

VR / XR Development

  • XR Interaction Toolkit systems
  • Physics-based grabbing, throwing, pouring, dripping, stirring, and delivery mechanics
  • Full-body IK and controller-driven avatar behavior
  • PCVR, Quest-tested, SteamVR, OpenXR workflows

Gameplay Systems

  • Combat, ability, recipe/crafting, dialogue, and game-loop systems
  • Event-driven gameplay architecture
  • ScriptableObject data models
  • State-persistent mechanics

Unreal / C++

  • Gameplay Ability System
  • Gameplay effects, tags, cues, cooldowns, and attributes
  • Behavior Trees and AI Perception
  • C++ systems exposed to Blueprint

AI And Characters

  • Enemy state management
  • Patrol, chase, attack, interrupt, and cooldown behaviors
  • Ragdoll knockback and hit reactions
  • Boss phase logic and encounter sequencing

Tools And Workflows

  • Custom Unity editor tooling
  • Designer-facing dialogue workflows
  • Technical documentation
  • Agile delivery, code review, and mentorship

Senior software depth, focused into gameplay.

I came into games with a long software engineering foundation: web applications, SQL-backed systems, tools, architecture, and full lifecycle delivery. That background shapes how I build gameplay. I care about the moment-to-moment feel in the player's hands, but I also care about the code staying readable, extensible, and practical for a team under deadline pressure.

My recent work has focused on Unity VR/XR, gameplay systems, Unreal C++, custom tools, and rapid playable delivery. I have led small cross-functional teams, joined projects midstream to stabilize delivery, and mentored more than 100 students through Unity, C#, code review, and programming fundamentals.

I am strongest where a mechanic is still ambiguous: breaking it down, building the first playable version, tightening the feel, and leaving behind systems that other developers and designers can actually work with.

Looking for senior gameplay, Unity VR/XR, or lead gameplay engineering work?

I am open to remote roles and hybrid opportunities in California, with a focus on gameplay systems, VR/XR interaction, immersive simulation, and teams that value technical ownership.

Contact Justin Open Resume

Prefer to inspect the work first? Start with Honey & Hemlock, Mascot Wrestling, Sunset Hollow, or the GitHub repositories.