Pitching input and game-state systems case study

Scrappy Ball

A baseball-themed sports puzzle game built for Scrappy Game Jam by GameDiscoverCo x Oakland Ballers, developed as gameplay programmer on a 2-person team with aVRdev.

Gameplay programmer Scrappy Game Jam · 2-person team Unity · C# · HTML5 · Splines · Cinemachine · contextual audio feedback

Play on itch.io

Scrappy Ball Gameplay Reel

Overview

Scrappy Ball is a supporting case study for fast prototyping and compact game-state design. The visible interaction is simple, but the challenge depends on pitching input, hidden hit-zone logic, camera timing, animation cues, and a clear win flow.

My Role

I was the gameplay programmer on a 2-person team, responsible for the main pitching interaction, hidden challenge logic, state machine, audio feedback, camera priority, win UI, and replay flow.

Key Systems

Drag-Spin Pitching

I designed and implemented the click-drag spin and torque input, including 9-zone directional classification for pitch behavior.

Hidden Hit-Zone Challenge

I designed the hidden hit-zone bluff mechanic that drives the actual challenge, making each pitch a read-and-commit interaction and using Splines to make the transitions smooth.

Game-State Machine

I built the full game-state machine from Start to Pitch, Throw, Swing, and End, coordinating camera cuts, batter animation cues, and ball events.

Feedback And Win Flow

I wired contextual audio feedback for hit, miss, medallion, and win states, then implemented the home-run tally, Cinemachine camera priority, win UI, and fade-to-reload replay flow.

Outcome

Scrappy Ball shows fast systems prototyping, input design, state orchestration, and polished completion on a very small team.

Contact Justin Open Resume