Space Junk
About
In Space Junk, you play as part of a clean-up crew sent to clear cosmic debris from a space station. But on arrival, you discover the crew has been infected by an intergalactic virus, turning them into mindless zombies. Neutralise the threat and make a “clean” getaway.
Project Info
Role(s): Game Developer
Team Size: 1
Timeline: Feb 2023 - Apr 2023
Engine: Unity (C#)
Tags: 3D, Action, First-Person Shooter, Physics, Sci-Fi
Updated: Mar, 2026
Space Junk was developed as part of the Game Development (IGO720) module during my postgraduate degree in Indie Game Development at Falmouth University and published on itch.io as part of its final submission. The project aimed to gain a broader understanding of different disciplines in game development by creating a complete game from concept to release.
For this project, I wanted to explore something new and chose to create a physics-based first-person shooter inspired by titles such as Halo: Combat Evolved (2001), The Outer Worlds (2019), and DOOM (1993). The core gameplay loop revolves around two experimental weapons: a gravity gun that pulls nearby objects together, and a “suck cannon” that absorbs those objects and fires them back at enemies as improvised ammunition. These mechanics were heavily inspired by the creative weapon design found in the original Ratchet & Clank (2002).
Alongside the combat systems, the game also features light narrative elements, such as talking to NPCs. The level ends in a timed escape sequence where the player must race back to their ship before the space station explodes.
Space Junk provided an opportunity to demonstrate skills across multiple disciplines, including game design, programming, level design, narrative design, animation, sound design, and art. It was also the first project I developed with full support for PlayStation and Xbox controllers.
On this project, I worked as a Game Developer, where I began by developing a proof of concept to establish the core mechanics. This usually involves greyboxing a rough level layout followed by several rounds of playtesting to refine the gameplay loop.
For Space Junk, I programmed the core gameplay systems, including the player controller, enemy behaviour, weapon mechanics, dialogue system, and controller input. I also integrated the Cinemachine plugin to create smoother camera transitions and worked on visual and audio elements, including fog, lighting, and sound effects, to enhance the game’s atmosphere and mood.
Alongside the technical work, I modelled the game’s weapon in Blender and implemented animations for both the player and enemy characters. I also introduced a light narrative inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), supported by environmental audio and dialogue to bring the experience to life.
After publishing the project on itch.io, I conducted additional playtesting sessions and released a small patch to resolve bugs and improve overall stability before the project was graded. The final result received very strong marks and demonstrated my ability to work across multiple disciplines in game development.
Developing Space Junk gave me an appreciation for the many disciplines involved in game development. However, the project also showed me that trying to do everything at once can limit how polished each part becomes. While Space Junk explored many systems and ideas, I feel the experience would have benefited from more time spent refining how those systems interacted with each other.
First-person shooters can appear simple on the surface, but they have very high standards due to their popularity and the expectations players have for responsiveness, balance, and polish. With more time, I would have focused on improving the cohesion between gameplay systems and refining the core mechanics.
Future Improvements
If I were to continue developing Space Junk, I would focus on expanding the weapon systems. One idea I would like to explore is a progression or levelling system that enhances each weapon’s unique effects, giving players a stronger sense of growth and experimentation.
Despite its limitations, Space Junk was an important project for me. It gave me the confidence to work across multiple disciplines and strengthened my understanding of how different aspects of game development connect. That experience has had a lasting impact on my development journey and continues to influence how I approach new projects.