Zijie (Aniki) Zhuo
Gameplay Engineer & Game System Engineer
Zijie (Aniki) Zhuo
Gameplay Engineer & Game System Engineer | USC CS Games
Designing systems,
building worlds,
and crafting immersive gameplay.
Gam Jams
(Unreal / Unity)
Co-developed 10 weekly 2D game demos across competitive, rhythm, and other genres; incorporated feedback from six rounds of playtesting to refine UI/UX and increase one prototype’s completion rate from 60% to 90%. Delivered two demos within 48 hours and prototyped a player-driven dynamic difficulty system to improve challenge balance and replayability.
C++ Projects
(C++ / Terminal / SDL2)
Rebuilt 12 playable C++ terminal-based prototypes inspired by classics such as Pac-Man, Mario Kart, and Portal, implementing FSM/A* AI, procedural generation, and optimized input and collision systems to support fast iteration.
Board Games
(procreate / physical)
Designed and built four physical board game prototypes across different genres, experimenting with distinct mechanics, player interactions, and gameplay ideas; iterated through hands-on playtesting to turn early concepts into fully playable tabletop experiences.
Modeling VFX
(Maya / houdini)
Produced 3D assets and cinematic cutscenes in Maya, then built dynamic VFX in Maya and Houdini using procedural workflows to create more polished, immersive, and visually expressive scenes.
