Oops! You Died

Overview

Signal Zero needed a solo developer to handle complete engineering for their mobile action game—a fast-paced dodging experience where players avoid increasingly absurd hazards. Runt provided full-stack Unity development across a 19-month engagement, delivering everything from core gameplay systems through post-launch live operations support.

The project required balancing aggressive feature development with robust monetization integration, managing eight third-party SDK implementations while maintaining 30fps performance on legacy iOS hardware. The game successfully launched on the App Store, achieving featured placement and top-10 chart rankings.

Engineering & Systems

Core Gameplay Architecture

Built complete gameplay loop with phase-based state management, player physics and collision systems, and multiple hazard types with unique behaviors. Implemented object pooling for efficient enemy spawning at scale, supporting rapid hazard generation without frame rate degradation on older devices.

Player Progression Systems

Developed XP-based leveling system with dynamic difficulty scaling, wave-based progression mechanics, and loot drop probability curves tuned to player level. Integrated achievement tracking with unlock conditions and persistent save system managing player state across sessions.

Economy & Monetization

Implemented complete in-app store with inventory management, virtual currency economy, and item purchasing flows. Built dual free/paid build system with automated post-processing scripts, removing ads from premium version while maintaining single codebase. Integrated In-App Purchase functionality with Apple's StoreKit, handling product requests, transaction validation, and purchase restoration.

Platform Integration

Integrated eight third-party SDKs including Facebook authentication, Game Center leaderboards, ad mediation (MoPub with AdColony), analytics tracking, and social sharing. Managed SDK version conflicts and build compatibility issues across iOS updates. Implemented analytics event tracking for player sessions, purchases, and retention metrics.

UI & Frontend Systems

Built complete menu system with nested navigation, animated transitions, and responsive button handling. Developed HUD displaying real-time score, currency, player level, and active powerups. Created in-game store interface with item inspection, purchase confirmation, and transaction feedback. Implemented settings menu with audio controls, social integration, and achievement browsing.

Audio Management

Architected audio system supporting dynamic sound effect registration, channel-based mixing (music, SFX, UI), and global mute controls. Integrated background music with smooth transitions between game phases, pitch modulation on player death, and context-aware audio ducking during events.

Performance Optimization

Implemented texture atlasing to reduce draw calls and memory usage. Optimized object pooling to eliminate instantiation overhead during gameplay. Tuned physics calculations and collision detection for consistent 30fps target on iPhone 5-era devices. Reduced battery consumption through efficient update loops and render optimization.

Results & Impact

Target Performance

• 30fps on legacy iOS devices (iPhone 5 generation)
• Smooth gameplay across iPhone and iPad form factors

App Store Success

Player Reception

• Featured by Apple in multiple App Store category sections
• 90,000+ users acquired during launch period
• 4.5-star average rating demonstrating strong player satisfaction
• Strong organic installs indicating positive word-of-mouth and discoverability

Technical Delivery

Delivered complete mobile game from initial prototype through post-launch live operations across 19-month engagement. Successfully navigated mid-project company rebrand from Conjecture, Inc. to Signal Zero, maintaining development continuity through organizational transition. Implemented major UI redesign mid-development while preserving core gameplay systems and maintaining performance targets.

What We Learned

Nineteen months as solo engineer taught us that architectural decisions made in week one determine what's possible in month eighteen. When you're building alone, technical debt isn't just inconvenient—it's project-killing. Getting core systems right early isn't perfectionism, it's survival.

The mid-project UI redesign validated our instinct to separate presentation from logic. Completely rebuilding the interface without touching gameplay code saved weeks of work and prevented cascading bugs. Mobile development moves fast—build systems that can absorb change without breaking everything else.

Most importantly, the game's chart performance proved that technical execution matters as much as creative vision. Players loved the game enough to push it to #7 in Games and maintain a 4.5-star rating across 90,000+ users. Smooth gameplay, responsive UI, and reliable systems aren't just "nice to have"—they're what separates a good idea from a game people actually recommend. These lessons carried directly into later mobile projects like Hello Kitty Island Adventure, where team collaboration replaced solo development but the fundamentals remained the same.