Palefrost

  • Palefrost Team
  • Lead developer
  • Apr 2021 - present

Skills Applied

  • Game design
  • C# programming
  • Unity engine
  • Team lead
  • Scope management
  • Playtest oversight
  • Optimization
  • Marketing
  • Coordination with publisher
  • 3D modeling/animation

Description

Palefrost is a survival-horror game set in a frozen post-apocalypse. I originally developed it solo for several years. This was until summer 2025, when I formed a team alongside some artists and a sound designer. Together we joined the RIT MAGIC Maker program. This was an academic co-op which taught me a great deal about scope and project management.
We later reapplied to the program under the publishing tier in summer 2026, during which I learned how to market a game.

Process & Challenges

During the Maker program, I realized the scope of the project was far too large and needed to be reduced make timelines feasible. This served as a valuable lesson in scope management for games. Programming such long-term project has also reinforced the importance of having strong code foundations.
This project has also taught me a lot regarding game design, such as onboarding players to gameplay mechanics, guiding through subtle cues level design, and creating immersive scenarios.

Samples & Links

  • Steam page: Visit the Steam page for more details on the game
  • Early alpha build (desktop only): A playable alpha build for Windows, made when the game had a different name. This was from a very early development stage, so expect bugs
Initial layout sketch for a section of a level in the game. This was used to figure out spatial flow and placement of items, enemies, and hazards

Initial layout sketch for a section of a level in the game. This was used to figure out spatial flow and placement of items, enemies, and hazards

Finished version of the level in the previous sketch. Initial playtests showed the level was paced too fast, so I made design tweaks to fix this

Finished version of the level in the previous sketch. Initial playtests showed the level was paced too fast, so I made design tweaks to fix this

Enemy prefab configuration. I made enemies more modular by splitting up functionality into reusable components

Enemy prefab configuration. I made enemies more modular by splitting up functionality into reusable components

A vista the player sees near the start of the game. An example of level design being used to create emotion in the player

A vista the player sees near the start of the game. An example of level design being used to create emotion in the player

Player in the midst of combat. Low FOV and subtle HUD elements are used to create immersion

Player in the midst of combat. Low FOV and subtle HUD elements are used to create immersion

Grid-based inventory system I programmed. This served as a learning experience for the importance of planning code architecture

Grid-based inventory system I programmed. This served as a learning experience for the importance of planning code architecture

An example of level guidance. The lit barrel provides contrast through light and motion. A branch moving in the wind is also used to lure the player

An example of level guidance. The lit barrel provides contrast through light and motion. A branch moving in the wind is also used to lure the player

An enemy hides behind these curtains. Playtests showed players struggled to notice the enemy ahead of time, so a light was added which casts its shadow onto the curtain as it moves

An enemy hides behind these curtains. Playtests showed players struggled to notice the enemy ahead of time, so a light was added which casts its shadow onto the curtain as it moves