Dawud S. Zafir Creative Portfolio

Contact Information

Location: Novato, California, United States

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawud-s-zafir-4b9070b/

Game Designer, Unity Developer

Selected Playable Projects

• Blast Ships (2024) – a Windows downloadable, retro, 2D, top-down, vertical-scrolling, space shooter inspired by Raiden and similar 80’s and 90’s ship shooters. Survive through multiple waves of enemies and fight for your life against a big boss ship. This project was created in a month by a small team I handpicked to aid in their learning journey.My contributions:
• • Lead game designer/producer – Taught a team of mixed ability levels how to effectively utilize project management software, version control software, and the game engine to create a game while expanding their capabilities under a heavy time constraint
  • Technical Director – Created the game’s code architecture, tools, core systems, and most of the gameplay systems use to make the game. Taught the rest of the team coding and script practices and techniques according to their level and ability in order for them to contribute to the codebase.
  • Art Director – Defined and help create the look and art assets for the game. Utilized creative workflows to reuse 3rd party assets in time-saving and appealing ways. Taught the team how to use digital art software they were unfamiliar with.
  • Other contributions: Level design, technical support, asset curation, UI & UX design..

• Welcome to Lasko (2022) – a browser-based narrative game about a small robot learning the lessons of resilience by enlisting the aid of their community to fix their robot body. Navigate the environment and engage with the life lessons waiting right outside your door. This project was create as part of the Life. Love. Game Design competition hosted by Jennifer Ann’s Group, the theme was resilience.
  My contributions:
  • Game director (lead game designer / producer) – Led our 10-person team in creating a competition game. The game concept got us to the competition finals and half the team had never made a video game.
  • Technical Lead – Created the game’s code architecture and led the engineering team. Personally programmed many of the game’s systems including character movement and dialogue system.
  • Art Director – Communicated the character’s designs and art style with art team enabling 2D and 3D artists to work effectively to produce the game’s characters. Personally crafted terrains building interiors.
  • Other Contributions – narrative design and dialogue writing, UI design, training of team members in the use of the Unity game engine.

• Boost Trek! (2022) – a physics obstacle game. Seven repeating levels of intense spaceship steering fun. Try to land on the purple pad without getting hit. This game was made in 2 days as part of a GameDev.tv learning course.
  My contributions:
  • Solo game dev project mainly consisting of level design, fine-tuning of movement system, minor scripting and animations, and lighting.
  • Created level based around an optimum pathway with ample room for improvisation, making levels challenging but fun.