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Ralph Ghnatios

GAME DESIGNER & PROGRAMMER

ABOUT ME

I'm Ralph Ghnatios, a game designer and programmer with a strategic mind sharpened by chess and an engineering background rooted in systems thinking. After years in electrical engineering and infrastructure, I shifted into game development to follow a lifelong passion for creating interactive worlds. My focus is on designing gameplay systems, prototyping mechanics, and bringing ideas to life through code. I specialize in Unity (C#), Construct 3, and Unreal Engine (Blueprints & C++), and have built everything from 2D platformers to spell-driven chess variants. Whether it’s scripting player abilities, balancing mechanics, or building tools that empower design — I thrive at the intersection of creativity and logic.

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EDUCATION

BSc in Electrical Engineering, Notre Dame University
Major in Game Design & Development, Toronto Film School

Project Management Professional

SKILLS

Advanced: Unity (C#), Unreal Engine (Blueprints & C++), Game Design, Gameplay Prototyping
Proficient: 2D & 3D Game Development, Scripting, team management

Contact

GET IN TOUCH

FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME FOR COLLABORATION, PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES, OR JUST TO TALK GAMES AND PROGRAMMING

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05

First Person shooter - Defense

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Multi-Dimensional Defense

Solo Gameplay programmer and Design

Role: Solo Gameplay Programmer & Designer (C++ first, Blueprints for glue)
Tech: Unreal Engine 5, C++, Visual Studio, Git

Overview
A fast-paced FPS/tower-defense prototype built primarily in C++. The player defends a base against waves of flying “dimension-hopping” enemies while managing turrets and projectiles. Core gameplay, actors, and UI are authored in C++ for performance, determinism, and clean extensibility.

What I implemented (C++)

  • Gameplay Framework: Custom FPS Character, FPS Projectile, and Game mode with input, firing, and damage rules implemented in C++ (collision, overlap events, timers, and delegates).

  • Modular Health/Damage: ReusableHealthComponent (actor component) with damage application, death events, and broadcast hooks for VFX/UI.

  • Enemies & AI Hooks: Enemy Cube flying enemies that auto-acquire the base and steer along the +Z axis, with wave-driven spawn logic (normal and shadow spawners).

  • Wave/Spawning System: Configurable wave definitions (rates, lanes, enemy classes) and timed spawners to escalate challenge.

  • HUD/UX: HUD (C++) draws health, wave info, crosshair, and resource readouts; decoupled via events from Health/Spawner systems.

  • Projectiles & Combat: Hits/overlaps, radial impulses, and per-class damage values; lifetime management and pooling-ready design.

  • Code Quality: UPROPERTY/UFUNCTION exposure for safe editor tweaking, const-correct interfaces, and careful memory/ownership patterns aligned with UE’s GC model.

Why it matters

  • Demonstrates production-style C++ in Unreal (not Blueprint-only prototypes).

  • Shows systems thinking: gameplay loop, componentization, event-driven HUD, and data-driven waves.

  • Built for iteration: designers can tune balance from the editor without touching code.

Highlights to review in code (suggested snippets)

  • Health events broadcasting to HUD (component → HUD).

  • Projectile collision handling and damage application.

  • Wave timer logic and spawner orchestration.

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06

Recon Ship - Space Game - Action -Puzzle solving

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Recon Ship

Recon Ship

Solo Gameplay programmer and Design

Tech: Unreal Engine 5, C++, Visual Studio, Git

Recon Ship is a first-person space game built in Unreal Engine where you pilot a reconnaissance ship armed with both traditional missiles and a custom gravity-gun system. Instead of just shooting, the core loop revolves around pulling, holding, and launching physics objects (like asteroids) to solve environmental puzzles, clear debris, and open new paths. Along the way, the player picks up new weapons and tools, rewarding exploration and feeding into a score / progression system that tracks successful hits and puzzle completions.

The heart of the game is a ship-mounted Gravity Point:

  • Pressing a key pulls nearby physics actors into a defined “Gravity Point” in front of the ship.

  • Once held, objects are stabilized relative to the ship and move with it.

  • On release, the system applies a forward impulse, turning the object into a projectile that can hit targets, trigger switches, or break obstacles.

Programming Contributions

  • Designed a modular gravity gun system in C++ with Blueprint-exposed hooks used only for high-level glue and tuning.

  • Implemented interaction logic to detect and filter valid physics targets within a configurable radius around the ship.

  • Built a clear state machine for the mechanic (no target → pulling → holding → launching) to keep input and feedback responsive.

  • Tuned forces, damping, and constraints to keep physics stable and avoid jitter while still feeling powerful and impactful.

  • Added a pickup system for weapons and tools, plus a scoring layer that reacts to successful hits, destroyed obstacles, and completed puzzle beats.

  • Used Git for version control, maintaining clean, incremental commits suitable for team workflows.

Design Contributions

  • Designed a level where every major challenge is solvable through physics manipulation, not just raw firepower.

  • Created puzzle targets and debris layouts that teach the player how to line up shots, clear corridors, and use asteroids as improvised ammunition.
    Created a timed puzzle where the player has to remove astroids with surgical precision and avoid touching fragile areas that will cause bombs to explode and defeat

  • Iterated on difficulty and pacing by adjusting object distances, timing windows, and the number of interactions required to solve each section.

  • Supported the mechanic with UX feedback: clear input mapping, readable object reactions, and consistent behavior so players can predict outcomes and plan creative solutions.

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