Killwats League

Part of Futuregames 2025 – Game Project 4. A collaborative project built by students across Poland.

See the Original Page & Download: Killwats League

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About Killwats League

Killwats League is a fast-paced 1v1, PvP goal-scoring game where strategy meets agility. Control one character at a time, using tactical positioning and quick reflexes to carry or throw a charged ball into your opponent's goal zone.

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How It Works

Each round begins with the ball at center arena. Teams compete to possess, carry, and deliver the ball to the opposing goal. The twist? The ball builds charge while held, but overcharges if kept too long, punishing greedy players with an explosive penalty. Score by delivering a sufficiently charged ball into the enemy goal zone. First team to reach the target score wins.

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Key Mechanics

• Dynamic Ball System: The ball gains charge over time when held, but resets on turnovers. Hold it too long and it overloads, exploding and resetting possession.
• Goal Scoring: Deliver the ball, carried, thrown, or bounced, into the opponent's goal zone with at least minimum charge (e.g., 50%) to score.
• Tactical Dashing: Use your dash to drop the ball and briefly stun enemies caught in your path, creating openings for your team.
• Smart Passing: Launch the ball to teammates with automatic targeting, or throw it directionally if no ally is nearby. Opponents can intercept by timing their pickup or blocking the ball's trajectory.
• Character Switching: Seamlessly switch control between your three characters mid-match. Each character affects ball attributes differently (charge rate, drain modifiers, etc.).
• Adaptive Camera System: Two camera modes that automatically follow the action—choose between stationary rotation or smooth horizontal tracking that keeps all players in frame.
• Strategic Depth: Master positioning, timing, and teamwork to outmaneuver opponents and dominate the arena.

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My Role: Game Programmer

I contributed to multiple core systems and supported the team throughout development:

Core Gameplay Systems (C++)

• Dynamic Camera System: Programmed an intelligent camera that adapts to gameplay with two modes—"Rotate in Place" for focused action and "Horizontal Follow" for tracking fast-paced movement. The camera automatically adjusts zoom and positioning based on player locations and ball position.
• Arcade Ball Physics: Developed responsive ball physics including wall bouncing, ground friction, air drag, and goal-homing behavior. Implemented the charge system that builds over time and triggers explosive knockouts when overcharged.
• Character Swap System: Built the logic for seamlessly switching control between teammates, with smart targeting that picks the best character based on either ball proximity or directional alignment.
• AI Defensive Behavior: Created AI controllers that chase ball carriers, position for interceptions, and strategically use defensive abilities. AI can decide between dashing or walking to pick up loose balls.
• Local Multiplayer Framework: Designed the input management system that handles keyboard and multiple gamepads simultaneously, with automatic device detection and player assignment for couch co-op play.

UI & Player Experience (Blueprints)

• Options Menu System: Designed and implemented the complete settings interface including graphics quality presets, resolution selection (1280x720 up to 2560x1600), fullscreen/windowed modes, and camera behavior preferences.
• Save/Load System: Built a comprehensive save system that persists player preferences across sessions—all graphics settings, camera modes, and gameplay options are automatically saved and restored.
• In-Game Camera Switching: Integrated runtime camera mode switching, allowing players to change between camera behaviors on the fly through the options menu.
• Settings Integration: Connected all menu options to their respective gameplay systems, ensuring changes take effect immediately without requiring restarts.

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Development Showcase

Here are some examples of the systems I built for Killwats League:

Options Menu & Settings System

Save System Architecture

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Team Collaboration & Support

• Collaborated on GameMode architecture, match flow, and scoring systems
• Supported teammates with Perforce version control setup and project onboarding
• Debugged and integrated Blueprint logic across UI, gameplay, and AI systems
• Conducted optimization passes to maintain smooth performance
• Served on the build team, producing final builds for distribution
• Designed and published the game's itch.io page

Technical Highlights:

• Combined C++ for performance-critical gameplay systems with Blueprint for rapid UI iteration
• Implemented event-driven architecture for clean communication between systems
• Designed modular components that other team members could easily integrate and extend
• Created comprehensive debug tools for testing multiplayer scenarios