KIN TANDEM
September 2025 - May 2026
Platform: PC Engine: Unity Team Size: 18 Duration: 8 months Role: Gameplay Programming
Kin Tandem is a two-player local co-op adventure game built in Unity for my Senior Capstone project. Players control Barsa and Manu, two feline siblings with different abilities, as they traverse through a magical temple filled with combat encounters and co-op challenges. The game focuses on asymmetric teamwork, with Barsa using physical strength and close-range combat while Manu supports through magic and utility.
As a Gameplay Programmer, I focused on implementing and refining systems tied to Barsa’s core gameplay, including her charge, melee interactions, hook-related actions, enemy knockback, yank responses, and destructible object interactions. These systems helped define Barsa as the more physical character, giving players tools to push through enemies and interact with the environment. I also worked on gameplay polish and bug fixing across player interactions to make the game feel more consistent during combat and exploration.
Trailer
Design Pillars
Asymmetric Multiplayer - The game was built around 2 players with different roles. Barsa is the physical brawler, while Manu is the utilitarian mage.
Physical Impact - Barsa’s Abilities needed to be strong and reliable. Thus, her charge, hooks and attacks feature knockback interactions to make her feel more powerful
Co-Op Utility - Barsa’s hook and charge also supported traversal, object manipulation and teamwork with Manu
MY WORK
Implemented and iterated Barsa’s charge and melee attacks
Implemented the hook and yank ability and its synergy with enemies and objects
Polished overall gameplay with Cinemachine camera shake
Created prototypes for hitstop and breakable walls
Barsa mechanics
Punch
Barsa’s basic attack supports her melee-focused role. I worked on making core combat actions feel clear through feedback
Charge
Barsa’s charge gives her a short burst of forward momentum with more power than a normal attack but less control
Hook
Barsa’s hook allows her to interact with enemies, objects, and Manu from a distance. Light targets can be pulled towards her, while heavy targets pull Barsa toward them
BARSA deep dive - Hook
Problem: Barsa was already the physical, melee-focused character, but she needed a way to interact beyond close range. The challenge was making the hook feel like part of her strength-based toolkit rather than a separate generic grappling ability.
Design Intent: The hook lets Barsa connect to enemies, objects, Manu, and traversal targets. Lighter targets can be pulled toward her, while heavier targets can pull Barsa toward them. This gives Barsa more utility in combat, puzzles, traversal, and co-op interaction.
Implementation:
Checked for valid hookable targets
Identified the target type: enemy, object, player, or heavy target
Triggered different responses depending on the target
Yanked lighter enemies or objects toward Barsa
Pulled Barsa toward heavier targets
Tested player-to-player hook interactions with Manu
Used feedback and movement response to make successful hooks readable
Reset hook behaviour after the interaction completed
Result: The hook made Barsa more versatile without breaking her identity as the physical character. It gave her a way to reposition, pull targets, support puzzles, and interact with Manu, while still feeling connected to her strength-based role in the duo.
BARSA deep dive - CHARGE
Problem: Barsa needed a mechanic that clearly communicated her power. Her basic attack gave her a melee option, but it did not fully sell the fantasy of a strong, aggressive brawler.
Design Intent: The charge gives Barsa a committed burst of forward movement. It is stronger than a normal attack, but reduces control for a short time, making it feel forceful instead of like a standard dash.
Implementation:
Moved Barsa forward in a committed direction
Limited player control during the charge window
Applied knockback to enemies and interactable objects
Tuned the timing so the ability felt powerful but not random
Tested charge interactions with breakable walls as a cut feature
Added feedback support through FOV
Result: The charge helped Barsa feel more physical and aggressive. Knockback made the ability easier to read, and the breakable wall prototype showed how her strength could have extended into environmental interaction, even though that feature did not ship in the final game.
WHAT I LEARNED
Kin Tandem taught me that mechanics need to communicate character identity. Barsa was meant to feel strong, so her systems needed to do more than function; they needed to feel powerful.
I also learned how much game feel depends on collaboration between programming, animation, VFX, audio, and level design. Features like charge, hook, knockback, camera shake, and hitstop only work best when the whole team supports the same feeling.
Finally, I learned that building a feature is not enough. Cut features like breakable walls and hitstop still need team buy-in, production priority, and level design support to make it into the final game.