Custom engine for a simulation title
A deterministic simulation core with editor and replay tooling for a studio whose central mechanic did not fit an off-the-shelf engine.
Challenge
The studio’s defining mechanic depended on deterministic simulation of far more entities than existing engines could run at a stable frame rate. Prototypes in a general-purpose engine kept hitting the same ceiling, and the design team could not iterate without an engineer beside them.
Approach
We built a purpose-made simulation core with fixed-step determinism and a data layout designed for the entity counts the game needed, then wrapped it in an editor, a replay system and a content pipeline so designers could work independently. Frame and memory budgets were agreed at the start and measured in every build.
Outcome
The mechanic shipped as designed, at target frame rate on the studio’s minimum specification. The tooling remains in daily use, and the team now owns technology shaped for its product rather than a workaround around someone else’s.
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