Indie Game Development graduate debuts innovative product on Unity Asset Store

Glasgow-based software developer Georgi Tsaklev – a 2023 graduate of Falmouth’s online Indie Game Development master’s – has recently launched his dissertation project on the Unity Asset Store. 

Georgi’s product – a tool called Scenery - puts the game performance during scene loading back in developers’ hands, and is now available on the Unity Asset Store; a growing library of commercial assets created by both Unity Technologies and members of the community. 

Scenery provides general-purpose scene loading optimisation tools and an algorithm to speed up and simplify the workflow when dealing with multiple scenes. The inspiration for the product came from a common issue Georgi observed while playing Unity games: a noticeable stutter during the loading of new game sections, especially in open world and semi-open world games.  

Falmouth stood out as offering a game development course that not only delves into the intricacies of the process and individual disciplines but also places a strong emphasis on how to responsibly approach game creation from an entrepreneurial standpoint

This recurring problem prompted him to investigate it as a research question for his Indie Game Development MA (Online) Final Major Project. His research revealed that no general solutions existed for this stutter, leading to developers implementing their own solutions, with some resorting to modifying Unity's source code. 

Taking on the challenge, Georgi developed an algorithm capable of automatically addressing the issue in most game setups, and since graduating, he has polished the asset, incorporating tools to enhance the efficiency of working with multi-scene game levels. The finished product has the power to significantly reduce the development time and effort for games suffering from this problem. 

About Georgi 

Having moved to Glasgow to study software engineering back in 2012, Georgi worked as a web developer for several years, but always harboured ambitions to produce games. Discovering Falmouth’s online master’s in Indie Game Development gave him the push he needed to take the leap.  

“When I originally came to study in the UK I wanted to work on games, however, once I started as a web developer the pragmatic choice was to remain in the same career path. Falmouth gave me the opportunity to transition and taught me how to navigate this shift responsibly”, he told us.  
  
“I researched what options were available in the UK and ultimately, Falmouth stood out as offering a game development course that not only delves into the intricacies of the process and individual disciplines but also places a strong emphasis on how to responsibly approach game creation from an entrepreneurial standpoint, maximising the potential for establishing a sustainable business venture in the field.” 

I consider it a huge achievement having the clarity and confidence to now run my own studio

Georgi has launched Scenery under his company All Ground Red, an indie game development studio he founded while studying on the course, and which he aims to develop into a self-sustaining game studio in the future.  

He told us: “I was always apprehensive about starting my own business, whether in game development or another field. But the challenges I encountered on the course helped me to understand what is required for building a business, and I consider it a huge achievement having the clarity and confidence to now run my own studio. I intend to apply additional knowledge I gained from the course to release the first All Ground Red-produced game next year.” 

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