Rui Silva
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ruisilvagamedesign.bsky.social
Rui Silva
@ruisilvagamedesign.bsky.social
Game Designer. London-based.

Feel free to check out my portfolio: https://ruilsilva.wixsite.com/ruisilvagamedesign
Now onto Halo 2. The difference in lighting is astounding! It definitely creates a stronger atmosphere while playing.

#gamedev #indiedev
December 15, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Managed to get to The National Gallery this weekend. Seeing so many different ways of creating art and the inspirations behind them felt eye opening.

#gamedev #indiedev #art
December 14, 2025 at 4:18 PM
I've since updated the UI so that at any time the player cannot shoot, either by being too close to a wall or in the middle of reloading, the bottom section of the reticle disappears. If they try to shoot, the remaining sections flash yellow.

#indiedev #gamedev #screenshotsaturday
December 13, 2025 at 11:08 AM
I've been studying physical constraints recently, which led to what you see below. I have compared how constraints can be utilised for different purposes, depending on their environment. Hope you find it interesting!

#indiedev #gamedev
December 12, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Spending some time fixing weapon clipping in the game. Your gun now gets pointed downwards when too close to an object, and if you try to shoot, the reticle flashes yellow. I need to iterate on it further, but happy with the progress so far!

#gamedev #indiedev
December 11, 2025 at 2:07 PM
An updated look to a level. I found it too unnatural in shape and wanted it to feel like enemies were intentionally behind cover, rather than objects and enemies simply being strewn about the space.

#indiedev #gamedev
December 10, 2025 at 1:58 PM
I've been playing a lot of Halo: Combat Evolved through The Master Chief Collection recently. It's interesting to see how aspects have changed, such as how the lighting accentuates certain parts of the space whereas the original utilised darkness more.

#indiedev #gamedev #halo
December 9, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Made some slight changes to the UI and start screen. While keeping inspiration from the file manager used in Jurassic Park, I've given it a lighter, softer display to match with the slight overexposure seen in the games' levels.

#indiedev #gamedev
December 8, 2025 at 5:52 PM
I think there's something to say about "real life" constraints too, such as using ropes in galleries vs covering a painting with a thin glass. I've even seen a museum use motion sensors that beep if someone is too close! All different ways of achieving a similar goal.

#gamedev #indiedev
December 7, 2025 at 12:16 PM
I've been designing a level where the player can manipulate almost every object in the space, giving them freedom to approach the level in any way they'd like. Some examples can be seen below, along with how the level looks to begin with.

#indiedev #gamedev #screenshotsaturday
December 6, 2025 at 10:11 AM
I've been spending time this week trying to understand constraints in video games and how they have varying levels of restricting the player. Such as locks requiring a specific item and bosses that must be defeated. I'll have to make a post about it sometime soon.

#gamedev #indiedev
December 5, 2025 at 5:39 PM
I've been balancing out the difficulty of some levels. A level seen here set in a scrapyard was too overwhelming for being early in the game, so I've reduced it's length and slightly dropped the number of enemies.

#indiedev #gamedev
December 3, 2025 at 9:43 AM
I'm trying to create a clear progression in the levels through shape. The player begins with narrow levels, helping them focus on what's vital, later experiencing wider spaces that give a stronger sense of choice in how you approach enemies.

#indiedev #gamedev #screenshotsaturday
November 29, 2025 at 10:24 AM
I've since added a small bit more recoil and included an FOV shift whenever you shoot. I plan on making the recoil effect a little stronger, but I like how it's developing!

#indiedev #gamedev
November 26, 2025 at 5:48 PM
I've been fine tuning some recoil and a tiny amount of head bob while walking, what do you think?

#indiedev #gamedev #screenshotsaturday
November 22, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Here with another aspect of design. This one took a good while to grasp but I’m finally happy to post it. It discusses conceptual models and how people may create them with relation to both physical and virtual experiences.

#gamedev #indiedev
November 19, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Managed to get to the "Secret Maps" exhibition at the British Library yesterday. It's great for understanding how different societies convey similar information and for what purposes.

#history #britishlibrary #gamedev
November 12, 2025 at 11:29 AM
I'm always reminded by this image when thinking of video game water. It's amazing how much effort some games put into the water and water physics. I remember reading about how Rare achieved such a good look in Sea of Thieves. Stunning.
November 9, 2025 at 9:06 AM
I’ve been prototyping the introductory level of the game, trying to make it simple to understand but still giving the player enough autonomy to engage with the core aspect of arranging the level yourself.

#gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday
November 8, 2025 at 9:51 AM
In the midst of designing the start screen, drawing from the Unix system seen in Jurassic Park. There's no inspiration too niche!

#indiedev #gamedev
November 5, 2025 at 4:15 PM
This week I’ve been experimenting a bit with the lighting of earlier levels and comparing them to how the most recently developed levels look. While I can still see room for improvement, I’m happy with the current iteration so far.

#gamedev #indiedev
November 2, 2025 at 3:27 PM
I’ve been reading about the three levels of mental processing, being visceral processing, emotional, and reflective. I’ve tried to break down each one below, complete with an example from Battlefield 6.

#gamedev
October 30, 2025 at 12:06 PM
My game and its inspirations.

#gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday
October 25, 2025 at 8:34 AM
I’ve been comparing earlier iterations of the game recently. It’s shocking how impactful audio is when engaging with the game. The colours of movable objects have swapped from white to black to stop confusion between interactables and the white environment.

#indiedev #gamedev #screenshotsaturday
October 11, 2025 at 4:33 PM
I've been trying to draft a post on the three levels of emotional processing and how it relates to game design. It's going to be a task to try and fit it into 4 slides!

#gamedev #indeidev
October 6, 2025 at 4:54 PM