Achilleas Stergioulis
From messy ideas to polished games — I make it happen.
Services
Development with Godot
All genres and mechanics, from desktop to mobile.
- Component based features seperating data from code. This means clean architecture that speeds up iteration and prevents errors.
- Tools that simplify workflows for teams and contributors.
Game Design
Turning vague visions into structured, testable designs
- Game Design Documents, prototypes, gameplay balancing, and player feedback integration.
- Player-first level and system design that teaches mechanics naturally and tells a story through the environment.
- Puzzle and progression design that keeps players engaged.
DevOps & Leadership
For projects that stay within both the budget and the deadline.
- Tasks, workflows, pipelines and roadmaps.
- Git workflows, branch protections, and CI pipelines
- Breaking milestones into manageable tasks for junior teams
- Training, mentoring, and setting rules that cut chaos
Performance & Compatibility
Smooth gameplay for all systems and devices.
- Clean, efficient, and optimized code that scales smoothly
- Smart systems that reduce overhead and avoid bottlenecks
- Seamless performance across platforms, with special attention to Steam Deck compatibility
Case Studies
Clean Game Architecture
Game Database and Spine Integration
The problem
I joined this new project and the game structure was messy and in disarray. Data, art, and code were tangled together and file paths were hardcoded. All game mechanics and features were intertwined like vines. Adding, changing or removing anything meant spending twice the amount of time untangling the knots before we could move forward.
Approach
I built a Game Database system as the single source of truth. This included:
- IDs for all game objects, art, and data.
- Cleanly separated systems into small, independent components.
- A Spine animation component with a state machine for consistency.
Result
- New contributors could instantly understand the structure.
- Adding or changing content became fast and error-free.
- Development moved faster with no broken paths or hidden dependencies.
From Chaos to Order
Turning a Blurry Game Idea into Playable Design
The problem
I was working with a new client who presented a vague and unstructured vision for their game. They focused on broad terms like “exploration,” “action,” “puzzle,” and “survival,” which often contradicted each other and lacked concrete essence. The absence of direction left the team scattered, chasing random ideas each week, discarding others, and piling up a mass of unrelated mechanics.
Approach
I reframed the vision around problems and choices. This included:
- Defining core obstacles for the player
- Designing multiple solutions for them, giving players agency to choose their own solution to each obstacle.
- Building an introductory level which gradually introduced obstacles and hinted at solutions, teaching and testing the player the further we got.
Result
- This approach provided the team with a clear roadmap and system list.
- Enabled early playtesting and faster iteration
- Turned abstract wishes into a structured, testable plan
Structure, Workflow, Results
How I Transformed a Team
The Problem
In this project a team of junior developers was working without a lead. They jumped between random mechanics, often beyond their skill level, producing buggy code with no reviews, no plan, and no tests. Changes were pushed directly into main, constantly breaking the game. The roadmap itself was vague, so even though developers were pushing out features nonstop, they always felt behind schedule. The pressure led to rushed work and quick fixes that only created more problems.
Approach
When I stepped in, I set up rules including:
- Defining Git Workflow rules with a cheatsheet for quick reference
- Personally training the team and assigning practice tasks
- Assessing each developer’s strengths/weaknesses in 1:1 talks
- Breaking milestones into smaller tasks and matching them to skill levels
- Ensuring no one was blocked by keeping a steady backlog of tasks and dynamically reassigning them to the right developer.
Result
- The team delivered features with cleaner code and fewer errors, avoiding the constant cycle of break-and-fix and reducing the development time.
- Developers worked within their strengths while growing their skills, which boosted confidence and reduced stress.
- With milestones broken down and tasks reassigned dynamically, progress became steady and predictable instead of chaotic.
- The new workflow gave the project a shared structure and language, transforming the team from scattered individuals into a coordinated unit.
Our Games
Munchkitty
A quirky, fast-paced roguelite where a purple cat chases a surreal dream to rescue her kittens, battling through twisted arenas, strange dreamscapes, and a deck of mysterious dream cards.
OCDemon
A surreal 2.5D adventure-puzzle game where a young woman haunted by her OCD battles a mocking demon across dreams and reality, balancing rituals, coping skills, and unraveling a larger hidden mystery that shapes her growth.
Reach Out To Us
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