PROJECT DETAILS · 2026
PROJECT YEAR
2026
PROJECT TYPE
Personal Project · Gameplay Prototype
ENGINE
Unreal Engine 5
MY ROLE
Game Design · Systems Design · Animal AI · Blueprint · Level Design
OVERVIEW
Animal Watcher is a game prototype focused on wildlife observation, ecosystem interaction, and photography. Players monitor farm animals through fixed ecological cameras and use lures such as food and stones to influence behavior, then look for memorable photo opportunities as animals feed, become alert, flee, protect, follow, and interact as groups.
DESIGN GOAL
Observation Instead of Direct Control
Players do not control animals directly. They observe and influence the ecosystem through lures.
Chain Reactions Between Animals
Each species has its own behavior rules. The same stimulus can produce different outcomes and affect nearby animals.
Let the System Create Photo Opportunities
Photo opportunities are not fully scripted; they emerge from player actions, animal states, and group interaction.
CORE LOOP
01
Observe Animals
Learn each animal’s location, species, and current behavior.
02
Choose a Lure
Select food or stones.
03
Influence Behavior
Place the lure in the target area.
04
Watch the Ecosystem Respond
Animal states change and may affect nearby individuals.
05
Find a Photo Opportunity
Look for distinctive behavior and chain reactions.
06
Photograph and Record
Identify the animal and behavior, then save the result to the Gallery.
ANIMAL AI
Species share a core AI framework while using different states, stimulus responses, and group behaviors based on their traits.
Example states: Idle · Walking · Eating · Alert · Fleeing · Protecting · Following · Aggressive Display
EMERGENT INTERACTIONS
母鸡保护与小鸡跟随
小鸡会自动寻找附近的母鸡。母鸡在有小鸡跟随与无小鸡跟随下，对于刺激物有不同反应，分别表现为保护与害怕。
Sheep Alert Propagation
Group behavior and local stimulus responses demonstrate alert propagation, following, and collective movement.
Buffalo Displays and Lure Responses
Contrasting animal responses to food and stones highlights differences in state, stimulus response, and display behavior.
PHOTOGRAPHY SYSTEM
Supports multiple ecological cameras, photography, animal and behavior recognition, a Photo Gallery, subject and behavior information, and Doctor’s Notes.
LEVEL & ECOLOGY
ITERATION
CASE 01
Simplifying the Sheep Alert State Chain
BEFORE
When stimulated while eating, sheep first entered Observing, then moved to Alert or Fleeing based on threat level.
PROBLEM
The intermediate state slowed feedback and added unnecessary transitions, making animal responses harder to read after a player used a stimulus.
SOLUTION
Removed Observing. Sheep now move directly from Eating to Alert when stimulated, then escalate to Fleeing based on threat level while retaining group Alert/Flee propagation.
CASE 02
Redefining Buffalo Level Boundaries
BEFORE
Stimulated buffalo could enter an attack state and break through the outer fence into the farm.
PROBLEM
While visually striking, this disrupted established farm ecology, pulled too much attention, and broke the level’s spatial boundary.
SOLUTION
Buffalo are now permanently contained outside the farm. Food and stones still trigger an Aggressive Display that communicates danger without disrupting the farm ecosystem.
CASE 03
Improving Chick Following
BEFORE
Chicks search for a nearby hen to follow, but early versions had target-loss, stopping while moving, and excessive group spread.
PROBLEM
Unreliable following also destabilized hen Protecting behavior, making this ecological relationship harder to produce consistently.
SOLUTION
Reworked BestHen search and follow-target updates, plus search range and movement logic, so chicks reliably follow nearby hens and Protecting behavior can emerge naturally.
MY CONTRIBUTION
Except for sourced models and animation assets, I completed the game design, systems design, animal AI, Blueprint logic, photography and album systems, UI, level design, environment setup, and gameplay implementation.
FINAL RESULT
WATCH FULL GAMEPLAY ↗
An ecological photography experience built around observation, lures, and animal group interaction—designed for players to discover and document.
NEXT PROJECT
Unity · Gameplay Design · Combat Design · Level Design