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Operation Phantom
In this project, I set out to learn how to develop a stealth-based game inspired by the mechanics and design of the Hitman series. My primary goal was to understand and implement core stealth gameplay features, including player detection systems, AI behaviors, and mission design that challenges players to navigate environments undetected. This project allowed me to explore the intricacies of stealth mechanics and how to create engaging scenarios that encourage strategic thinking and planning.
Role
Lead Developer
Game Engine
Unity
team size
1 person
Genre
Action Role-Play (Souls Like)
Technologies used
Unity
C#
GIT
Photoshop
Audacity
Trello
Role and Responsibilities
In this solo project, I took on the role of lead developer and coder, focusing on designing and implementing key systems essential for a stealth-based game inspired by the Hitman series. My responsibilities included developing core stealth gameplay mechanics, such as player detection systems that adapt to the player's actions and surroundings, dynamic AI behaviors that respond intelligently to player decisions, and mission structures that challenge players to think strategically and navigate environments undetected.
As the sole developer, I managed every aspect of the project's technical implementation, from scripting stealth mechanics to ensuring smooth interaction between player actions and AI responses. I also worked on designing levels that supported stealth gameplay, incorporating features like hiding spots, patrol routes, and interactive objects. This project allowed me to refine my skills in coding complex AI systems, balancing gameplay difficulty, and creating immersive stealth experiences that reward careful planning and execution.
Design Process
In developing Operation Phantom, I followed a five-step design process, which I will elaborate on throughout this portfolio piece. Each phase was crucial in shaping the game's mechanics, systems, and overall player experience.
1
DESGIN DOCUMENT
prototyping
rought blockout/coding
2
3
refinement of code and level design
4
passover and feedback
5
Design Document
The first step in my design process was creating the Game Design Document (GDD), where I organized all the initial ideas for Operation Phantom and planned out the key features to be included. In this document, I outlined the core gameplay mechanics, establishing a clear vision for how the game would function and what players could expect in terms of experience and interaction. This foundational step helped guide the subsequent phases of development.
link to game design doc : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oLVK0V9AhDraieMKt-h7z-ZaEuZb6k6NJboI5nn3GzE/edit?usp=sharing
Core Game Pillars
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Player Detection System
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Responsive AI
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Mission Design
Gameplay Loop
The core gameplay loop of Operation Phantom is designed to create tension, reward strategic risk-taking, and empower player agency. Players are encouraged to engage in a continuous cycle of:
This loop fosters dynamic decision-making:
Planning:
Players observe guard patrols, environmental hazards, and potential infiltration points, making calculated decisions about how to proceed.
Infiltration:
Elimination or Extraction
Careful navigation and timing are essential to avoid detection.
Players choose how to complete objectives via stealth takedowns, distraction tactics, or high-risk combat.
Escape
Exfiltrating the level safely is the final challenge, with success depending on prior stealth performance and adaptation to AI responses.
​Level Design Principles
The levels are built to challenge player perception and encourage exploration through key design principles:
Verticality & Line-of-Sight
Levels in Operation Phantom are designed with multi-layered layouts that provide players with both strategic options and tactical opportunities. Environments incorporate elements such as catwalks, balconies, stairwells, and vertical pathways that allow players to gain a height advantage, improve visibility of guard patrols, and access alternate routes for flanking or evading detection. Sightlines are deliberately crafted to create tension and encourage careful planning long corridors and tight chokepoints introduce moments of risk, while cover objects like crates, shelving units, and partitions enable stealth traversal through otherwise exposed areas. This design philosophy emphasizes player choice, encouraging players to study environments, adapt to dynamic AI behaviors, and use the space to their advantage. Every element of the environment is intentionally placed to support the stealth experience, offering multiple solutions to challenges while maintaining a sense of tension and unpredictability.
Environmental Storytelling
Props and environmental storytelling play a crucial role in guiding player decisions in Operation Phantom. Items such as chairs and guard post stations subtly indicate areas where guards might remain stationary for extended periods, while footprints in dusty areas serve as visual clues to potential patrol paths. These details encourage players to carefully read the environment and anticipate guard behavior, fostering a sense of immersion and rewarding players who pay close attention to their surroundings. This design approach promotes strategic thinking and enhances the overall stealth experience, as players are motivated to observe, adapt, and plan their movements based on environmental cues
Multiple Approaches
Levels in Operation Phantom are designed to support player creativity and agency, offering multiple approaches to every challenge. Players can employ stealth takedowns to silently neutralize enemies, use distractions to manipulate guard behavior, or engage in direct combat, which is a viable but high-risk option due to the guards’ advanced AI and coordinated responses. This design philosophy ensures that success is not strictly scripted, but instead emerges organically from the player’s strategic decisions, observational skills, and willingness to adapt to evolving situations. By allowing for multiple solutions—whether through patience, timing, or bold action—the game empowers players to shape their own experience within the stealth framework.
Code Example
Guard Script Overview
This script is a key component of a multiplayer game developed in Unity, responsible for synchronizing player-related data across the network. It leverages the Unity Netcode for GameObjects framework to manage player states, inventory, equipment, combat interactions, and more in a distributed multiplayer environment.
Key Features
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Patrol System
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Vision-Based Player Detection
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​Chase and Shoot Mechanics
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Health and Damage System​
1. Patrol System
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The guard follows a list of waypoints in a sequential or reverse order, creating a patrol loop.
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Uses smooth rotation and movement to emulate natural motion.
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Plays walking animations while patrolling.
2. Vision-Based Player Detection
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Detects the player within a defined visionRadius using Physics.CheckSphere.
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Updates the guard's state (isAlreted, playerInvisionRadius) to control behavior transitions.
3. Chase and Shoot Mechanics
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Chase: Moves towards the player's position, increasing speed and playing running animations.
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Shoot: Stops movement, rotates towards the player, and fires using a raycast.
4. Health and Damage System
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The guard's health decreases when hit, triggering an alert state and expanding the vision radius.
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Plays a death animation and disables the AI upon reaching 0 health.
If you’d like to see more of my coding work and how I tackled challenges throughout development, click the button below. These examples demonstrate my problem-solving approach and my dedication to creating polished and functional gameplay systems.
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