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Case study · In development

Tidebound

I contribute gameplay systems to Tidebound as a volunteer for Can’t Afford Studios. The project uses Unreal Engine, C++, and Blueprints.

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My role
Volunteer gameplay programmer
Studio
Can’t Afford Studios
Engine / language
Unreal Engine / C++ / Blueprints
Project status
In development · about 1 year

Tidebound gameplay footage. Project by Can’t Afford Studios.

My contributions

Tidebound is an ongoing project by Can’t Afford Studios and has been in development for about a year. My volunteer work covers the reeling system, movable cart, fish scale, and shop desk described below.

Tension-based reeling

I built a reeling system where players tug the rod in the right direction to bring fish in more easily. They must balance those tugs against line tension: too much tension snaps the line.

Tidebound fishing view with a rod, fish in the water, directional arrow, and tension indicator
Reeling balances effective rod movement against the risk of snapping the line.

Movable cart

I made a cart that holds fish and baskets. Players can grab it and move it around with them, transporting their catch and containers.

A wooden Tidebound cart carrying a wicker basket
The cart can carry fish and baskets and be moved by the player.

Fish scale

I built a scale that accepts fish and baskets. The fish’s weight, species, and freshness determine the price they can be sold for.

A basket on Tidebound’s fish scale beside a vendor, with weight and sale price displayed
Weighing a basket of fish and displaying its sale value.

Shop desk

I made a shop interface where players browse a list of items and click to purchase them. The 2D menu is rendered onto a 3D board at the desk.

Tidebound’s shop board displaying fishing upgrades and their prices in a 2D menu within the 3D scene
The shop’s clickable item list is displayed on a board in the game world.
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Contact

Email me about gameplay programming roles.

nicovision@proton.me