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IVAN PLOUGANOU

I design scalable mechanics and systems that drive engaging gameplay — and help teams turn player-driven experiences into reality.

Game Designer / Project Manager

Systems | Mechanics | Gameplay | Level

Highlighted Projects

The Silence After

Mechanics | Progression | Gameplay
Unity

The Silence After, Unity's 17th Student Game of the Year, is a first-person atmospheric horror game in which you play as a blind sole survivor following a distress signal through an apocalyptic reality, interacting with the environment and using sound to navigate using your synesthesia.

Team Size: 6

Development Duration: 6 months

Role: Game Designer & Project Manager

Key accomplishments:

Co-designed the core mechanics, gameplay pillars, and core loop for an immersive horror and narrative experience that was overwhelmingly well-received.

Designed and implemented the feedback loops and UI/UX.

Ran playtests and balanced the difficulty and progression.

Owned the documentation and managed the project using Agile.

FOQUES (TVM)

Systems | Mechanics | Gameplay
Unreal 5

Foques is an adventure-platforming game with elements of survival and stealth, where you play as Kari. Explore and escape the dangers of the wilderness overtaken by a parasitic infection. Survive hunting, scavenging, finding water, and helping animals.

Team Size: 1

Development Duration: 2 months

Role: Game Designer & Programmer (Blueprints)

Key accomplishments:

Enhanced the original design and documentation to align with the intended player experience.

Built a closed-loop survival system featuring Hunger, Thirst, Health, Sanity, and Stamina that dynamically interact with each other.

Connected exploration, narrative, and survival mechanics to reinforce the game’s core pillars.

Burst Your Bubble

Systems | Mechanics | Gameplay
Unity

Burst Your Bubble is a 2D fast-paced 1v1 brawler where 2 bubbles armed with harpoons battle to be the last one floating. Outsmart and beat your rival as you float, jump, and throw your harpoon to make your way to a nail-biting victory.

Team Size: 7

Development Duration: 2 months

Role: Game Designer & Programmer

Key accomplishments:

Co-designed the core mechanics and core loop for a highly acclaimed, fast-paced, competitive, and highly engaging experience.

Designed, co-programmed, and implemented the gameplay mechanics, game systems, and UI/UX.

Set up the tools in the engine to integrate the art for level creation and flexible iteration.

Hi, I'm Iván Plouganou

VFS Game Design Diploma (Honors)
B.E. Industrial Engineering (Honors)

Epic Games Online Certificate
+15 Online Courses on Game Dev & Game Design

+70 Hours of QA and Focus Testing (DAQA & Game Tester)

I design systems, mechanics, and progression that drive engaging gameplay.

My focus is on building experiences that invite players to explore, grow, and experiment — all aligned with an envisioned experience.

I’m proficient in prototyping and implementing in Unity and Unreal - through C# and Blueprints - and I often design levels or test spaces to showcase the systems I create.

I bring together technical execution with design intuition to ensure that the gameplay feels satisfying, is scalable, and cohesive.

I also have an extensive background in running high-stakes projects in automotive and tech, and a set of skills, mindset, and agile expertise to drive the production of retail-level and successful projects.

Contact Me!