SHOWTIME RACER

Arcade racing game blending speed & style, built with volunteer energy and structured workflows.

Duration
4 Months (Ongoing)
Team
11 people
Year
2025
Engine
Unreal Engine 5.5.4
State
In Development
Rôle
Producer - Game Designer
Showtime Racer - Early Development Gameplay

What Sparks Me

In volunteer-based dev, my job is to build clarity and keep the spark alive even when real life gets busy.

Why This Project Matters

Showtime Racer isn’t just a prototype – it’s a fully-scoped indie racing game, built 100% by volunteers.
This unique context pushes me to balance creative ambition with real-world constraints.

My mission?
Transform ideas into a polished, playable experience while respecting each person’s availability and creative flow.

The Mission

Clarity

Provide structure and clarity for a volunteer team.

Momentum

Foster momentum and respect each contributor’s rhythm.

Deliver

Deliver a polished, Steam-ready racing experience by July 2025 for Steam Racing Game Festival.

Balance

Balance creative ambition with achievable milestones.

Prototype & Technical Assessment26 April 2025
Validate core mechanics and identify technical bottlenecks.
Art Direction & Pre Alpha29 May 2025
Expand team and create a clear artistic identity with first integrated assets and feedbacks.
Feature Build & Demo Prep26 Juin 2025
Enhance gameplay and prepare a polished demo for Steam.
Steam Release & Marketing28 July 2025
Polish remaining details, activate marketing efforts and launch the game on Steam for Racing Game Fest.

Overcoming Challenges

Challenge 1: Keeping Volunteers Engaged

How I Tackled It:

  • Established dual weekly syncs (Art & Tech) and daily programmer check-ins for rapid feedback.

  • Daily 1:1s with key contributors for scope alignment.

  • Leveraged asynchronous updates to ensure progress without adding pressure.

What I Achieved:

  • 100% volunteer retention over 2 months.

  • Sustained steady delivery and team spirit despite limited hours.

  • Proof: Active sprints & team comms screenshots.

Challenge n°2 : Balancing tech and art workflows

Solutions

  • Implemented Agile sprints (2–3 weeks) with Fibonacci estimates for Tech tasks.

  • Developed an informal Kanban flow for Art to allow comfort and creativity.

  • Ran cross-team reviews to maintain alignment and shared ownership.

Achievements

  • Achieved a steady production rhythm without crunch or burnout.

  • Visuals and 3D assets integrated faster and aligned with the game’s identity.

  • Proof: Burndown chart + team composition diagram.

Challenge n°3 : Clarifying priorities in an evolving scope

Solutions

  • Broke down 14 EPICs into 100+ actionable User Stories and Tasks (with SMART goals).

  • Adjusted priorities to fit volunteer bandwidth and keep morale high.

Achievements

  • 100% of team tasks tracked and prioritized in Jira, ensuring everyone knew exactly what to tackle.

  • Proof: Jira Board screenshots showing EPICs, User Stories, and priority flow.

Challenge n°4 : Maintaining a consistent creative vision

Solutions

  • Led the development of a clear art direction within 3 weeks, ensuring alignment across 2D, 3D, and UI.

  • Facilitated feedback loops between artists and gameplay to refine visual identity.

Achievements

  • Boosted team cohesion and built a polished visual identity that’s now 70% implemented in-game.

  • Proof: Consistent art style screenshots across concept, 3D, and UI assets.

Annexe - Visual Ressources / Proof

Image
Jira Board Sprint Example
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Team Composition - Organization
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Burndown Chart Example



© Adrien Brioude – 2025

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