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I'm Devak Gounden, a particle-effect-focused game designer based in Cape Town, South Africa. I specialize in real-time particle systems, combat ability development, and scalable gameplay architectures using Unity and Unreal, with a Master of Science in Game Design. I love building high-fidelity Niagara/particle effects, custom shaders, and modular systems that empower artists and designers. I enjoy collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver cohesive player feedback that aligns with narrative and gameplay goals.…I'm Devak Gounden, a particle-effect-focused game designer based in Cape Town, South Africa. I specialize in real-time particle systems, combat ability development, and scalable gameplay architectures using Unity and Unreal, with a Master of Science in Game Design. I love building high-fidelity Niagara/particle effects, custom shaders, and modular systems that empower artists and designers. I enjoy collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver cohesive player feedback that aligns with narrative and gameplay goals.

Devak Gounden

Game Designer, Game Developer, Visual Effects Artist, +2

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I'm Devak Gounden, a particle-effect-focused game designer based in Cape Town, South Africa. I specialize in real-time particle systems, combat ability development, and scalable gameplay architectures using Unity and Unreal, with a Master of Science in Game Design. I love building high-fidelity Niagara/particle effects, custom shaders, and modular systems that empower artists and designers. I enjoy collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver cohesive player feedback that aligns with narrative and gameplay goals.…I'm Devak Gounden, a particle-effect-focused game designer based in Cape Town, South Africa. I specialize in real-time particle systems, combat ability development, and scalable gameplay architectures using Unity and Unreal, with a Master of Science in Game Design. I love building high-fidelity Niagara/particle effects, custom shaders, and modular systems that empower artists and designers. I enjoy collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver cohesive player feedback that aligns with narrative and gameplay goals.

Available to hire

I’m Devak Gounden, a particle-effect-focused game designer based in Cape Town, South Africa. I specialize in real-time particle systems, combat ability development, and scalable gameplay architectures using Unity and Unreal, with a Master of Science in Game Design.

I love building high-fidelity Niagara/particle effects, custom shaders, and modular systems that empower artists and designers. I enjoy collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver cohesive player feedback that aligns with narrative and gameplay goals.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Language

English

Advanced

Work Experience

VFX/Game Designer/Systems Designer at Syrenna's Forest

May 1, 2025 - February 1, 2026

Engineered 25+ real-time particle effects across Unity 6's Shuriken and VFX Graph for environmental ambiance, combat feedback, and 12+ character abilities. Implemented core gameplay mechanics in Unity 6 including a time-manipulation system and a rapid-fire projectile ability with custom recoil and spread patterns. Designed immersive particle systems from environmental ambience to high-impact combat feedback for all enemy types. Programmed 4+ custom HLSL shaders for stylized post-processing effects. Collaborated with a 5-member cross-functional team of designers, artists, and programmers to deliver cohesive player feedback systems aligned with narrative and gameplay objectives.

Niagara Systems Designer at Moonshadow Cafe

November 1, 2025 - February 1, 2026

Developed environment magic-themed Niagara systems in UE5.5.4. Designed 6+ magical-themed atmospheric effects across multiple environmental biomes to enhance narrative immersion and spatial orientation. Created 3+ modular custom ability and pickup effects with templates to reduce production time by 25% and enable non-technical designers to customize parameters. Optimized emitter spawn rates and LOD thresholds while maintaining stable 60 FPS high-fidelity quality.

VFX/Game Designer at Pesta Nera

September 1, 2025 - October 1, 2025

Authored 30+ high-fidelity Niagara particle effects in Unreal Engine 5.6 across 6 environmental themes (water, electricity, nature, decay, corruption) with real-time light interactions and GPU simulation. Architected a modular Blueprint pickup system supporting 12+ item variants with asymmetric buff/debuff mechanics, reducing code redundancy by 35% through inheritance-based design. Optimized visual assets for real-time performance in dense 3D environments.

VFX/Game Designer at Steel Tempest

March 1, 2024 - June 1, 2024

Architected complete game architecture in Unreal Engine 5.5 Blueprints covering player movement and environmental interaction (35+ object types) across 6 production sprints. Engineered a dynamic trap system with 10+ variants (proximity-triggered, timed, player-activated) featuring real-time activation zone visualization, reducing level designer setup time by 40%. Designed and implemented 8 unique tactical weapons (Ice Kunai) with distinct damage models and 6 proximity-based hazard types, enabling 30+ balanced level design scenarios. Led VFX development as Lead Effects Designer in a 4-member team, delivering a cohesive showcase level integrating gameplay mechanics, environmental design, and visuals.