Pedro Ferreirinha

Software Engineer - Games and Graphics

MSc in Computer Science. Systems oriented person with proven experience in Unity, realtime rendering, game design and performance optimization.

See Projects Background

Projects

Super Booster

Solo-developed a high-intensity roguelike arena shooter focused on impactful game feel, synergistic mechanics, and dynamic progression in Unity.

Key Technologies/Concepts:
  • System Design: Built roguelike progression, a dynamic shop economy, and scalable waves.
  • Sandbox Mechanics: Programmed a physics sandbox for players to chain automated defense circuits.
  • Game Feel: Prioritized "juice" and responsiveness to ensure satisfying combat.
  • Economy and Balancing: Iteratively tuned player power-scaling, enemy spawn rates, and shop pricing.
Play on itch.io

Cyladron

A roguelike tower defense prototype built at CrazyGames in Unity.

Key Technologies/Concepts:
  • Creative Direction: Actively collaborated to define the prototype's core vision and strategic loop.
  • Core Logic: Built the tower-merging and card-based buff mechanics.
  • Economy Design: Structured and balanced the round-based shop and upgrade systems.

Instanced Indirect Rendering

Developed a real-time instanced rendering prototype system in Unity optimized for high performance using GPU instancing, compute shaders, and fully GPU-driven animation through VAT.

Key Technologies/Concepts:
  • GPU Indirect Instancing
  • Compute Shaders: Frustum culling, forward movement, and push-based interaction.
  • Animation: Vertex Animation Textures (VAT) for per-instance GPU playback.
  • Optimization: Dynamic buffer management and minimal CPU Cost.
More Details

MSc Thesis: Massively parallel visual simulation on the GPU

Parallelized simulation framework for deformable objects using Extended Position Based Dynamics (XPBD). Employed a graph coloring algorithm enabling efficient, race-condition-free execution.

Key Technologies/Concepts:
  • GPU Programming (CUDA)
  • Extended Position Based Dynamics (XPBD)
  • Parallel Constraint Solving (Graph Coloring)
Show Thesis (PDF)

Background

Professional Experience

Game Developer
Full-time@ Crazy Games
Remote Sep 2025 - Nov 2025
  • Co-developed Cyladron, a roguelike tower defense prototype, driving both system architecture and creative game design.
  • Actively shaped the game's direction by pitching and designing its signature tower-merging and card-based buff systems.
  • Programmed the foundational state logic to support these features, iteratively tuning the economy and enemy scaling.
Software Engineer
Full-time@ Didimo
Porto, Portugal Sep 2023 - July 2025
  • Created custom rendering solutions for large-scale crowds and enhanced pipeline features.
  • Developed a custom culling and texture atlasing system to optimize the rendering pipeline.
  • Built a custom compute shader pipeline for processing texture and vertex buffer data.
Software Engineer
Part-time@ Didimo
Porto, Portugal Sep 2022 - Sep 2023
  • Contributed to initial Popul8 development, focusing on system architecture and camera systems.
  • Received credit for contributions to Didimo technology used in Cities: Skylines II.
Full Stack Engineer
@ Grasshopper S.I.
Porto, Portugal Jan 2020 - Aug 2021
  • Developed full-stack applications integrating pharmacies, laboratories, and shipping companies.

Academic Background

MSc Computer Science
@ University of Porto (FCUP)
Porto, Portugal Sep 2021 - Nov 2023
  • Thesis: "Massively Parallel Visual Simulation of Deformable Objects on the GPU" (Grade: 18/20).
BSc Computer Science
@ University of Porto (FCUP)
Porto, Portugal Sep 2018 - Jul 2021