About Me
Hi! I’m Riley Holzwart, a game developer with 5+ years of experience in professional game development,
with a strong passion for game mechanics programming and systems architecture.
I’ve collaborated on projects of all sizes,
at all stages of the development pipeline, across a variety of platforms including PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch.
My experience includes team management, code review, networking and multiplayer systems,
and architecture planning, with a focus on delivering polished and innovative gameplay experiences.
Portfolio
LEGO® Party! - SMG Studio
Senior Developer/Minigame Team Lead | 2021 - 2024
Platforms: PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, XBOX
On LEGO® Party! I worked across core development areas including; prototyping,
gameplay programming, network programming, and systems architecture. At all stages of the
project life cycle, I helped shape the technical direction of the project, contributing
to key systems and ensuring smooth integration with platform and backend services.
I also served as Minigame Team Lead, overseeing the development of a large suite of
networked minigames. In this role, I provided technical guidance to developers,
managed team workflows, conducted code reviews, and planned system architecture to ensure
maintainability and consistency. This position allowed me to support both the technical and collaborative success of the team.
- Systems Architecture
- Network Programming
- Gameplay Development
- Rapid Prototyping
Rain On Your Parade - Unbound Creations
Mid Developer | 2021
Platforms: PC, Switch, XBOX
Rain on Your Parade is a comedy game by Unbound Creations. At Unbound Creations I worked on developing fully featured levels from initial design briefs, including level design and gameplay mechanics development
- Gameplay Mechanics Programming
- AI Programming
- Level Design and Development
Edge - Starforged Studios
Gameplay Programming | 2020 - 2021
Platforms: PC, Switch
Edge was an Action RPG project in development by Starforged Studios. I worked on Edge during the pre-production stage to deliver an MVP product for funding and grant proposals.
- Systems Architecture
- Player Controller Development
- Gameplay Mechanics Programming
- AI Programming
- Optimisation & Profiling
Hardhat Hustle - Capstone Project
Game Designer, Programming | 2019
Platforms: PC
Hardhat Hustle was physics based party game developed as my final year capstone project at Griffith University. I led a team of three developers in creating Hardhat Hustle, from prototyping to game design and programming, winning four Griffith University Capstone Project Awards, including Game of the Year and Best Programming.
- Team Lead
- Rapid Prototyping
- Game Design
- Gameplay programming