Q&A with Angel Georgiev: From BUas to Behaviour Interactive

What was your journey leading up to BUas? 

Angel: ‘I have always loved playing games and creating things. I tried different forms of art, like drawing and even construction, but I didn’t really have the talent or the right skills for them. However, my teachers in high school helped me realise that I had a strong analytical mind, and I was quite good at maths and programming. That is when I knew the direction I wanted to go in.’ 

‘I attended open days in Bulgaria about studying in the Netherlands, and BUas really stood out to me, especially for game programming. It was the perfect combination of my interests, creating games and programming. I had heard great things about the Netherlands, so I applied and got accepted.’ 

Can you describe a project you worked on? 

Angel: ‘One of the most impactful projects for me was the custom engine project in my second year. It was one of the most difficult assignments I have ever had, but I learned so much from it.’ 

‘At the start of the second year, we were given different game genres', top-down, first-person, third-person, etc., and had to choose one. Based on our choices, teams were formed and we had to build a custom game engine tailored to that genre. I chose a top-down game. Our task was to create all the necessary systems for the game, including input handling, rendering, and tool integration, to ensure the game could be played on both PC and PS5.’ 

What was your role in this project? 

Angel: ‘In the first two blocks, we had six programmers in the team. We had two rendering specialists (one for PC and one for PS5), two engine programmers, and two gameplay programmers. I was one of the engine programmers, focusing on creating tools to help others work more efficiently with the engine.’ 

‘Initially, I worked on the input system, designing an API that allowed others to use the system. Later, I developed a tool that enabled designers to create 2D levels in an external program and import them into our engine. My tool served as a bridge between third-party software and our game engine.’ 

‘In block C, our teachers saw potential in our engine and gave us a more concrete game design brief. We created Hellbound, a top-down action game. At this stage, we expanded the team to around twenty people, including artists and designers who were brave enough to work with a custom engine.’ 

‘Later in the project, I worked on the saving and loading systems, allowing designers to tweak parameters, save changes, and reload them seamlessly. During production, I was asked to be the programming lead, responsible for organising workflows and managing the team. It was a challenging role, balancing leadership with hands-on programming, but I enjoyed it. I learned a lot about managing talented individuals while keeping the project on track.’ 

Tell us about the game! 

Angel: ‘Hellbound is a top-down action game set in hell. You play as a fallen angel on a journey of redemption, tasked with destroying a colossal demon that torments you and wants to keep you in hell. The game takes you through four stages of hell, each with its own challenges. The different levels are procedurally generated.’ 

‘Our custom engine was named Perry Engine. Our work on this project helped shape the way custom engine projects are handled at BUas. The teachers refined the approach based on our experience, providing a stronger foundation for future students.’ 

Play Hellbound on itch.io: https://buas.itch.io/hellbound  

What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them? 

Angel: ‘The biggest challenge for me was developing the saving and loading system, which I worked on for almost a year. This system had to save everything in a game scene, objects, settings, parameters, and allow designers to tweak and reload them effortlessly. Iteration is crucial in game development, so having a reliable save/load system enabled designers to quickly test and refine features.’ 

‘Another challenge was stepping into the programming lead role. Managing a team of highly skilled and creative individuals was overwhelming at first, but I learned to guide them while allowing them the freedom to innovate. It was a balancing act between leadership and hands-on development, but it was an invaluable learning experience.’ 

What are your future plans? 

Angel: ‘Since September, I have been doing a year-long internship at Behaviour Interactive, working on code development, collaborating with other studios, and porting games to different consoles.’ 

‘I first connected with Behaviour during an industry showcase day at BUas, where someone from the company was impressed by our game and technology. That same person returned in my third year and gave me an application form for an internship. I was very lucky, it was the only internship I applied for, and I got in! That same person is now my mentor, and I already learned so much from him and all my other colleagues.’ 

‘Currently, I am working on King of Meat, a game by the UK-based studio Glowmade. I am a general programmer, focusing on bug fixes, and ensuring the game meets console publishing standards. It is built on a custom engine, which made it an especially exciting opportunity for me.’ 

‘After graduation, I want to gain more experience in the industry to grow my skills further. In the long term, I would love to mentor others, just like my high school teachers inspired me. Whether that is in a company or at a school, I don’t know yet, but I want to help others reach their potential.’ 

Find Angel on LinkedIn: Angel Georgiev