Returns Guaranteed

2025

Play on itch.io

Summary

Returns Guaranteed is a short hidden object game with a crafting mechanic, where you play as a Lost & Found office worker who must get creative in order to deliver all requested objects.

Engine: Unreal Engine 5
Platform: PC
Role: Solo developer
Type: Final course project

My Contribution

In-game images
In-game images
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Early environment sketches
Early environment sketches

Solo Developer

  • Programmed all the game's systems using Blueprints, including the delivery and crafting systems, notifications and inventory. Developed all core gameplay systems in Unreal Engine using Blueprints, including the delivery system, crafting system, inventory, and notifications.
  • Implemented a flexible tag-based logic that allows multiple valid solutions per request.
  • Designed and implemented over 40 unique delivery requests and 26 creative and unexpected crafting recipes.
  • Designed the environment layout and lighting to create a cozy and cluttered office atmosphere.
  • Because of the limited scope, worked mainly with external 3D assets, icons and sounds, although I modeled the game's logo.

Crafting Blueprint sample
Crafting Blueprint sample

Postmortem

What went well

  • I delivered the full MVP on time, with a fully playable prototype and no major game-breaking bugs.
  • Despite relying mostly on external 3D assets because of the scope, the overall visual style, lighting, and environment layout successfully conveyed the atmosphere I envisioned.
  • I explored an interesting mechanic and learned a new engine simultaneously, and still managed to produce a functional game.

What went wrong

  • I had a vision for the artstyle, but the scope was very small and I had to prioritize the mechanics, so adapting to the available assets was necessary but frustrating.
  • With such a tight deadline, I wasn’t able to playtest or tune the difficulty properly, and the final game ended up being harder than intended.
  • A few technical issues remained unsolved because of the short development period.

What I learned

  • I’m used to handling everything and not choosing one role over the other, but this time I had to consciously let go of the art side, which in turn helped me prioritize learning the engine.
  • I discovered how much I enjoy working with Blueprints. I've always enjoyed visual scripting, and this tool really proved to be the best at it.
  • Scope management is everything. Keeping the project small ensured it was finished, functional, and aligned with my goals.

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