RaceMania

An attempt at recreating TrackMania-style time trial racing as a one-handed mobile game.

• Role: Game Developer (Design + implementation)

• Context: Professional prototype

• Tools: Unity, C#, ScriptableObjects, basic tooling (dev UI, level templates)

• Timeframe: ~1 month

• Status: Abandoned prototype

What I owned / delivered

• Built a custom car controller, with suspension, grip, torque, and weight, all individually tunable in ScriptableObjects to create distinct cars.

• Implemented a ghost racer, allowing players to race against their fastest time.

• Designed one-handed controls with assistive systems (auto-braking, simplified inputs) to keep the game playable on mobile.

• Implemented a camera controller focused on forward visibility and readability, keeping the track ahead in view to support high-speed navigation.

• Created levels with varied flow and opportunities for risk/reward shortcuts (inspired by TrackMania)

What to Notice in video/build

• Readability at speed - camera framing and track visibility supporting fast decisions.

• One-handed controls feel - assist systems that keep control simple without removing skill.

• Risk/reward shortcuts - how levels support multiple lines and “commitment” decisions.

Context

• Player Goal: Drive fast, stay in control, and chase better times by learning the track and choosing when to play safe vs take risky shortcuts.

• Core Loop: Pick a track → run a time trial → restart quickly → improve your line and time while racing a ghost → unlock/try different cars with different handling and new levels

• What makes it distinct:

  • TrackMania-style “learn the track” time trials adapted to one-handed mobile play.

  • A focus on clarity and flow rather than complex inputs - skill comes from good decisions, learning the levels, and timing.

  • Puzzle-like gameplay feel, getting a gold rating on a level means learning the turns and finding the shortcuts, assisted by a ghost racer showing you what you did well and where you went wrong in a past attempt.

Design goals

• One-handed accessibility without losing mastery: Simple controls that still reward skill, precision and risk management, and feel good to play in spite of the simplicity.

• Readable high-speed play: Camera and track design that makes upcoming decisions visible and fair, while inspiring players to look for opportunities to break the track.

• Fast iteration: Handling, assists, and car identity should be easy to tune and compare (ScriptableObjects). Levels have to go from idea to playability in minutes, not hours.

Constraints

• Mobile constraints: touch input limitations, small-screen readability, performance considerations.

• Prototype scope (~1 month): focus on validating core feel (controller, camera, track readability, ghost loop) over long-term content, progression, or polish.