.vanaarde

Hi! My name is Van Aarde Krynauw

I love making games! Even more so when I get to use Unreal and Houdini in the same breath.

I'm currently neck-deep in developing my game, Undying West — a co-op horror shooter set in the Old West where you and your friends hunt down zombie robots, armed with a lantern, a pocket full of bullets, and a good dose of grim determination.

 
Featured
Undying West - Its Alive!!
Undying West - Its Alive!!
undying-west, gamedev, ai
Improved robot zombie AI behaviour
Glimpse - Epic MegaGrant Recipient!
Glimpse - Epic MegaGrant Recipient!
glimpse, gamedev, megagrant
Glimpse received an Epic Megagrant!
Untethered - Epic Megajam 2022 Winner
Untethered - Epic Megajam 2022 Winner
untethered, gamejam, award
We won the Procedural Magicians category for our use of Houdini.
Recent Posts
Undying West - Its Alive!!
Undying West - Its Alive!!
undying-west, gamedev, ai
Improved robot zombie AI behaviour
Robot Zombie Walk Loop
Robot Zombie Walk Loop
undying-west, gamedev, animation
Testing walk animation on new robot zombie model.
Robot Pose Timelapse
Robot Pose Timelapse
undying-west, kinefx, houdini
Timelapse posing a robot zombie using Houdini
The First Craft
The First Craft
undying-west, gamedev, unreal
A first look at the crafting table in Undying West!
Fracturing Chaos
Fracturing Chaos
rnd, tech-art, chaos
Exploring clustered geometry collections and applying damage via fields with Chaos.
Shield Impact RnD
Shield Impact RnD
rnd, tech-art
RnD for a shield mesh that pushes apart on impact.
Undying West - Gameplay Prototype!
Undying West - Gameplay Prototype!
undying-west, gamedev, unreal
Early gameplay prototype with carryable interactions, throw mechanics and some gunplay!
Weapon and impact VFX
Weapon and impact VFX
niagara, houdini, vfx, rnd
Realistic Weapon and impact VFX.
Wood Fracture RnD
Wood Fracture RnD
rnd, tech art, houdini
Wood Fracture test using Houdini / Bullet Solver
Spline Following Bat Swarm
Spline Following Bat Swarm
niagara, vat, tech art, rnd
A boids-based swarm of bats that can follow a user-driven spline.
Shootable Roaches
Shootable Roaches
niagara, vat, vfx, rnd, breakdown
A GPU Niagara particle system that simulates shootable roaches and VAT splats!
Houdini Engine Plugin Dev for SideFX
Houdini Engine Plugin Dev for SideFX
plugin-dev, unreal
Various features developed for the Houdini Engine Plugin for Unreal while working with SideFX.
Fire RnD
Fire RnD
rnd, vfx, axiom
Playing with fire, using Axiom / Houdini.
Glowy Rockpool Material
Glowy Rockpool Material
tech art, uefn
A glowy rockpool material made in UEFN
Kaiju Rig & Animation
Kaiju Rig & Animation
kinefx, houdini, uefn
Rigging and animation using KineFX / Houdini
Glimpse - Microwave Explosion
Glimpse - Microwave Explosion
glimpse, tech-art, vfx
Cutscene of a microwave explosion, triggered by the player.
Glowy Orb
Glowy Orb
rnd, tech-art
Experimenting with texture scrolling
Curtain Cloth Simulation
Curtain Cloth Simulation
glimpse, tech art, breakdown
Interactive cloth simulation system for curtains developed for Glimpse.
Untethered Stylized VFX
Untethered Stylized VFX
untethered, vfx, gamejam, breakdown
The Stylized VFX of Untethered. Epic Megajam 2022 entry.
Interior Fog Material RnD
Interior Fog Material RnD
tech-art, rnd
Experimenting with transparent material to create cheap interior fog effect
Carry-Item System Test
Carry-Item System Test
rnd, tech-art, glimpse
Carry-Item system with Character Blueprints, Anim Blueprints, and Carry Poses.
Relightable Smoke Rig
Relightable Smoke Rig
tech-art, niagara
Relightable Smoke Rig made with Blueprints and SideFX Labs Pyro Material Functions.
Bloodsmears with Splines
Bloodsmears with Splines
glimpse, tech art
Directable bloodsmears along splines.
Wispy Smoke
Wispy Smoke
glimpse, vfx, breakdown
Wispy smoke effect using custom geometry and scrolling texture techniques.
Glimpse - Epic MegaGrant Recipient!
Glimpse - Epic MegaGrant Recipient!
glimpse, gamedev, megagrant
Glimpse received an Epic Megagrant!
Drill Control Rig Test
Drill Control Rig Test
rnd, tech-art, glimpse
Testing out a Control Rig setup for a drivable drill
Niagara Debris / Pebble Spray
Niagara Debris / Pebble Spray
rnd, tech-art, niagara
Debris spraying Niagara systems designed for use with Level Sequencer.
Untethered - Epic Megajam 2022 Winner
Untethered - Epic Megajam 2022 Winner
untethered, gamejam, award
We won the Procedural Magicians category for our use of Houdini.
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I also post gamedev stuff on these social media things