RC-Nitro

An online arcade racing game inspired by Mario Kart, featuring multiple car presets, power-ups, and competitive multiplayer for up to 8 players. Includes a Time Attack mode with a global leaderboard.

My Role: Game Designer

As a Game Designer, I played a key role in shaping the game’s core mechanics, focusing on vehicle handling, level design, and power-up mechanics. My main contributions included:

  • Kart Controller & Presets: Designed and fine-tuned kart handling, defining three key stats—Top Speed, Acceleration, and Grip—to create distinct driving styles across different presets. Balanced both player and bot AI karts to maintain fair and engaging competition.

  • Level Design: Created two race tracks from blockout to final implementation, carefully placing road power-ups and obstacles to enhance strategic play and maintain fast-paced action.

  • Power-Up Design: Developed player abilities to add depth to races, ensuring a balance between skill-based driving and tactical item usage.

Challenges & Ongoing Development

Designing an arcade racing game for a Free-to-Play online platform presented unique challenges, especially in a genre filled with established, high-quality titles. The kart controller was the most complex system to refine, as it needed to feel intuitive, responsive, and consistently fun across multiple maps. Even after launch, I continue to tweak the driving mechanics, adjusting for new track designs that introduce elements like inverted gravity and loops, requiring even more precise control.

The game has been a success among players, with growing demand for further kart customization. Currently, I am designing a Garage mode, allowing players to modify their karts by equipping performance-enhancing parts. Each mod will significantly boost one stat, slightly improve another, and reduce a third, creating a system that encourages player experimentation and specialization.

Tools & Software Used

  • Photoshop (2D top-view blockouts for track layouts)

  • Unity (Game Engine, vehicle handling, level implementation)

Outcome & Future Updates

With strong player engagement, RC-Nitro continues to evolve, introducing new tracks, customization options, and refinements to core mechanics. The upcoming Garage mode will expand player agency, allowing deeper personalization and competitive optimization of their karts.

Three stylized toy cars racing on a dirt path in a colorful animated landscape with plants, rocks, and a red barn in the background.
Video game map selection screen with options including Random, Playful Mess, Undo Studios, Hyper Drifter, Gardenonium, and Ollie Up. Each map displays lap numbers. Player information is shown in the top left.
Cartoon-style racing game screenshot with a purple car drifting on a track. The background features oversized kitchen items and yellow hazard signs. The player is in 3rd place with game metrics displayed in the corners.
Video game screenshot featuring a purple car racing on a wooden track with a burning ship in the background and a blue sky. HUD displays player's position and other gameplay details.