Counting Sheep
Released: Aug 2026
Description
Counting Sheep is a 3D platformer built around a countdown. You play a sheep drifting across floating islands of glowing cloud-voxels that are arranged in the shape of the number currently being counted. Every tick of the timer, part of the ground goes: the unstable clouds shudder, then drop away into the dark, while new paths rise out of the fog somewhere else. Ride the count all the way down and the sleeper falls asleep. Miss a jump and you wake them up.
Key Responsibilities
Architected the full Unity game architecture in C# using decoupled ScriptableObject workflows, event channels, and modular state machines for the GMTK Game Jam 2026.
Developed custom Shader Graph materials for fluffy cloud voxels with dynamic rim lighting, emissive glow, and noise-based dissolution effects.
Programmed the custom kinematic character controller from scratch, tuning spring buoyancy, coyote time, and inflated bounding boxes for fluid aerial navigation.
Built high-performance GPU instancing and object pooling systems to guarantee smooth 60+ FPS performance during rapid, large-scale voxel grid reflows.
Designed dynamic audio behavior in Unity AudioMixer with real-time pitch modulation and formant filtering for procedural sheep vocalizations.
Implemented the dream-journal UI system, animated eyelid sleep gauge, and 2D canvas radar minimap for tactical route planning.
Technology Used
Unity
C#
Universal Render Pipeline (URP)
Shader Graph
VFX Graph
Blender
Features
Dynamic Shifting Cloud Floors
The platforms are giant numerals, and they rearrange as the count goes down. Clouds that are about to disappear shake first, so you get a moment of warning to read where the level is going and jump before the tile you are standing on stops existing.
Floaty, Buoyant Platforming
The sheep hovers and drifts, and the jumps are slow and wide. The controller is forgiving on purpose: it cushions your momentum and gives you a little slack at ledges, so committing to a jump usually works out.
Reactive Soundscape & Dynamic Bleats
Ambient drones underneath, chimes when something resolves, and a sheep that bleats. The bleats are randomized and tied to what just happened, so jumps, landings, star pickups, and near misses all sound different.
Varied Dream Modes & Pacing
Dream runs count down through a set sequence: Fibonacci, primes, or halving. Endless Mode is the high score chase, with combo multipliers. Zen Mode has no fail state at all and catches you when you fall.
Diegetic Sleep Meter & Radar Planning
The HUD is styled as a dream journal. Instead of a progress bar there is an eyelid that closes further the cleaner you play. A top-down minimap shows the platforms that are about to appear, which is how you plan a route more than one jump ahead.
Screenshots
Additional Information
Developed for the GMTK Game Jam 2026, bringing the countdown theme to life through the classic bedtime tradition of counting sheep.
Built around the guiding design philosophy of "logic blocky, render fluffy"—pairing precise, predictable grid-based movement with soft, luminous cloud visuals.
Visual aesthetic draws heavy inspiration from classic storybooks and ink dream diaries, combining handwritten typography with a soothing indigo and starlight color palette.
Includes a dedicated Zen Mode created specifically for unwinding, completely stripping away failure conditions, timers, and scoring in favor of peaceful drift recovery and slower rhythms.
Engineered to deliver a polished, responsive standalone gaming experience with full gamepad and keyboard support.