Philippe Hébert

Game Development & Interactive Media Portfolio.

Software engineer with 10+ years of experience building production software systems, including distributed services and data platforms. I am currently transitioning into game development through a BFA in Computation Arts at Concordia University, where I explore gameplay systems, simulation, and interactive media.

My work focuses on building interactive systems that support immersive player experiences, applying a systems-oriented approach shaped by experience across multiple programming languages and software architectures.

My interest in games began long before my engineering career, through years of hobbyist worldbuilding and creative experimentation.

This portfolio presents selected projects exploring game systems, simulation, and computational art.

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FEATURED PROJECTS

SKILLS / TECHNOLOGIES

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FEATURED PROJECTS

FrogFrogFrog – Rope Simulation & Procedural Starfield

Rope-simulation experiment + Procedural generation of starry sky 2025

Role: Solo project Duration: 2 week prototype Technologies: JS, HTML5 Canvas, p5.js

Overview

A physics simulation experiment combining a position-based rope system with a procedurally generated starfield. The project explores real-time simulation, constraint solving, and debugging tools for interactive physics systems.

Key Systems

• Position-Based Dynamic Rope
  • Rope simulated using Position-Based Dynamics constraints
  • Supports tension propagation and stable behaviour under high iteration counts
• Gravitational Simulation
  • Objects influenced by mass-based gravitational pull
  • Enables emergent motion patterns in the simulation
• Procedural Starfield
  • Tiled procedural starfield generated at runtime
  • Designed to allow seamless camera movement across a large space
• Simulation Debug Interface
  • HUD displaying simulation metrics and frame data
  • Step-through simulation controls for debugging physics behaviour

Technical Challenges

• Stability of Rope Simulation
  • Maintaining stable rope behaviour required tuning constraint iteration counts and damping parameters to avoid oscillation artifacts.
• Seamless Tile Rendering
  • Eliminated visible seams between procedural starfield tiles by enforcing opaque backgrounds and consistent pixel density, preventing sampling artifacts during camera scaling and viewport expansion.

Links

Game https://p-hebert.github.io/cu-cart253/mod-jam

GitHub https://github.com/p-hebert/cu-cart253/tree/main/projects/mod-jam

A Game of Tag – Agent Navigation & Pathfinding

AI navigation prototype 2025

Role: Solo project Duration: 2-week prototype Technologies: JavaScript, HTML5 Canvas, p5.js

Overview

A small AI prototype exploring agent navigation and composable behaviour systems. The project investigates pathfinding strategies using distance fields and modular behaviour design through the Strategy pattern.

Key Systems

• Composable Agent Behaviours
  • Behaviour modules implemented using the Strategy pattern
  • Allows agents to dynamically switch behaviours during runtime
• Navigation Algorithms
  • Grid-based BFS distance field for efficient pathfinding
  • Euclidean distance field for heuristic-based movement decisions
• Scene Management System
  • Modular scene architecture supporting transitions and state changes
  • Asset preloading to avoid runtime loading interruptions

Technical Challenges

• Corner Trapping in Distance-Field Evasion
  • Agents maximizing BFS distance fled to map corners and froze. Resolved by adding corner repulsion forces and blending global distance-field navigation with local steering.
• Discrete Navigation vs Continuous Movement
  • Grid-based path decisions conflicted with continuous steering, causing oscillation and boundary issues. Introduced a MovementAgent abstraction separating navigation logic from physics integration.

Links

Game https://p-hebert.github.io/cu-cart253/projects/variation-jam/

GitHub https://github.com/p-hebert/cu-cart253/tree/main/projects/variation-jam

C++ Pathfinding Sandbox (WIP)

Algorithm visualization and experimentation environment

Production Data Platform Architecture

Distributed analytics platform for dental clinics Arthur Intelligence inc. – 2017 - 2026

EARLY GAME DESIGN ARCHIVE

Celestial Power