Mikko Taivassalo

software and game developer

Projects

Fortnite Islands

Self-employed.
Mar 2025 - May 2025.We have published a few Fortnite game modes together with Katariina Halonen.
Fortnite as a platform gave us access to a global player base, a fair share of the revenue, and free tools for fast, analytics-driven development.Skills: UEFN, Verse, Analytics, Game Design.

Enhancing Player Experience Through Lighting Design

Bachelor's thesis.
Mar 2024 - Jun 2024.Researched and developed a modern lighting workflow and demonstrated it in Unity.Grade: 5 (out of 5).Skills: Lighting, Post-Processing, Physically Based Rendering, Academic Research.

Last Minute Shopping

Product Owner, Programmer.
Sep 2023 - Dec 2023.Led 5-person team, built core systems, mechanics, and dev tools, from start to finish.10,000+ users, 80%+ positive reviews.Skills: Unity, C#, Scrum, Project Management, Zenhub, GitHub, Game Design.

XR

I've had a VR headset since 2017 and the excitement hasn't faded yet.
In 2023, I took an XR course where I got hands-on experience in AR and VR development.Update, June 11, 2025: I just ordered a Meta Quest 3S and can’t wait to dive back in!Skills: Unity, AR.js, VR (PC and standalone), AR (web and Android).

Python and AI

As part of my degree, I completed an AI course covering data processing, machine learning, and neural networks using Python. Python was new to me then, but has stuck with me ever since, and I earned full marks from the course.Skills: Python, Keras, TensorFlow, Data Preprocessing, Data Visualization.

Disc Golf Simulator

I first started exploring 3D game dev in 2020-ish by making a disc golf game. The core of the project has been accurate disc flight simulation.I haven't shared much of the project online but I’m planning to showcase more of the physics side soon, it's really interesting.In the meantime, here's a video showing semi-procedural walking animations and a poor man's motion capture method I developed.Skills: Godot, GDScript, Blender, 3D Animation, Physics Simulation.

GitHub

Check out my GitHub if you want to see my code.Skills: C++, CMake, Google Test, Google Benchmark, Python, Data Analysis.

You have reached the end! But check back later - I add new and old projects now and then. :)