From Finding Passion toBecoming a Lead Programmer
Follow Emilisa’s journey from Agate Academy student to Lead Programmer, plus her advice on portfolios, game engines, and mentorship.
Emilisa
Co-Founder & Lead Programmer, Mushroomallow Studio
Finding a passion for game programming
In DILo Game Academy, Emilisa (Emil) took courses in programming, game design, and game production all at once. This hands-on experience helped her discover her true passion: game programming. During her time at Agate Academy, Emil also participated in a Game Jam, honing her collaboration skills alongside game artists and designers to build games from scratch.
“Unity is great for beginners learning game architecture because its C# scripting is highly flexible. Unreal Engine, on the other hand, provides a robust framework of ready-to-use scripts. Both are solid choices for beginners. It simply depends on whether you want to focus on 2D or 3D games. For 2D game development, Unity is still the preferred choice.”
Emilisa
THE TURNING POINT
Emil’s advice for standing out to recruiters
A strong portfolio and genuine professional relationships help aspiring developers demonstrate their skills and find opportunities.
Vary Your Portfolio
Keep your portfolio updated with full-time, freelance, or personal projects. A diverse portfolio adds value to recruiters.
Engage with the GameDev Community
Attend industry events and join local game development communities. Genuine relationships can open doors to referrals at your dream studio.
A stellar career as a game developer
Emil’s portfolio built during her time at Agate Academy helped her land a position as a Game Programmer at Everidea Interactive just one month after completing her Master’s Degree.
Her career continued from Unreal Engine Programmer and Instructor at Brandoville to Programmer at Busy Beaver Studio. She also works as Co-Founder and Lead Programmer at Mushroomallow Studio.
Death & Faceology — Mushroomallow Studio · Watch on YouTube ↗
Unity or Unreal Engine?
Both are solid starting points. Emil recommends choosing according to the kind of game you want to make: Unity offers flexible C# scripting for learning game architecture and is her preferred choice for 2D development, while Unreal Engine provides a robust ready-to-use framework.
Overcoming early-career challenges
Emil believes that continuous learning and the right support system make all the difference:
“The early career challenges are overwhelming because you’ll often encounter new projects that haven’t been handled before. To overcome this, keep learning, even if you’re at an advanced level. Having an industry mentor is very helpful. Guidance from experienced professionals will help you understand the industry flow much faster.”
Emilisa · Co-Founder & Lead Programmer, Mushroomallow Studio
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