DEV Community: Mattia Santangelo

Our Indie Horror Journey: Passion Over Perfection

Mattia Santangelo — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 09:41:15 +0000

Ottima idea. Per rendere il post su DEV.to davvero "possente", dobbiamo trasformare il fatto che i modelli non siano ancora perfetti in un punto di forza: la trasparenza e il progresso.

Ecco una versione migliorata, professionale e coinvolgente in inglese. Ho aggiunto dei dettagli tecnici per far capire che sai il fatto tuo:

Title: Our Indie Horror Journey: Passion Over Perfection 🛠️🧟
Hi everyone!

I wanted to share a quick update on the horror game I'm developing with my friend. Currently, we are in the "heavy lifting" phase of creation.

The Art & Models
My friend has already been incredibly busy creating a lot of 3D models for the game. Are they perfect? Not yet. Are they AAA-quality? Not for now. But they are made with 100% passion.

We believe in the "Iterative Process":

Create the basic shape.

Test it in the Unity scene.

Refine and polish later.

As the programmer, I’m already working on integrating these models into the engine. Even if they aren't "beautiful" yet, seeing them move and interact with the environment is the best feeling in the world.

Our Philosophy
We prefer to have a working prototype with simple models than a perfect-looking game that doesn't play well. Once the mechanics (like the car breaking down and the survival system) are solid, we will go back and polish every single texture and vertex.

We are learning everything from scratch, and every small bug we fix is a huge victory for us.

Stay tuned for more updates

Building a 3D Zombie Survival Horror in Unity: Day 1 of Our Journey

Mattia Santangelo — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 09:35:26 +0000

🧟‍♂️ The Road of the Dead: A New Indie Horror Adventure

Hi everyone! I’m a 12-year-old developer and today I’m officially starting a big project with my friend and classmate, Dardan. We decided to stop just playing games and start building our own.

💡 The Concept

Our game is a 3D Survival Horror. The core idea is simple but intense:
You are trapped in a car driving through a wasteland infested with monsters and zombies.

The Car is your Armor: It has its own HP. If the zombies damage it too much, it breaks down.
The Switch: When the car stops, you HAVE to get out. That’s when the game changes from a driving simulator to a third-person survival fight against scary bosses.

👥 The Team

We’ve split the roles to work like a real indie studio:

Me (Lead Programmer): I’m handling the C# scripts, the car physics, and the health systems using Unity.
Dardan (Lead Designer): He’s in charge of the 3D models, environment design, and making the monsters look terrifying.

🛠️ The Tech Stack

We are developing this project using Unity (URP).
I am currently working on my Dell Latitude 7290. It’s a great challenge to optimize a 3D game for mobile-grade hardware, but it teaches me a lot about performance!

🚀 What's Next?

Right now, I’ve just finished the basic car movement script and a simple health system. Dardan is working on the first "Scary Boss" model.

We know we have a lot to learn, but we are excited!

What do you think about the "Car HP" mechanic? Any tips for a young dev team starting with Unity?

Unity #GameDev #IndieDev #Horror #Programming #Beginner

My Journey into Python and Game Development: Beyond the Basics

Mattia Santangelo — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 09:24:34 +0000

Hello dev community
I’m Mattia Santangelo, and I’m currently diving deep into the world of software development. While many start with simple tutorials, I’ve decided to take a more structured approach by mastering Python as my core language before moving full-scale into Godot Engine.

I’m currently working on my Dell setup, using VS Code as my primary editor. My focus isn't just on "learning to code," but on understanding how to build actual tools and logic. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with:

Automation scripts using Python's os and sys modules.

System Speech synthesis to integrate voice commands into my scripts.

Logical structures for future game mechanics in Godot.

My goal is to document my progress here, sharing the challenges I face while building my portfolio and transitioning from scripting to game architecture.

I'm a firm believer that the best way to learn is by building and breaking things. If you have any tips on clean code or Python-to-Godot workflows, I’d love to connect.

Stay tuned for my next project update.

python #godot #learning #coding #developer #productivity****