Jaxon Martarano

Game developer and interactive media creator based in Boise, Idaho. I enjoy building player-driven games, experimenting with unique systems, and taking projects from an idea into something people can actually play.

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About Me

Photo of Jaxon Martarano

Hi! I’m Jaxon Martarano, a game developer and interactive media creator based in Boise, Idaho. I’ve loved games for as long as I can remember, especially Nintendo games, and that eventually turned into wanting to understand how those experiences are actually designed and built.

I’m currently studying GIMM (Games, Interactive Media, and Mobile Technology) at Boise State University. I’ve worked on projects ranging from interactive comics and AR games to multiplayer systems, Roblox experiences, and my current Unreal Engine city-builder, Crisis City.

I especially enjoy game design, systems design, project leadership, and bringing all the different pieces of a project together. I like experimenting with ideas, figuring out what makes a game fun, and working with other developers and artists to turn those ideas into something playable.

EXPERIENCE

Professional Work

Cubilete Cup

Unity C# Systems
Game Developer / Software Engineer Intern • BotStacks • May 2025 – Aug 2025

Game Overview

Cubilete Cup is a competitive multiplayer dice game built in Unity with progression, unlockable cosmetics, in-game currency, and online multiplayer.

During my internship, I worked primarily on the game’s shop, economy, and cosmetic systems. My work included handling purchases, saving unlocked content, syncing player currency, and making sure equipped cosmetics appeared correctly for other players in multiplayer.

What I Worked On

  • Created in-game shop features using Unity IAP, including product setup, purchase handling, and unlocks.
  • Built cosmetic unlock and equip systems for dice, cups, tables, avatars, and music.
  • Implemented PlayFab cloud saving and TropiCoins currency syncing across sessions and devices.
  • Added multiplayer cosmetic syncing so equipped items display correctly for other players.
  • Helped newer interns understand the codebase and troubleshoot development issues.
SCHOOL AND PERSONAL PROJECTS

Projects

Early work-in-progress screenshot of Crisis City EARLY WIP

Early development screenshot: visuals, UI, and gameplay are still being developed.

Crisis City

Unreal Engine 5 C++ Game Design In Development
School Project • 2026 • Currently in Development

Game Overview

Crisis City is a city-building game I’m currently developing in Unreal Engine 5. The goal is to let players build and manage their own city while constantly having to respond to problems, make decisions, and deal with how those choices affect the city over time.

I wanted the game to be more than just placing buildings and watching numbers go up. As the city grows, players have to balance things like money, population, pollution, approval, and trust while reacting to different crises and events. The choices you make shape how the city develops and can eventually lead to different outcomes at the end of your term.

The project is still pretty early in development, so the screenshot shown here is very much a work in progress. I’m currently focused on getting the major gameplay systems working before moving further into the city’s visuals, residents, vehicles, UI, and overall atmosphere.

Current Features

  • Built a road and building placement system with straight and curved roads, snapping, intersections, placement previews, and construction costs.
  • Developed interconnected systems for population, housing, businesses, pollution, money, approval, and trust.
  • Created a crisis and decision system where choices can have immediate effects, delayed consequences, and long-term impacts on the city.
  • Designed a four-year city term with multiple possible endings based on how the player manages and develops the city.
  • Added a first-person mode that lets players leave the management view and explore the city they built.
CozyVille game thumbnail
Play on Roblox

CozyVille

Solo Developer Roblox Lua Systems
Personal Project • 2025

Game Overview

CozyVille is a cozy life-sim I built in Roblox around collecting, exploring, fishing, decorating, and creating your own space. I wanted to experiment with building a larger game made up of several connected gameplay systems rather than one individual mechanic.

As the solo developer, I handled the game’s programming, systems, UI, world design, saving, and overall direction. Building CozyVille gave me a lot of experience figuring out how separate systems need to communicate with each other in a larger project.

Project Details

  • Built gameplay systems for inventory, gathering, fishing, shopping, decorating, and pets.
  • Created saving and loading systems to preserve player progression between sessions.
  • Designed UI and interactions to work across both PC and mobile devices.
  • Designed and built the game world while connecting its different activities into one experience.

Vyre’s Veil

Project Lead Artist Animator
School Group Project

Project Overview

Vyre’s Veil is an interactive comic exploring ideas around the bidirectional flow of time, the block universe, and externalism. Players follow Vyre, a third-dimensional being trapped in the fourth dimension who gains the ability to look forward and backward through time.

I served as the project leader, artist, and animator. I helped guide the project from its original concept through production while also developing the visual style and creating much of the artwork and animation.

Project Details

  • Led the team’s production planning, scope, and milestones throughout development.
  • Developed the project’s visual style and created artwork and animations used throughout the experience.
  • Helped design how the story and time-based ideas would be communicated through interaction rather than only dialogue.

Card Casters

Programmer Level Designer AR
School Group Project

Game Overview

Card Casters is a 2D platformer with augmented reality elements. Players control a wizard trying to recover his stolen hat while using physical magic cards to unlock abilities and create platforms inside the game.

I was one of three programmers and the team’s level designer. I worked on core gameplay mechanics while also designing the levels around the abilities players gained from the AR card system.

Project Details

  • Programmed gameplay mechanics including platform spawning and interactions connected to the card system.
  • Designed the game’s levels around teaching mechanics and gradually increasing difficulty.
  • Worked with the rest of the team to connect AR interactions with the traditional platforming gameplay.

Contact

Interested in my work? Feel free to reach out or check out my profiles below.

Email: martaranoj@gmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaxonmartarano-gamedev
GitHub: github.com/JaxonMartarano