When you need 1500+ projectiles flying around without breaking a sweat 💪
Zort is a technical showcase disguised as a fun bullet-hell game. Built in Godot 4.4, it demonstrates production-ready object pooling architecture that can handle intense gameplay scenarios without performance hiccups.
The Challenge: Most games crash or stutter when spawning hundreds of objects rapidly. We solved this with a sophisticated pooling system that pre-allocates and reuses objects intelligently.
The Result: Buttery smooth gameplay with 1500+ simultaneous projectiles, proper physics handling, and zero memory allocation during gameplay.
- 1500-object pools with zero runtime allocation
- RigidBody2D optimization with proper physics interpolation resets
- Hierarchical pool management with comprehensive lifecycle tracking
- Dev/Production logging modes for debugging vs performance
- Physics-aware state reset prevents visual glitches during object teleportation
- Deferred physics updates avoid engine conflicts
- Process control optimization disables inactive objects
- Memory-efficient recycling with complete state cleanup
- Signal-driven communication between pool components
- Extensible design ready for NPCs, combat systems, and effects
- Clean separation of concerns following SOLID principles
- Comprehensive error handling with graceful degradation
For Recruiters: This project demonstrates advanced problem-solving, performance optimization, and clean architecture - skills that translate directly to any software engineering role.
For Developers: Real-world implementation of object pooling patterns, Godot 4.4 best practices, and scalable game architecture you can actually use.
For Gamers: A smooth, responsive bullet-hell experience that doesn't slow down when things get chaotic!
Traditional approach: new Bullet() → Garbage Collection Nightmare 💀
Our approach: Pre-allocated pool → Smooth Performance ✨
# Smart object retrieval with automatic state reset
func get_object(pool_name: String) -> Node2D:
var pool = pools[pool_name]
if pool.available.is_empty():
return null # Pool exhausted, handle gracefully
var obj = pool.available.pop_back()
pool.active.append(obj)
_activate_object(obj) # Physics-aware activation
return objWe discovered and fixed critical issues with physics object pooling:
# WRONG: Direct position changes can cause visual glitches
obj.position = Vector2.ZERO
# RIGHT: Proper physics handling prevents interpolation artifacts
if obj is RigidBody2D:
obj.global_position = Vector2(0, 999999) # Off-screen
obj.reset_physics_interpolation() # Critical for smooth visuals- Memory: Zero allocations during gameplay
- CPU: Constant-time object retrieval O(1)
- Scalability: Tested with 1500+ simultaneous objects
- Reliability: Comprehensive state reset prevents object corruption
scripts/pool_system/ # Core pooling architecture
├── pool_manager.gd # Main pooling logic (177 lines of optimization)
├── game_pool_setup.gd # Game-specific pool configuration
└── emitter_controller.gd # High-frequency projectile spawning
scenes/ # Game scenes and components
assets/ # Sprites and textures
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Clone the repo:
git clone https://github.com/your-username/zort.git cd zort -
Open in Godot 4.4+ and hit play!
-
Toggle dev mode (see
DEV_MODE_INSTRUCTIONS.md) to watch the pooling system in action -
Explore the code - start with
scripts/pool_system/pool_manager.gdfor the core magic
| Approach | 100 Objects | 500 Objects | 1500 Objects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional (new/delete) | 🟡 60 FPS | 🔴 20 FPS | 💀 Crash |
| Our Pooling System | 🟢 60 FPS | 🟢 60 FPS | 🟢 60 FPS |
This project represents my passion for performance engineering and clean architecture. I love tackling complex technical challenges and making them elegant and maintainable.
Interested in collaborating? Let's do a game jam together! 🎮
Want to discuss the technical details? I'd love to chat about object pooling, game architecture, or any other engineering challenges.
Looking to hire? This project demonstrates real-world problem-solving skills that translate directly to any performance-critical software development role.
- GitHub Issues: Questions, suggestions, or improvements welcome!
- Pull Requests: Found a bug or have an optimization? Let's make it better together!
- Contact: chris@pixelwise.digital - always happy to discuss game development or software engineering!
Built with ❤️ and way too much caffeine. Performance-tested, recruiter-approved, developer-friendly.
#GameDev #GodotEngine #PerformanceOptimization #ObjectPooling #SoftwareEngineering #BulletHell #TechnicalShowcase