Projects

What Actuator did

Actuator Games is developing and publishing Not Monsters as a multiplayer social-deduction party game.

What Actuator did

Actuator provided programming and Steam API support, Steam Deck and macOS platform testing, and performance testing with recommendations for the game's release.

Challenge

Before moving from a vertical slice to full production, Abandoned Sheep needed confidence that its planned levels, assets, visuals, effects, and gameplay systems would run smoothly across consumer PCs, including Steam Deck.

Approach

Actuator conducted a short, intensive analysis of the Unity vertical slice with access to its source code and assets. We used Unity profiling and frame-debugger tools and RenderDoc to investigate known concerns, assess early levels, and identify performance-intensive areas.

Outcome

Actuator delivered a technical analysis report that identified graphics and rendering as the main contributor to overall performance pressure and documented its causes. We then discussed recommended methods, expected impact, developer questions, and value-versus-effort estimates for potential next steps.

What Actuator did

Actuator R&D expanded Sky Kelpie's existing drone-training simulation into an autonomous cattle-mustering system for consumer-grade, off-the-shelf DJI hardware.

Challenge

The team needed to determine whether livestock-herding algorithms developed in simulation could work with real animals, terrain, flight hardware, and field conditions - not just in a controlled demonstration.

Approach

Actuator adapted the simulation to observed DJI drone behaviour; developed custom YOLO cattle detection, terrain-aware RRT pathfinding, AI virtual-stick control, MQTT system communication, and flight replay and data tools; and integrated the autonomy pipeline with DJI hardware and the DJI Cloud API.

Outcome

Trials in south-east and north-west Queensland demonstrated that autonomous livestock movement was technically achievable under certain conditions. The platform could locate a mob, drive it in the required direction, and settle it in the paddock.

Constraints

The system had to work within the limits of third-party hardware, controls, sensors, communications, and field operations, while accounting for variable animal behaviour, terrain, environmental conditions, livestock welfare, and practical safety and regulatory requirements.

What Actuator did

Actuator provided co-development support, including performance work, UI updates, migration from CDN-hosted content to Meta Quest Asset Bundle distribution, and a build pipeline to organize and deploy content.

What Actuator did

Actuator created its first original game end to end, covering planning, game design, VR implementation, testing, player-feedback iteration, marketing, and seasonal content updates.

Challenge

As Actuator's first original game, On Point needed to turn VR light-gun shooting into an engaging, intuitive experience for players of all skill levels in a competitive games market.

Approach

Actuator defined milestones and a scalable framework, then developed minigames, leaderboards, achievements, immersive environments, aim assist, and intuitive controls. Internal and external testing, plus feedback from GDC Play and Gamescom, informed refinement.

Outcome

On Point was released for Meta Quest and Steam (PC VR). The official press kit describes 115 minigames, multiple game modes, and accessibility options for comfort and difficulty.

Constraints

On a constrained budget, On Point had to run smoothly at a high native frame rate on Quest 2 without warp. It also needed to be intuitive and exceptionally comfortable for first-time VR players, without confusion or disorientation.

What Actuator did

Actuator provides ongoing support and future development for the Dog Cloud mobile app.

What Actuator did

Actuator supported Battle Rattle Studios with a funding and production planning workshop, ship asset creation, and UI design for the prototype.

Challenge

Battle Rattle Studios needed to communicate a large, complex game vision while planning for funding, production milestones, and version 1.0. The prototype also needed visual assets and an interface that could clearly convey its roles, systems, and world.

Approach

Actuator facilitated a funding and production planning workshop, created role-specific ship designs and a documented art pipeline, and designed modular UI assets through wireframe analysis, visual planning, iterative feedback, and integration documentation.

Outcome

The work delivered a funding and production plan, ship assets ready for prototype integration, and a modular UI asset set with documentation and handover.

Constraints

The art and interface work needed to distinguish gameplay roles and remain clear and consistent across multiple resolutions.

What Actuator did

Actuator provided co-development support to XR Games, porting shaders and VFX optimised for Quest 3, performance analysis, and technical QA.

Challenge

As XR Games approached Release Candidate, the Quest 3 version needed to deliver the gameplay of the original PC and console release while supporting a new art style on a new Vulkan-based renderer.

Approach

Actuator developed optimised GLSL shaders for one-off materials, effects, and new assets; worked with VFX on the new style; investigated material and shader issues from QA; and used headset profiling and frame analysis to identify assets and level areas for performance improvements.

Outcome

Actuator took ownership of material and shader investigation and development, allowing XR Games to focus on renderer architecture, lighting, and stylistic consistency. Performance-impact reporting helped XR Games assign high-impact tasks to improve performance on Quest 3.

Constraints

The work had to operate within a new renderer and the Quest 3 version's technical limits, while preserving the existing gameplay without changes.

What Actuator did

Actuator Digital co-developed multiplayer for The Binary Mill, reworking Into Black's core code for netcode and adapting player, enemy, resource, combat, and exploration systems for shared play.

Challenge

Into Black's core systems were designed for solo play. The multiplayer extension needed to keep movement, enemy AI, resource gathering, combat, and exploration consistent, while allowing players to join and leave sessions without corrupting shared progress or state.

Approach

Actuator synchronised major game systems across clients, replicated enemy behaviour and events, optimised network traffic, updated audio and visual feedback, and tested multiplayer scenarios, session persistence, state restoration, and resource management.

Outcome

The resulting multiplayer mode lets players join each other's worlds, share resources, fight enemies, and explore together while retaining the original single-player mechanics and atmosphere.

Constraints

Sessions needed to support up to 12 concurrent players, with network stability and synchronisation maintained through exploration, combat, resource gathering, and players joining or leaving.

What Actuator did

Actuator delivered SkySim end to end with Sky Kelpie's subject-matter experts, developing the cattle and drone-flight simulations and combining them in a real-time, scaffolded learning experience.

Challenge

Sky Kelpie needed a training simulation that could teach drone piloting and cattle mustering while balancing engaging gameplay with practical training outcomes.

Approach

Actuator planned and prototyped cattle herd dynamics and flight physics separately, validating flight behaviour against a real DJI drone. We then developed training-focused levels, gameplay and mission systems, dynamic UI, detailed station environments, and responsive mouse, keyboard, and controller inputs.

Outcome

Sky Kelpie now incorporates SkySim into the Flying Skills module of its Aerial Stockmanship Course, where it supports practical drone-control and aerial-stockmanship learning before paddock application.

Constraints

The simulation needed to represent expansive Australian farmland, authentic cattle herd behaviour, polished visuals, and realistic drone flight while remaining an effective training experience.

What Actuator did

Actuator provided technical consulting and development support, including additional delivery capacity in the lead-up to Placelink's launch event.

What Actuator did

Actuator provided software development and insight-report services for Pulsestart's web platform.

What Actuator did

Actuator co-developed Thunderbird 1110 by migrating the Unity UI to Motium touch devices, hardening the prototype for live sites, adding guided calibration, and integrating services with CR Titan.

Approach

We refactored the application for broad system testing, improved performance with large mine plans, and provided on-site workflow support and troubleshooting.

Constraints

The work involved moving the Unity UI to Motium touch devices and hardening a prototype for use at live sites.

What Actuator did

Actuator co-developed the operator UI and platform integrations for the Motium touch-only edge device that connects Titan services with operators in the cab.

Approach

We integrated additional CR products, including GET Trakka, and Modular Mining data sources into the platform.

Constraints

The interface was delivered for a hardened, touch-only edge device used in the operator cab.

What Actuator did

Actuator partnered with WantedHQ to expand the Director Menu through co-development, including new creator features, proximity chat, reusable UI components, technical-debt reduction, and Discord integration.

Challenge

WantedHQ needed a Director Menu that paired intuitive, powerful in-game controls with proximity chat, reusable UI components, and a codebase that could continue to expand.

Approach

Actuator rebuilt and extended the menu, implemented distance-based proximity chat, created a React component library, refactored legacy code and database architecture, and improved Discord bot integration.

Outcome

The project delivered more than 30 integrated features across over 600 development hours, giving GTA5 content creators a more capable and intuitive tool for building in-game experiences.

Constraints

Actuator transitioned legacy functionality while preserving backward compatibility and addressed instability in proximity chat and Discord integration without destabilising the wider tool.

What Actuator did

Actuator built a website to represent Cree8's modern brand, including job application features.

What Actuator did

Actuator is developing Flow as an internal platform for managing, planning, tracking, and costing its work and operations.

What Actuator did

Actuator provided co-development support for the Star Wars Force Link app, drawing on C#, Bluetooth, and networking expertise.

Outcome

The app was released in April 2018 and remained available through June 30, 2023, when Hasbro ended support.

What Actuator did

Actuator supported Cree8 Timesheets and reimplemented it in AM8, covering construction-business functions including inductions, attendance, timesheets, payroll, tasks, estimates, and labour and material tracking. Actuator also provided ongoing support for legacy systems.

What Actuator did

Actuator developed an interactive prototype for DDR Technologies' mobile security-service app.

What Actuator did

Actuator consulted on the project's early technical specifications and brand vision, supported scaling the web application to extend its functionality, and contributed UI/UX design support.

What Actuator did

Actuator developed Hex as an in-house Game-Dev project. The project record describes it as the team's most ambitious development project and a tech prototype.

What Actuator did

Actuator provided software development and insight-report services for an interactive prototype of the Sea Yu mobile app.

What Actuator did

Actuator provided full development of the fixed-installation Discovery Center game for Telethon Kids.

Challenge

The Discovery Centre needed a new game for younger visitors that used limited reading, stayed engaging in short replayable sessions, and helped distribute groups of children across the space.

Approach

Actuator inspected the custom hardware and observed existing exhibits, then developed multiple prototypes. A co-operative slingshot colour-matching game was selected, tested during school visits, and refined following installation testing.

Outcome

The Kids deployed the game in The Discovery Centre during NAIDOC Week in 2024. It gave younger visitors another way to engage with the space and represented health-research themes through the Indigenous Holistic Health Framework and commissioned Indigenous artwork.

Constraints

The project had a short delivery date, limited budget, existing brand requirements, and a custom four-player projector-and-touch-surface installation powered by an Intel NUC.