Hire the Best Game Developers in California

I'm one of the top social multiplayer game developers on Upwork. I only work with serious employers who are looking to make professional grade projects. If this is you, please get in touch with me and I'll provide you a list of my full portfolio for your review.

Hi, I’m Rick Santana — a Top-Rated Unity game developer, 3D environment artist, and technical artist specializing in playable game worlds, VR experiences, WebGL builds, cinematic Unity scenes, and optimized real-time environments. I help clients turn rough ideas, blockouts, existing assets, or unfinished Unity projects into polished interactive scenes that look good, run better, and feel playable. My work combines Unity development, environment art, lighting, level design, gameplay prototyping, technical problem-solving, and cinematic presentation. I can help with Unity game environments, VR scenes, WebGL prototypes, C# gameplay systems, URP/HDRP lighting, shader/material setup, optimization, LODs, terrain/world building, asset cleanup, cinematic trailers, and playable prototypes. Tools and workflows I use include Unity, C#, URP, HDRP, WebGL, VR/Meta Quest, Cinemachine, Shader Graph, Substance 3D Painter, Blender, Cinema 4D, Maya, Photoshop, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, Character Creator, iClone, Quixel Megascans, Gaia, GeNa, Git, and SourceTree. My background includes 15+ years in multimedia production, animation, video, branding, and real-time 3D. That gives me a strong mix of creative and technical experience: I understand how to make a scene look professional, but also how to keep it organized, optimized, and usable inside Unity. Whether you need a polished Unity environment, a VR scene, a WebGL build, a gameplay prototype, a cinematic trailer, or help fixing and improving an existing Unity project, I can jump in and help move it forward.

Hello! I'm Lucas. I am a highly experienced software developer who specializes in app and mobile game development, and I have been building apps, games, websites, and other software for over 15 years. I graduated with honors from the University of California: Santa Cruz with a degree in Computer Science (with a focus in game design). Upon graduating, I worked as an engineer for Intel for several years. After that, I decided to become an independent developer and have managed my own app development company for the past 9 years. I have developed and released several popular apps and games of my own design for Android and iOS, and have worked on countless projects on a freelance basis. These projects have ranged from small bug fixes/optimizations, to prototype designs of new games, apps and utilities, to fully functional apps for small studios and large corporations alike. Though I have focused expertise in mobile app and game developments, I am also quite skilled in related fields such as UI/UX design, web development, backend programming, and technical art creation (Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/etc.). I am constantly learning new skills and work hard to keep my knowledge up to date with new frameworks, platforms, tools, and best practices. I have recently embraced agentic AI code development to speed up production time, but I never "vibe-code" or accept code changes without reviewing and understanding what has changed. AI is a valuable tool, but not a replacement for a professional developer. Don't waste your money on a bloated production team, and don't risk your dream project with an inexperienced or inattentive freelancer. Regardless of the needs of your project, big or small- prototype or production-ready, I'm your dev. Let's build it!

Hey there, I'm Mike! I specialize in turning business ideas into production-ready web applications fast! Whether you need a high-converting landing page, a full e-commerce platform, or backend automation to eliminate manual workflows, I deliver enterprise-grade solutions at startup-friendly prices. My focus is fixed-price projects with clear scopes and timelines, so you know exactly what you're getting and what you'll pay before we start. With 20+ years of software engineering experience across advertising, gaming, financial services, and e-commerce, I've built systems that process millions of transactions and serve millions of users. Currently, I'm a Sr. Manager of Engineering at a major e-commerce brand, leading teams that ship production code daily. I bring that same level of quality and reliability to every freelance project without the agency overhead or enterprise price tag. When you hire me, you get me! I don't outsource my work; I do it all myself. My sweet spot is helping businesses launch MVPs, automate repetitive tasks, and build scalable web platforms in days, not months. I use modern, proven technologies (NextJS, Supabase, n8n) that give you speed to market, easy maintenance, and room to grow. Most projects deliver in 1-2 weeks with source code in GitHub, documentation, and deployment included. What I Deliver: ✅ NextJS websites – Landing pages, e-commerce sites, web apps with server-side rendering ✅ n8n automation workflows – Email sequences, Slack notifications, CRM integrations, data pipelines ✅ Supabase backend – PostgreSQL databases, user authentication, REST APIs, real-time features ✅ Mobile-responsive design – TailwindCSS, pixel-perfect on all devices ✅ Clerk OAuth – Customers can login with Google, Apple, and Social credentials ✅ Stripe payment integration – One-time payments, subscriptions, checkout flows ✅ Fast delivery – 1-2 week turnaround on most projects, with clear milestones Tech Stack: NextJS, React, TypeScript, Supabase, Clerk, Drizzle ORM, TailwindCSS, Stripe, n8n, PostgreSQL My Approach: Fixed-price projects mean no surprises. You get a detailed scope, timeline, and price upfront. I build, you review, we launch. Source code is yours, deployments are documented, and you're never locked into proprietary systems. Let’s make some magic together!

I am a freelance game programmer specializing in multiplayer integration and online systems for games and interactive applications using Unity and Unreal Engine. I help studios and indie teams design, implement, and ship reliable multiplayer features — including real-time networking, backend integration, and third-party SDKs — so their games are production-ready and scalable. My background includes both client-side and server-side development, and I am comfortable working across gameplay systems, networking layers, and backend services. CORE SPECIALIZATION • Multiplayer and online feature integration (real-time and session-based) • Client / server architecture for games • Backend and service integration • Third-party SDK integration (platforms, analytics, services, multiplayer frameworks) • Networked gameplay systems • Front-end and back-end development for games and interactive applications TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES • Unity (C#) • Unreal Engine (C++) • JavaScript, Python, Java • Web APIs and backend services I have professional experience working with remote teams and clients, maintaining clear communication, managing milestones, and delivering features on schedule. I am comfortable joining existing projects, working with established codebases, and integrating into active production pipelines. EXPERIENCE 10+ years of professional and independent game programming experience I have been programming and developing games since my early teens, starting with ActionScript and Flash and later working with multiple engines and toolchains before focusing on modern game engines and online systems. Over the years, I have worked on gameplay systems, UI and tools, asset pipelines, networked gameplay features, and backend/service integrations. 10+ years of Unity and C# development I have extensive experience building and maintaining Unity projects for both client and independent work, including gameplay architecture, UI and animation systems, asset and package workflows, multiplayer feature integration, and performance/debugging across platforms. Unreal Engine and C++ development In addition to Unity, I have professional experience working in Unreal Engine using C++, including gameplay systems, multiplayer and networking features, and third-party SDK integration. Indie studio founder – Meier House Software (formerly Groovy Video Games) In 2014, I founded my own independent game studio and have released six completed games for web and mobile platforms. In 2024, I rebranded the studio as Meier House Software to better reflect my professional freelance work and recent projects. Running my own studio has given me hands-on experience shipping complete products, managing production schedules, maintaining live projects, and collaborating with remote developers and partners.

30+ years building software products and the teams that shipped them. Founded and exited studios. Shipped apps to the Top 10 App Store. Spent the last several years building AI-accelerated systems for clients across industries. I lead a US-based team that builds AI-powered apps and workflows: fast, but done right. Senior engineers own the architecture, scope the system, and stay involved through delivery. AI accelerates development, testing, and iteration. You get the speed without sacrificing quality, security, or maintainability. You set priorities. We run the build. Your code stays clean. Your IP stays yours. We’re a strong fit if you: • Need to build a new product but don’t have the technical leadership to run it • Have a vibe-coded app generating MRR but need a stable, secure foundation • Started building but need structure, architecture, and execution to finish • Want to leverage AI, but without risking quality or losing control of your codebase You set priorities. We run the build. Your code stays clean. Your IP stays yours. WHERE I FOCUS AI-ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT Senior engineers orchestrate AI across the full lifecycle, build, test, review, deploy. Speed without losing quality or control. AI SYSTEMS & ARCHITECTURE Multi-agent workflows, RAG pipelines, and human-in-the-loop systems built for accuracy, scale, and cost efficiency. MOBILE & WEB APPLICATIONS Production-grade apps across React Native, Swift, Unity, and more. Built to ship, not to demo. COMPLEX DOMAINS Built for high-stakes environments where off-the-shelf tools fall short and the problem actually matters. WHAT FOUNDERS LIKE YOU HAVE BUILT WITH US → Automotive SaaS Platform → 79M real-time payment combinations → 500% traffic growth → Replaced manual spreadsheet ops AI Knowledge System (Maritime) → Voice-first RAG platform → Captured critical expert knowledge → Built for real-world, offline use AI R&D Interface (Chemical) → 70% increase in AI usage → 30% faster project completion → Enabled commercialization Real-Time AI Broadcast System → Multi-agent storytelling engine → Live audience adaptation → 3D rendering in Unity TECH STACK AI/ML: LLMs, RAG, vector search, multi-agent systems, computer vision Mobile: React Native, Swift, Kotlin, Flutter Game / AR / VR: Unity, Unreal Engine, ARKit, ARCore Backend: Python, Node.js, C#, Firebase, PlayFab Cloud: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Supabase, Docker, Kubernetes NEXT STEP Send a message before you spend more budget. We'll review your concept and deliver a straight assessment of the risks, gaps, and what it will actually take to ship.