A clone of the classic Space Invaders, implemented in C++ using DirectX as the graphics library and DirectInput for input handling. No engine, no framework — just the hardware APIs.
Building directly on top of DirectX required handling the full rendering pipeline manually: swap chain setup, vertex buffers, shader compilation, and per-frame state management. DirectInput provided raw, low-latency input at the device level.
The project was both a low-level graphics exercise and a study of the original game's mechanics. Alien movement patterns, shield degradation, and escalating difficulty were all reproduced from the original design.
Unity Version
A separate Unity version of the game also exists, implementing the same mechanics with modern engine tooling: scriptable objects, a clean prefab hierarchy, and component-based architecture. The two versions together illustrate the gap between working at the hardware level and working within a high-level engine.