Game systems studio · Melbourne
Handcrafted game systems, stitched line by line.
ArcaneVertexWorks builds bespoke gameplay engines, live-ops backends, and 3D pipelines for indie and mid-core teams across Australia — durable code with a maker's finish.
+61 3 9650 3882·87 Little Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
The studio
A small workshop for serious game tech.
Founded in 2016 above a laneway roastery off Little Collins Street, ArcaneVertexWorks is a seven-person studio that treats engine code like leatherwork — measured, hand-finished, and built to outlast a launch. We embed with your team from prototype to post-launch.
We specialise in Unreal Engine 5 and Unity gameplay systems, authoritative multiplayer, and content pipelines that let artists ship without waiting on engineers. Every contract ships with documentation, tests, and a clean handover so your studio owns what we make.
- Crafting game tech
- 9 yrsCrafting game tech
- Titles shipped
- 40+Titles shipped
- Engineers & artists
- 7Engineers & artists
How we work
Four stages, one clean seam.
A fixed-scope process that keeps studios informed and code reviewable at every step. Engagements run Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm AEST from our Melbourne CBD workshop.
- 01
Discovery & technical audit
A two-week deep dive into your build, backlog, and target platforms. You get a written architecture report and fixed quote — from AU$4,800.
- 02
Prototype sprint
Three-week playable vertical slice proving the core loop and netcode. Daily builds, weekly playtests, source access from day one.
- 03
Production & hardening
Milestone-based feature work with automated tests, profiling on target hardware, and crash-free frame budgets held to 16.6ms.
- 04
Handover & live-ops
Full documentation, CI pipelines, and an optional retainer from AU$3,200/month for patches, events, and backend scaling.
The crew
The hands on your build.
A tight team of engineers and technical artists who ship together.
Mara Ellison
Studio lead · Gameplay engineer
Fifteen years across shipped console and PC titles; leads architecture and keeps the seams straight on every engagement.
Theo Nakamura
Multiplayer & backend
Builds authoritative servers and live-ops backends that hold up under launch-day load and rollback netcode.
Priya Anand
Technical art & pipelines
Turns messy asset workflows into one-click pipelines so artists ship without waiting on a build.
Callum Reid
Tools & engine programmer
Writes the editor tools and profilers that keep frame budgets honest and iteration fast.
In their words
Studios we've stitched into.
“They rebuilt our matchmaking backend in six weeks and it held through a 40,000-player launch weekend without a single rollback. Clean code, clean handover.”
“The prototype sprint saved our pitch. We walked into the publisher meeting with a playable slice and signed the deal two weeks later.”
“Their tools work cut our level-build time in half. Artists stopped filing tickets and just started shipping. Worth every dollar.”
“Documentation so good our new hires onboarded in a day. That never happens with contract work. We keep them on retainer now.”
Field notes
Dispatches from the workshop.
One monthly email on engine architecture, netcode teardowns, and Australian game-dev hiring. No noise, unsubscribe anytime.
Start a build
Tell us about your game.
Send the brief and we'll reply within one business day with next steps or a quick call. We're at the Melbourne CBD end of Little Collins Street.
- Phone
- +61 3 9650 3882
- [email protected]
- Workshop
- 87 Little Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
- Studio hours
- Mon–Fri · 9:00am–6:00pm AEST