Colter Wehmeier
IL, USA — Finishing two PhDs in 2026. Available to discuss future projects.
| CV ↗ | itch.io ↗ |
| University of Illinois ↗ | Cyprus Institute ↗ |
| Google Scholar ↗ | Contact ↗ |
I pursue this through practice-led research as a dual PhD in Informatics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Science and Technology in Archeology and Cultural Heritage at the Cyprus Institute. This work is supported by the Fiddler Innovation Fellowship at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.
Recent Projects
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BACKBONE (2025–2026)
An immersive horror, first-person stealth exploration game spanning approximately 30 minutes, rendered with NTSC analogue-style graphics that mimic the rainbow iridescence of 1970s television. My contribution to the C.H.A.I.N. 3 network, BACKBONE continued directly from the start node and dramatically expanded the exposition, connecting to three other nodes in the collaborative graph. The game recreates an early 70s midwestern basement—a childhood memory of one of the lead characters—using modular architectural assets to build an atmospheric period environment. Technical features include an inspection system for environmental storytelling, a phone call system for delivering dialogue sequences, and stealth gameplay driven by enemy AI running on a finite state machine with procedural and physics-based animation. As a critical structural node in the network, BACKBONE bridges multiple narrative threads while establishing key mechanical systems for subsequent developers.
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C.H.A.I.N. 3 (2025–2026)
The third entry in the C.H.A.I.N. experimental series, this project is a mass-collaborative game that brings together over 120 developers from the Haunted PS1 and wider indie communities. As co-director and lead technical developer, I created a comprehensive infrastructure to support decentralized creative production at an unprecedented scale. This included a real-time analytics dashboard for developers to collaboratively map the game network, a PHP-based build system with automated itch.io syncing for rapid testing, and other purpose-built coordination tools. The project establishes a new paradigm for mass collaborative game development, replacing previous Google Sheet-based workflows with a robust system for over 100 simultaneous contributors across a branching narrative.
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Nicosia International Airport VE (2024–2026)
A museum installation featuring a reconstructed 3D model of Nicosia International Airport's modern terminal based on LiDAR scans and archival documentation, housed in a custom-designed wooden console with touchscreen navigation and immersive projection. I developed the participatory virtual environment to test dissertation methodologies on interface-mediated, co-constructive 'virtual places' for heritage, featuring our WIP "propositional model" for focusing public knowledge towards architectural features, and a period landline phone interface for oral story contribution. I also designed and developed the companion website at velab.cloud/nic/en. Deployed in a public exhibition at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, the project captured over 3,200 play sessions and 300 oral story recordings, generating new qualitative data that enriches, expands, and challenges the site's limited documentation. See the development timeline for in-progress screenshots and photos.
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Soap Soup: Sodium (2024–2025)
An atmospheric exploration game created for the 2024 SOAP SOUP collaboration, a modding project where artists create abstract rooms using a fixed set of elements. My entry is a sensory experience that places the player in a sodium-lit parking lot on a midsummer night. I designed a soundscape of cicadas and a distant storm, and used sophisticated spherical projection mapping for the visuals, focusing on creating a realistic and immersive atmosphere of warm light and deep shadow.
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The People's Sky 2 (2025)
The fifth iteration of the People's Tree project series, developed as the centerpiece for the 2025 Madvent launcher. I was invited by the junior team—who had taken over the launcher technology and coordination—to contribute this game for continuity with the series. My contributions focused on technical refinement: redesigning and optimizing the input system for significantly improved panning and zooming controls, recoloring and reskinning the visual aesthetic, and optimizing data serialization and loading sequences. The project marks my transition from lead developer to technical consultant, supporting the next generation of Haunted PS1 organizers.
Latest Projects
About — Feb 2026
Writing a methodology paper on the Nicosia Airport virtual environment, then defending two PhDs in summer 2026. Still building Chain 3 with Adam Pype and the Haunted PlayStation One. After graduation, opening a private studio to structure collaborations with university labs alongside commercial work.
BACKBONE
An immersive horror, first-person stealth exploration game spanning approximately 30 minutes, rendered with NTSC analogue-style graphics that mimic the rainbow iridescence of 1970s television. My contribution to the C.H.A.I.N. 3 network, BACKBONE continued directly from the start node and dramatically expanded the exposition, connecting to three other nodes in the collaborative graph. The game recreates an early 70s midwestern basement—a childhood memory of one of the lead characters—using modular architectural assets to build an atmospheric period environment. Technical features include an inspection system for environmental storytelling, a phone call system for delivering dialogue sequences, and stealth gameplay driven by enemy AI running on a finite state machine with procedural and physics-based animation. As a critical structural node in the network, BACKBONE bridges multiple narrative threads while establishing key mechanical systems for subsequent developers.
C.H.A.I.N. 3
The third entry in the C.H.A.I.N. experimental series, this project is a mass-collaborative game that brings together over 120 developers from the Haunted PS1 and wider indie communities. As co-director and lead technical developer, I created a comprehensive infrastructure to support decentralized creative production at an unprecedented scale. This included a real-time analytics dashboard for developers to collaboratively map the game network, a PHP-based build system with automated itch.io syncing for rapid testing, and other purpose-built coordination tools. The project establishes a new paradigm for mass collaborative game development, replacing previous Google Sheet-based workflows with a robust system for over 100 simultaneous contributors across a branching narrative.
Nicosia International Airport VE
A museum installation featuring a reconstructed 3D model of Nicosia International Airport's modern terminal based on LiDAR scans and archival documentation, housed in a custom-designed wooden console with touchscreen navigation and immersive projection. I developed the participatory virtual environment to test dissertation methodologies on interface-mediated, co-constructive 'virtual places' for heritage, featuring our WIP "propositional model" for focusing public knowledge towards architectural features, and a period landline phone interface for oral story contribution. I also designed and developed the companion website at velab.cloud/nic/en. Deployed in a public exhibition at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, the project captured over 3,200 play sessions and 300 oral story recordings, generating new qualitative data that enriches, expands, and challenges the site's limited documentation. See the development timeline for in-progress screenshots and photos.
Soap Soup: Sodium
An atmospheric exploration game created for the 2024 SOAP SOUP collaboration, a modding project where artists create abstract rooms using a fixed set of elements. My entry is a sensory experience that places the player in a sodium-lit parking lot on a midsummer night. I designed a soundscape of cicadas and a distant storm, and used sophisticated spherical projection mapping for the visuals, focusing on creating a realistic and immersive atmosphere of warm light and deep shadow.
The People's Sky 2
The fifth iteration of the People's Tree project series, developed as the centerpiece for the 2025 Madvent launcher. I was invited by the junior team—who had taken over the launcher technology and coordination—to contribute this game for continuity with the series. My contributions focused on technical refinement: redesigning and optimizing the input system for significantly improved panning and zooming controls, recoloring and reskinning the visual aesthetic, and optimizing data serialization and loading sequences. The project marks my transition from lead developer to technical consultant, supporting the next generation of Haunted PS1 organizers.