Hello, I'm

Ethan Minnich

Simulation / 3D Interactive Engineer

Building scalable systems, leading technical execution, and creating premium interactive experiences in Unreal Engine.

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Award-Winning Developer

Best 3D Visual Identity Award Haunt & Hospitality Award

About Me

I’m Ethan Minnich, a Duke M.Eng. student and engineer focused on interactive simulation systems. In Unreal Engine, I build features in C++ and Blueprints with attention to architecture, performance, and long-term maintainability.

I’m used to owning outcomes, not just tasks: setting priorities, defining requirements, and driving iterations from prototype to final build. I’ve led small and large teams across programming, art, and design, keeping projects organized with milestones, check-ins, and clear task breakdowns.

I also understand 3D and 2D pipelines and collaborate well with artists and designers to integrate content cleanly and deliver polished results.

3D / Simulation

Unreal Engine, C++, Blueprints, Physics Systems, Gameplay Systems, Blender, Maya, Substance Painter, Photoshop

Product / Technical Delivery

Scoping, Estimation, Requirements, Roadmaps, Agile/Scrum, Jira, Stakeholder Updates, Milestones, QA/Polish, Build Readiness, Cross-team Delivery

Leadership

Technical Leadership, System Architecture, Cross-functional Coordination

Featured Projects

Gravity

Unreal Engine C++ Physics Marketing Business

  • Led end-to-end marketing and growth for Gravity, including website development, domain/hosting setup, and brand infrastructure planning.
  • Drove awareness through multi-platform social campaigns to increase reach and engagement, supporting launches and playtest visibility.
  • Partnered with the Lead Programmer to enhance and test core physics-driven interactions, aligning gameplay feel with the project’s messaging.
Follow Journey
Snowblind

Snowblind

Unreal Engine C++ Blueprint

  • Designed a single-player bot opponent architecture that plays to rules, reacts to state, and stays readable to the player.
  • Built a systems-driven ruleset and tuning workflow to support fast iteration, testing, and balance changes.
  • Delivered a highly balanced, replayable ruleset through repeated playtests, tuning passes, and data-backed adjustments.
Play Game
Haunt & Hospitality

Haunt & Hospitality

Unreal Engine Management Sim

  • Lead programmer / technical lead on core management systems
  • Built scalable systems + UX flows, guided team integration
  • Delivered stable builds and production-quality implementation
Play Game Haunt & Hospitality Award
PuzzlePuttVR

PuzzlePuttVR

VR Unreal Engine C++ Blueprints Quest MetaXR

  • Led a 9-person team as Technical Lead, owning core gameplay programming and project execution.
  • Built physics-based interactions and core mechanics, integrating assets and player feedback systems.
  • Shipped polished milestone builds through clear task breakdowns, iteration, and stability-focused fixes.
Play Game
Educational War Simulation

Educational War Simulation

Unreal Engine Simulation Serious Games

  • Led end-to-end development of an educational war simulation in Unreal Engine, owning gameplay implementation and iteration.
  • Built core interaction systems, UI/menu flow, and level scripting to support mission progression and player clarity.
  • Delivered a polished, stable playable build through continuous testing, performance-minded fixes, and refinement passes.
Sewer Purge

Sewer Purge

Unreal Engine Gameplay AI / Combat

  • Lead Programmer on core gameplay loops, AI/combat systems, and mission progression structure.
  • Built responsive mechanics + UI flows with level scripting support to keep pacing and clarity tight.
  • Shipped stable playable builds with disciplined debugging, iteration, and production-ready implementation.

Resume

Career Highlights

  • Expertise in C++ and Blueprint system architecture within Unreal Engine.
  • Owned end-to-end feature delivery: scoped work, defined requirements, and shipped iterations from prototype to release-ready builds.
  • Led technical production across small teams: sprint planning, milestone tracking, and clear task breakdowns to keep execution moving.
  • Delivered stable, performance-minded code through profiling, QA triage, and disciplined polish passes.
  • Partnered closely with art, design, and product to integrate content cleanly and hit quality targets.

For a detailed history of my experience, education, and technical skills.

Download Resume

Get In Touch

Currently exploring new opportunities in simulation, technical leadership, and interactive engineering.

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