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Darko Jović
Verified Expert in Engineering
Game Developer
Niš, Serbia
Toptal member since April 2, 2026
Bio
Darko is a seasoned Unity game developer with seven years of experience, specializing in building polished 2D mobile games from concept to launch. He has led small teams and architected multiplayer systems, combining strong technical expertise with a results-driven mindset. Focused on delivering smooth, scalable, and engaging player experiences, Darko ensures games stand out in competitive markets.
Portfolio
Ingenious Studios
Unity, Firebase, Photon, Android, iOS, Multiplayer, Xcode...
Webelinx Games
Unity, Android Studio, Xcode, Android, iOS, Firebase, Git, SourceTree, BigQuery...
Webelinx
Unity, Android Studio, Xcode, Android, iOS, Firebase, Git, SourceTree...
Experience
- C# - 11 years
- Git - 11 years
- LINQ - 10 years
- Unity - 7 years
- Firebase - 7 years
- Game Development - 7 years
- Android - 7 years
- iOS - 7 years
Preferred Environment
Unity, C#, Multiplayer, Game Development, Performance Optimization, Firebase, Git
The most amazing...
...game I've worked on is a casual, multiplayer, real-time action 2D mobile game called ThunderPop. I served as the lead developer, guiding the project to launch.
Work Experience
Game Developer
2023 - 2026
Ingenious Studios
- Handled all technical aspects of the games, including gameplay logic, UI, 3rd-party integrations, frame rate, and memory optimization.
- Owned the technical layout and execution of a new multiplayer mobile game, ThunderPop, from start to launch, leading a dev team whose size changed between one and three developers, solving issues as they arose, and launching the game on time.
- Designed and implemented the client-server game architecture and multiplayer gameplay logic for ThunderPop.
- Simplified the iOS build process for Ancient Allies TD to two actions in Xcode, eliminating manual copy-pasting and reducing the time between builds.
- Improved the architecture significantly and eliminated known and unknown bugs on Ancient Allies TD by restructuring and simplifying the core gameplay code.
- Conducted technical research, estimation, and prototyping for new prospective projects.
Technologies: Unity, Firebase, Photon, Android, iOS, Multiplayer, Xcode, Firebase Cloud Functions, Game Development, Performance Optimization, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Claude, Claude Code, Unity3D, 3D, Games, Mobile, Mobile Game Development, Mobile Development, 3D Graphics, Universal Render Pipeline (URP), Photon Unity Networking (PUN), Unity Game Assets, CocoaPods
Unity Developer
2021 - 2022
Webelinx Games
- Handled all technical aspects of the games—including gameplay logic, UI, 3rd-party integrations, ads, and in-apps—removed roadblocks, coordinated with stakeholders and other teams, and improved the development process when necessary.
- Guided the development of a new storytelling project, mostly as a solo developer. Collaborated closely with QA, art, and SFX teams to ensure the releases are as quick as possible. Mentored a new hire, managed their tasks, and validated their work.
- Analyzed user behavior under poor network conditions using Google BigQuery and iterated on asset-loading strategies until optimal performance was achieved.
Technologies: Unity, Android Studio, Xcode, Android, iOS, Firebase, Git, SourceTree, BigQuery, SQL, Game Development, Performance Optimization, GitLab, Unity3D, Games, Mobile, Mobile Game Development, Mobile Development, Universal Render Pipeline (URP), Unity Game Assets, CocoaPods
Unity Developer
2018 - 2021
Webelinx
- Handled all technical aspects of the games, such as gameplay logic, UI, 3rd-party integrations, ads, and in-apps, coordinated with stakeholders and other teams, and improved the development process when necessary.
- Developed and implemented a Git branching model for a multidisciplinary team of 30+ members, while providing ongoing Git and Sourcetree support.
- Enhanced the asset-loading system for a game in development by identifying and addressing missing use cases, while simplifying the code structure for easier understanding and maintenance.
- Collaborated with team members to identify workflow blockers and enhance their tools, implementing validation and editor features to streamline repetitive tasks and improve content quality.
- Refactored existing story-editing tools in Unity to improve reliability and added features that accelerated content editors' workflow.
Technologies: Unity, Android Studio, Xcode, Android, iOS, Firebase, Git, SourceTree, Game Development, Unity3D, Games, Mobile, Mobile Game Development, Mobile Development, Unity Game Assets, CocoaPods
Back-end Developer
2016 - 2018
Software Advantage
- Developed back-end and, when necessary, small front-end components for web applications in C# ASP.NET, with regular client communication and involvement.
- Participated in the creation of the web platform for a food delivery startup and moved to the lead developer position after several months. Onboarded two new developers, managed their tasks, and validated their output.
- Stepped in as an interim project manager for two months for a short client project, handling customer communication, task definition, delegation, verification of finished work, and deployment.
- Leveraged a simple graphic JavaScript library for visualizing revenue data in the admin back office, which helped the client immensely with understanding the financial flow of their company.
- Added support for a new city to the live food delivery startup platform that the company developed, while making sure that the existing functionality works as intended.
Technologies: C#, SQL, JavaScript, jQuery, ASP.NET MVC 5, Umbraco, Microsoft SQL Server, Azure, LINQ, Web Development, .NET, HTTP, Back-end, C#.NET, Software Development, HTML, CSS, Payment APIs
Software Developer
2015 - 2016
Diratech
- Architected software for a veterinary X-ray application as part of a three-person engineering team.
- Modified an existing C++ image processing library and integrated it into a Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) front end.
- Reported weekly to stakeholders on project progress and acted on their feedback.
Technologies: C#, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), OpenCV, Medical Imaging
Experience
ThunderPop Real-time Multiplayer Game
https://www.thunderpop.com/A casual, action, real-time multiplayer game for Android and iOS. I was the lead developer from the initial idea to the first post-launch update.
During discovery, I served as the only developer. I worked with the clients to define the core gameplay and identify the biggest technical unknowns, including the multiplayer platform and hosting solution. The result of this month-long phase was a technical document outlining the project architecture and a production roadmap.
During production, I led a team of one to three developers across different phases. We collaborated with the game designer, artists, and clients to refine and implement features while adhering to the roadmap as closely as possible.
We successfully shipped the game on time and, at the clients' request, released an additional update with bots.
This project was challenging due to tight deadlines, unfamiliar technologies, delays in critical 3rd-party resources, and some staff turnover. The team overcame these challenges through proactive communication with the clients and strong feature prioritization.
During discovery, I served as the only developer. I worked with the clients to define the core gameplay and identify the biggest technical unknowns, including the multiplayer platform and hosting solution. The result of this month-long phase was a technical document outlining the project architecture and a production roadmap.
During production, I led a team of one to three developers across different phases. We collaborated with the game designer, artists, and clients to refine and implement features while adhering to the roadmap as closely as possible.
We successfully shipped the game on time and, at the clients' request, released an additional update with bots.
This project was challenging due to tight deadlines, unfamiliar technologies, delays in critical 3rd-party resources, and some staff turnover. The team overcame these challenges through proactive communication with the clients and strong feature prioritization.
Love Story Mobile Storytelling Game
https://webelinxgames.com/game/love-story/A mobile storytelling game launched in 2020, with 5+ million downloads to date. I was part of the development team from the beginning and worked on the project for over two years.
The team size fluctuated between three and 12 members during my time there. My responsibilities included feature development, supporting other teams, and regular stakeholder communication. Later, I became one of two technical leads on the project, defining, delegating, and reviewing tasks completed by the team.
After the main feature development was completed, the team was reduced, and we transitioned to live ops. In this phase, we focused on monitoring, tracking, and fixing performance issues, optimizing bandwidth and costs, and running A/B tests.
The team size fluctuated between three and 12 members during my time there. My responsibilities included feature development, supporting other teams, and regular stakeholder communication. Later, I became one of two technical leads on the project, defining, delegating, and reviewing tasks completed by the team.
After the main feature development was completed, the team was reduced, and we transitioned to live ops. In this phase, we focused on monitoring, tracking, and fixing performance issues, optimizing bandwidth and costs, and running A/B tests.
Ancient Allies TD Tower Defense Game
https://beanstalkgames.com/A tower defense game for mobile platforms with deep strategy. I joined the project a couple of months after it went live to help with the iOS launch and ad integration. Later, I took over implementing a new game mode and various gameplay features, as well as all editor tools and SDK integrations.
Education
2009 - 2016
Master's Degree in Computer Science
Faculty of Electronic Engineering - Niš, Serbia
Skills
Libraries/APIs
LINQ, OpenCV, jQuery, CocoaPods
Tools
SourceTree, Git, Xcode, Android Studio, BigQuery, GitLab, Claude Code, ChatGPT, Claude, Codex
Languages
C#, HTML, C++, Java, SQL, JavaScript, C#.NET, CSS
Frameworks
Unity, Unity3D, Photon Unity Networking (PUN), Photon, ASP.NET MVC 5, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), .NET
Paradigms
Mobile Development
Platforms
Android, iOS, Firebase, Mobile, Umbraco, Azure
Storage
Databases, Microsoft SQL Server
Other
Games, Mobile Game Development, Software Development, Multiplayer, Game Development, Performance Optimization, 3D, 3D Graphics, Universal Render Pipeline (URP), Unity Game Assets, Computer Science, Medical Imaging, Firebase Cloud Functions, Web Development, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), HTTP, Back-end, Payment APIs
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