// ABOUT
// WHO AM I?
I'm Tyler Johnson — I'm a software engineer with a passion for game dev and building things that work. I've been writing code professionally for about 10 years, building everything from indie games in Unity to full-stack web applications. Born and raised in New Mexico, I enjoy learning all I can about new ways of approaching challenging problems and finding solutions! When I'm not sitting at the battlestation, I'm with my family (and our 6 animals), working on house projects and cars, or collecting/playing Magic the Gathering and Pokemon!
// CURRENTLY
Working on game dev projects, experimenting with AI, and creating content on YouTube.
// LANGUAGES
// TOOLS & FRAMEWORKS
// PLATFORMS
// OFF THE CLOCK
// THE JOURNEY
THE SPARK
After playing Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past, I can remember telling friends and family I wanted to make games and be a programmer.
HELLO, GAME MAKER
The first time that I can recall actually writing some code was back in high school in a class called "Smart Lab" where we got to do fun projects. I believe the project was using Game Maker 5.
HELLO, WORLD
I took my first proper programming class at Central New Mexico Community College (CNM). This was doing Javascript and HTML.
FELL IN LOVE WITH C++
Took my first C++ and C# classes, and where I fell in love with C++!
DEGREE #1, ON TO THE NEXT
I finished CNM with a degree in Programming and Database Design, and then moved to UNM for Computer Engineering.
REDDIT TEAM-UP
My first game dev project with a group from Reddit. The game was Raido, Road to Ragnarok and we went from nothing to a Kickstarter in 4 months. First introduction to Unity.
PLOT TWIST
Swapped from Computer Engineering to Management Information Systems, bought domain for TJ The Programmer
CAP AND GOWN
Completed UNM and got leads for new job opportunities.
NEW CHAPTER
Moving to web development and re-learning JavaScript!
PLAYER 3 ENTERING
Got married and found out there is a baby on the way!
WHAT'S NEXT?
Currently working on all kinds of projects: Subby, Periodic, AI experiments and more!
// WHAT I'M INTO
// GAME DEV
Game dev feels like the one place where creativity really comes to life. I am a huge fan of 2D pixel art games, and I have plans on playing with voxels and giant robots in the future!
// AI & EXPERIMENTS
I have been using AI to build some over-the-top projects to push some new technologies to the limit, as well as build some custom tools for myself to make my life a bit easier. I am still not sure what to think of AI or where it is going quite yet...
// YOUTUBE & CONTENT
I mostly post Dev logs, tutorials for things I find helpful, and I hope to help new devs with the ever-changing tech landscape we are in right now.
// MTG & POKEMON
I have been collecting Pokemon cards since 1999 (started with the Rocket set) and passively collect today. My wife got me playing Magic when we met in 2023, and I have been playing with a Henzie deck.
// CARS & PROJECTS
When I am not working on code, I enjoy working on cars. Currently have a 1989 MR2, 1972 Chevelle (in restoration) and my Great Great Grandfather's 1954 Chevy Bel Air.
// HOW I THINK ABOUT CODE
// LEARN BY BUILDING
I learn best by finding out information and then building projects that use it.
// KEEP IT SIMPLE
The most elegant designs are usually the simplest... Easier said than done!
// EXPERIMENT
I think it is important to play with technology, both new and old, to see what makes the new tech better (or worse).
// STAY CURIOUS
I have always had a love of making things efficient and pushing their limits, and either finding the breaking point or having fun makes the job stay interesting!
// THE BATTLESTATION — "NEPTUNE"
// HARDWARE
- AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (16-core / 32-thread)
- AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT
- 64 GB RAM
- Gigabyte X570 AORUS ULTRA
- 2x 4K monitors (stacked dual 3840x2160)
- 1x 4K monitor (vertical 3840x2160)
// STORAGE
- Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1TB (boot)
- Sabrent Rocket 4.0 500GB
- Crucial P5 1TB NVMe
- WD 1TB SATA SSD
- Seagate 3TB + 2TB + 8TB HDDs
// SOFTWARE & TOOLS
- Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS
- VS Code
- Custom Command Center
// PERIPHERALS
- Cherry MX Board 3.0 S Wired
- Logitech G502
- Speakers: Edirol MA-10A
- Microphone: Blue Yeti Midnight
- Camera: Logitech Brio
// FUN FACTS
Something about NM / Albuquerque: I think Stripes has the best breakfast burrito.
Favorite Video Game: Pokemon Heart Gold
Caffeine of choice: BRCC Tactisquatch for day to day, white Monsters if I need something more!