Jonathan Holmes

Software Engineer & Game Developer

Hi I'm Jonathan. I'm known on the internet under my moniker Vorlias. I'm a software developer and game developer based in New Zealand.

Work

My portfolio of work I am doing, and have done over the years.

All
Unity Engine
Mirror (Networking)
Sentry
Node.js
Roblox Engine
React
Grafana
Playfab
Vue
Nuxt
C#
TypeScript
C++
Luau
Java
Lua
Rust
Multiplayer
Android
Open Source
Compilers/Interpreters
Leadership

vorlias.com

Vorlias Games

Since Jun 2026
Vue
Nuxt
TypeScript
The website for my games

Ikarion Trials

Vorlias Games

Since May 2026
Unity Engine
Mirror (Networking)
C#
Multiplayer
A standalone reimagining of a game I made in Airship I am building currently as a side project. Dungeon crawler action RPG based in the Zenerith universe.

BedWars 2

Easy Games

Oct 2024 - May 2026
Unity Engine
TypeScript
Multiplayer
BedWars 2 was a multiplayer player versus player (PvP) game where players competed in teams to destroy each other's beds while defending their own. I worked on the Airship (Unity) version of the game, which was originally planned to be the sequel of the Roblox game.
  • Developed important gameplay systems for BedWars 2 including projectiles, the shop system, the upgrades system and more.

Ikarion Trials (Airship)

Vorlias

Jun 2024 - May 2026
Unity Engine
TypeScript
Multiplayer
Ikarion Trials was a dungeon crawler RPG developed as a side project alongside working on Airship.
  • Ikarion Trials was originally an Airship game I made in my own free time, and also worked on in the second airship hackweek to test the limits of the Airship platform

Voyager

Vorlias

Jan 2024 - May 2026
Unity Engine
TypeScript
Multiplayer
Voyager was a space exploration resource gathering game, developed as a side project alongside working on Airship.
  • Voyager was my first hackweek project with Airship that I used to learn a lot about Unity, as well as help improve the Airship developer experience through developing my own game.

Airship

Easy Games

Oct 2023 - May 2026
Unity Engine
Sentry
Mirror (Networking)
C#
C++
TypeScript
Luau
Java
Android
Multiplayer
Open Source
A multiplayer game platform that was developed in Unity. It used Mirror for networking and was designed to be cross-platform, allowing players on different devices to play together. It featured a variety of different games made in-house as well as by the community. It got superseded by the Godot version of Airship.
  • Built parts of the client User Interface experience
  • Built and maintained editor tooling for Airship for developers
  • Engineered support for native Unity features for Unity such as components and scriptable objects.

Airship TypeScript Compiler

Easy Games

Oct 2023 - May 2026
Node.js
TypeScript
Compilers/Interpreters
Open Source
The Typescript to Luau compiler for the Airship game platform. It was a fork of roblox-typescript with a lot of custom changes for the Airship platform's scripting.
  • Airship when it was using the Unity Engine relied on a TypeScript to Luau compilation system, I developed and maintained a lot of the Unity Engine feature support for the TypeScript language itself.

Islands

Easy Games

Mar 2021 - Nov 2023
Roblox Engine
React
Grafana
Playfab
TypeScript
Multiplayer
Leadership
Islands was a Roblox game where players could explore a large world, gather resources, build structures, and complete quests. It featured a variety of different biomes, each with its own unique resources and challenges.
  • Implemented items, bosses and other gameplay features as part of content updates throughout the development cycle of Islands
  • Worked with, then lead the Islands team in 2022 onwards and had major creative input on the direction of the game
  • Used my experience and expertise to help other developers that joined the Islands team
  • Overhauled parts of the user interface and other gameplay systems for Islands

Zenerith (Roblox)

Australis Entertainment

Jun 2020 - May 2025
Roblox Engine
React
TypeScript
Luau
Multiplayer
Zenerith was a Roblox game that I developed as a passion project. It was an open-world RPG where players could explore a vast world, complete quests, and fight enemies.
  • Designed an implemented a multi-class third-person combat system with dynamic targeting from the ground up
  • Designed and implemented a custom quest system that allowed for complex quest chains with branching paths and dynamic objectives, enhancing player engagement and narrative depth.
  • Implemented a custom character progression system that included a sub-class system, loot rewards and providing players with meaningful choices and a sense of growth throughout the game.

Roblox TypeScript

roblox-ts

Nov 2018 - Apr 2024
Node.js
TypeScript
Compilers/Interpreters
Open Source
A TypeScript compiler for Roblox.
  • Added the original support for JSX in roblox-ts, allowing developers to write Roblox UI code using a react-like syntax.
  • Worked on other miscellaneous compiler features and fixes.

Hyperfighter

Vorlias

Jun 2017 - Jan 2019
C#
Hyperfighter was a 2D space shooter game that I developed as a passion project. It featured fast-paced gameplay where players controlled a spaceship and fought against waves of enemies while dodging obstacles.

vorlias.nz

Vorlias

Since Sep 2014
Vue
Nuxt
React
TypeScript
My personal website, as well as my blog. You are here. :D

Heroes Legacy

Australis Entertainment

Aug 2014 - Aug 2018
Roblox Engine
Lua
Multiplayer
Heroes Legacy was the earlier iteration of the Zenerith RPG universe, which was more akin to a traditional MMORPG. It featured a more linear progression system and was less focused on exploration compared to Zenerith.

RbxNet

Roblox Engine
TypeScript
Luau
Open Source
A multi-language networking framework I built for Roblox

Zircon

Roblox Engine
React
TypeScript
Open Source
A runtime debugging console I wrote for Roblox, for helping me test and debug things in my game, Zenerith.

Zirconium

Roblox Engine
TypeScript
Compilers/Interpreters
Open Source
A runtime programming language for debugging Roblox games

Andromeda Game Engine

C#
Open Source
A custom game engine I made in C#

Spitfire V2

C++
Spitfire was a 2D plane combat game that i originally developed in highschool.

rbxts-transform-debug

Node.js
TypeScript
Compilers/Interpreters
Open Source
Debug transformer for Roblox TypeScript

Snapdragon

Roblox Engine
Luau
Open Source
Library for allowing easy code-based dragging behaviours in Roblox

rbxts-transform-env

Node.js
TypeScript
Compilers/Interpreters
Open Source
Environment variable transformer for Roblox TypeScript

Tarmac

Roblox Engine
Rust
Open Source
A asset reference generator for Roblox, inspired by Webpack.
  • Maintained and updated Tarmac until 2024, it has since been replaced