Joshua Estes
Real-Time Interactive Systems Engineer
Gameplay, Audio, and Player Experience
I build systems, music, and sound that shape player experience. My work spans runtime systems, responsive feedback architecture, and audio for games and interactive media — with a focus on performance, timing, and emotional clarity.
”I’m a software engineer and composer working in real-time interactive media, with a focus on how technical systems and creative content combine to shape player experience.
On the engineering side, I build real-time systems, event-driven behavior, and responsive, player feedback systems designed to be reliable, debuggable, and production-ready. I enjoy working at the boundary between engineering, design, animation, and content teams.
On the music side, I compose and produce original music for games, interactive media, and performance. This work strongly informs how I think about timing, pacing, and emotional feedback in interactive systems.
Across both domains, I’m most interested in solving problems where timing, state, and responsiveness directly affect how something feels to use or play.
My engineering work focuses on building real-time systems that respond to application state, player input, and runtime events. This includes real-time game systems, player feedback architecture, and tools that help teams iterate safely and quickly in production environments.
I’m particularly interested in systems where small technical decisions — such as timing, event ordering, and state clarity — have a direct impact on player experience.
In addition to software engineering, I compose and produce original music for games, interactive media, and live performance. My work spans cinematic scoring, electonric production, and adaptive music approaches designed for interactive environments.
My composition work is closely connected to my engineering background, particularly in how I think about timing, pacing, and emotional feedback in real-time systems. Many of my compositions are created with interactive playback, looping, and state-driven transitions in mind.