🕹️ From Retro Memories to a Modern Learning Journey
A few months ago, I started a side project—a simple paddle ball game—for my kids. They love playing on RetroArch and asked, "Can you build one just for us?" That question brought back memories of my early days coding DOS games in C++ at age 12, and rekindled a passion I hadn't touched in years.
I used C++20 and SDL3 to build a fully functional multi-platform game that runs on:
- 🖥️ macOS & Windows
- 📱 Android phones & tablets
- 📺 Android TVs (yes, even your 80-inch!)
- 🌐 Web browsers via WebAssembly - Play instantly at play.retropaddleball.app
It supports keyboard, touch, gamepad, and mouse input—dynamically adapting to each screen and device.
More Than Just a Game
This project isn't just about the game.
It's a personal reminder that even with a full-time job, family responsibilities, and leadership commitments, you can still carve out time to build, learn, and play.
Along the way, I rediscovered the value of deep focus, debugging under constraints, and learning in the open. And as an engineering leader, it reinforced what I believe: that great leadership and technical depth aren't mutually exclusive.
The Tech Behind the Game
I utilized tools like GitHub Copilot and OpenAI to accelerate the process, but every challenge still required some good old-fashioned human creativity, clarity, and care. Engineering decisions definitely require a lot of thoughtful input!
Technical Stack:
- C++20 for core game logic
- SDL3 for cross-platform rendering and input
- WebAssembly (WASM) for browser deployment
- Emscripten toolchain for web compilation
- Custom physics engine for smooth ball movement
- Adaptive UI scaling for different screen sizes
- Platform-specific optimizations
Screenshots
Try It Out!
Want to experience Retro Paddle Ball for yourself?
🌐 Play Instantly in Browser
No downloads, no installations - experience the full game with WebAssembly technology!
Play Now at play.retropaddleball.appFrequently Asked Questions
Are you switching to gaming?
No, this is a passion project. I have no plans to pursue game development professionally.
Are you moving to an IC role?
No, I love engineering leadership. This project actually strengthens my leadership by keeping my technical skills sharp and maintaining empathy for the challenges developers face.
Will you open-source the code?
Not yet. I'm still cleaning it up and want to avoid misuse, but I'm happy to share insights, patterns, and lessons learned through blog posts and discussions.
About Me
I'm an engineering leader with 20+ years of experience scaling products, platforms, and people across global organizations, including Paylocity, Microsoft, Oracle, and Schneider Electric. I specialize in building high-performing teams, shaping technical strategy, and delivering outcomes that matter, whether in modernizing legacy systems or leading multi-organization platform integrations.
At Paylocity, I founded and scaled the Position Management team in Prague. Over the course of two years, I delivered foundational HR features—Multiple Positions support, Real-Time Mutation Events, Access Group Automation, and Observability Dashboards—and led a pivotal enterprise integration with Airbase. From zero to launch, I shipped 90% of scope six weeks ahead of MVP, proving that a lean team with the right guardrails can deliver outsized impact.
What Drives Me
I'm driven by a desire to build with purpose—to create systems and teams that are not just functional, but resilient, scalable, and deeply aligned with customer needs. I find meaning in developing people, shaping cohesive team cultures, and solving hard problems with simple, elegant solutions.
If you're a fellow engineering/product/technology leader exploring platform modernization, international team building, or scaling org capabilities, I'd love to connect and exchange ideas.
Let's build the future, better.