There are some passions that you never truly let go of, no matter how far you deviate from the path you started on. It’s a common thread with aspiring game devs who developed an interest in game creation early on but don’t truly pursue it until much later in life.
Take Johann Ungerer. Before reigniting his passion, he spent 30 years of his life building tech for banks, insurance companies, call centers, and startups. He has founded companies like Azuro Business Solutions, architecting platforms that power everything from life insurance products to rewards programs and CRM-integrated mobile tools — but beneath the surface was a lifelong desire to build something more creative, interactive, and personal.
For Johann, game development was never a passing phase.
Now in his 50s, the South African software veteran is returning to the dream that started it all, backed by decades of engineering experience, some hard-earned startup lessons, and a sense of purpose that’s clearer than ever.
Today, he’s the founder of Infinite Loom (originally Digital Puppetry), a game studio developing an open-world RPG with tabletop-infused mechanics and procedurally generated zones. But as you’ve already seen, the journey here wasn’t direct — it’s a story of detours, reinventions, and rediscovered passion.
From Childhood Dreams to Paying the Bills
Johann Ungerer developed a love for video games at a young age and taught himself programming at just nine years old, with the dream of creating his own game.
While this dream wouldn’t manifest until decades later, it did spark a deep interest in software development. It’s what led him to study engineering at the University of Johannesburg and then take a focused COBOL course, which ultimately led to his first role as a developer at Standard Bank in 1995.
Soon after, Johann made his first bid to fulfill his childhood dreams, launching PyroGenesis Software to utilize it in game development. But he soon discovered that the interest simply wasn’t there among his stakeholders, so he put his dreams on hold again and kept the brand strictly consulting-focused.
2008 marked the first turning point in Johann’s career, as the financial crisis forced his hand, and he restructured his company into Azuro Business Solutions. This new entity would serve corporate clients in insurance, banking, and customer service, as Johann played lead roles in projects like a group life insurance platform for an investment bank, a reward program backend for a large retail bank, and a performance management system for a major call center. “In all instances,” he says, “I was very involved in the design and delivery of these projects, guiding the technical decisions and implementations or actively developing functionality.”
The success of these systems didn’t erase the itch to create games — it only sharpened it. But it would take a second global crisis to spark another career rethink.
The Pivot: Startups, Shutdowns, and Starting Over
COVID-19 hit Johann’s business just as hard as the rest of the world. As a number of his contracts were either paused or terminated, he faced the same dilemma that founders around the world were grappling with: let go of staff or reinvent.
Johann chose to build. He also chose to enroll in the University of London’s B.Sc. computer science program, which he describes as “a fit of COVID madness,” but his primary focus was on creating something new.
“We devised a livestreaming platform called LetsJam.Cloud,” Johann recalls, “providing an opportunity for performing artists to continue to earn an income while we were in a very strict lockdown.”
Johann enrolled in the 2021 cohort of Founder Institute South Africa to raise capital for the startup, and the team shipped a working MVP in just six weeks. Following that, they pivoted to a hybrid service, offering in-person ticketing, live-event streaming, and recording.
Sadly, the venture fell short of expectations and fizzled out as pressures mounted on the founding team.
New Opportunity
Rather than accept defeat, Johann took the opportunity to redefine his career. That computer science degree? It turned out to be an inspired move that shaped the next several years, during which time Johann:
- Participated in a game jam (an event where teams attempt to build a game in a set time frame) and succeeded
- Attended the Game Developers Conference several times virtually and twice in person
- Launched his own indie game studio, Infinite Loom, and re-enrolled in the Founder Institute with the studio
As Johann puts it, “I’ve returned to the thing that made me fall in love with software development in the first place, and that is making games.”
Now, Johann is working with his team at Infinite Loom to finally fulfill his dream, turning his game jam prototype into a full-fledged video game.
The Technical Backbone of Infinite Loom
Johann describes Infinite Loom’s debut title as “a light-action RPG with a small open world, tabletop-infused mechanics, random dungeons, and interesting boss fights.” It’s being developed using Unreal Engine, the platform of choice for many AAA titles.
While it’s technically possible to stick to Unreal’s visual scripting capabilities via Blueprints, Johann has chosen a more intentional approach: prototyping with Blueprints but architecting key systems in native C++. He and his team are leaning heavily into Unreal’s Gameplay Ability System, allowing them to create modular gameplay abilities that support fast iteration.
They’re also embracing bleeding-edge Unreal features, such as its experimental Mover component. Unlike the engine’s traditional CharacterMovementComponent, Mover enables more modular and customizable traversal mechanics. It’s a bold move that established studios would typically avoid in favor of proven methodologies, but Johann sees it as a necessary investment in forward-thinking technology, laying the groundwork for dynamic and engaging traversal features like zip-lining and wall-running.
Procedural Content
Procedural content also plays a central role in the game’s design, but not by way of a haphazard, random approach that results in confusing level design or frustrating progression. “Our work on procedural generation is aimed at providing the player fresh experiences with each playthrough,” Johann explains, “while anchoring those PCG elements with familiar landmarks they can use to navigate the world reliably.” It’s a strategy that caters to players who love exploration without punishing those who invest in learning the world.
Finally, leaning on his startup and enterprise experience, Johann employs a lean startup methodology that keeps game development focused and achievable. This means his team can push new test builds quickly without manual packaging, track changes easily, and receive structured feedback with minimal overhead, thereby avoiding the trap of being overwhelmed by feature bloat and sprawling code.
The result is what Johann believes will be an engaging and fresh take on RPGs, slated for release in September 2026.
A Dream 50 Years in the Making
Johann Ungerer sees his upcoming release as more than just a debut title — it’s the realization of a dream that’s shaped every decision he’s made up to this point.
As his own vision becomes a reality, he helps others make the same journey and achieve their long-forgotten dreams. “I’ve become more active in the South African game development community again,” he says. “Although the local industry is small, I was surprised by how vibrant the community is.” He mentors through the Founder Institute, advises startups, and speaks at events like Joburg Games Fest and Playtopia. There, his talks cover both technical depth and personal reinvention, including one aptly titled “Work-Life Harmony: How to Become a Game Dev at 50.”
It’s the kind of lecture that’s ideally suited for Johann. He knows what it means to start over. “I didn’t want to just play games,” he says, looking back on his childhood fondly. “I wanted to build them. It just took me a few decades to get back to that.”
If you’re on your own journey of rebirth and wondering if it’s too late, think again. Sometimes, achieving that kind of vision requires time, persistence, and a stubborn refusal to let your dream go quietly into the night.
Because sometimes, starting over means finally starting right.
Senior Software Engineer with a passion for building practical, user-centric applications. He specializes in full-stack development with a strong focus on crafting elegant, performant interfaces and scalable backend solutions. With experience leading teams and delivering robust, end-to-end products, he thrives on solving complex problems through clean and efficient code.
