Independent software engineer · Novato, California
Web applications, internal tools, and game systems, built on contract.
I'm Kyler Saiki. I work with small companies, studio teams, and research organizations that need software built properly without hiring a full-time engineer. Before going independent I spent a year and a half in the engineering program at 2K Games. Since June 2026 I've been building annotation and analytics software for AddressHate.
- Based in
- Novato, California. I work remotely with clients anywhere in the US.
- Background
- B.S. Computer Science (Games), USC, 2024. 2K Games engineering program, 2024 to 2026.
- Business
- Sole proprietor, registered with the City of Novato. Invoices and W-9 issued under my own name.
- Availability
- Currently taking inquiries for new projects, full builds and short engagements alike.
Web applications
Full-stack products and internal dashboards with Next.js, React, TypeScript, and PostgreSQL: sign-in and role-based access, reporting and charts, admin tooling, and deployment to Google Cloud. Recent work: the analyst dashboard at AddressHate.
Internal tools and automation
Browser extensions, pipeline control panels, Jira and Confluence automation, and small desktop utilities. The kind of software that quietly saves a team hours every week. Recent work: a Chrome annotation extension that runs on 16 platforms, and an Atlassian plugin for producers at 2K.
Game development and engine tooling
Gameplay systems and editor tools in Unreal Engine 5 (C++) and Unity (C#): actor and item wizards, camera systems, ability frameworks, and the debug features that make testing faster. Three studio rotations at 2K Games, and a shipped title with a 30-person USC team.
Technical review and consulting
Architecture and code review, security hardening passes, and help scoping a build before you commit budget to it. Useful when you have an idea or a codebase and want a second set of eyes before the next step.
Selected work
Read the case studies-
Annotation platform and analyst dashboard
An analyst-facing dashboard, a Chrome extension for annotating posts in place across 16 social and AI-chat platforms, a pipeline control panel, and the Google Cloud infrastructure underneath, for a research organization studying antisemitism and online hate.
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Tools and gameplay engineering across three studios
MyCareer skill features for NBA 2K26 at Visual Concepts, foundational editor tools for an unannounced project at Gearbox Software, and a daily status report system plus an Atlassian plugin for producers at Shared Development Services.
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Camera system and editor tools for a shipped puzzle adventure
A first-person point-and-click adventure set in modern Cairo, released free on Steam and the Epic Games Store with more than 83,000 downloads. I built the non-linear camera movement system and the editor tools designers used to iterate on it.
How I work
Scoped in writing
Every project starts with a short proposal and a statement of work: deliverables, milestones, and what's out of scope. No surprises on either side.
Fixed fee or hourly
Whichever fits the work. Fixed fees for well-defined builds, hourly for ongoing or exploratory work. Rates on request.
Your code, your accounts
Work lands in your repositories and your cloud projects from the first commit. You own everything I build for you.
Remote, on my own schedule and equipment
I work from Novato with my own tools. You get regular written updates, and a call whenever one is actually useful.