Seeking Summer 2027 internships · Software & AI Berkeley, CA · San Francisco Bay Area / Remote

Software systems · Multiplayer · AI tooling

From multiplayer worlds to AI developer tools.

I’m Nicholas, a Computer Science student and co-founder of Imagicast Studios. My work spans live Minecraft infrastructure, multiplayer games, and tools for AI-assisted development. I’m looking for a Summer 2027 software or AI engineering internship.

Texas Tech University · B.S. expected May 2027 · M.S. expected May 2028

Portrait of Nicholas Lasagna in a suit and tie
Nicholas Lasagna Berkeley, CA · —
2021 — now
Co-founder & Lead DeveloperImagicast Studios
2023 — live
Minecraft server infrastructureOracle Cloud · Ubuntu
May 2027
B.S. Computer ScienceM.S. May 2028 expected · Math minor
01

Selected projects

Selected work, in detail.

Explore the systems, the engineering decisions, and the current scope. Public source is linked wherever available.

  1. Diagram of the RealForge workflow: project context, proposed changes, and human review

    Prototype Local-first tooling

    RealForge Workbench

    A local-first AI workbench for coding workflows, with model evaluation, reviewable change proposals, and explicit approval controls.

    Python · React · TypeScript · Tauri · Local models

    Local-first AI workflows: RealForge Workbench
    Workflow
    Connect a local model, work with project context, evaluate results, and review proposed changes in a desktop interface.
    Engineering focus
    The CLI uses dry-run defaults, isolated experiments, and approval-gated proposals. The Workbench adds a React and TypeScript interface with a Tauri desktop shell.
    Scope
    In development. Local inference and optional online features are distinct; account, provider, and collaboration features can use network services. Source remains private.
  2. Diagram of the RealLang compiler pipeline: lex, parse, type check, and emit C

    Prototype Compiler tooling · AI-assisted

    RealLang

    An experimental language with a Python compiler, structured diagnostics, and a C backend, exploring how language design can support AI-generated code.

    Python · Type checking · C codegen · Diagnostics

    Compiler design & research scope: RealLang
    Implementation
    A lexer, parser, type checker, and C emitter form the current compiler pipeline. Structured diagnostics are designed to support programmatic repair.
    Research question
    Can explicit language semantics and machine-readable errors improve AI code generation and repair? A study harness exists; improved LLM reliability is a research goal, not a reported result.
    Development
    An Imagicast Studios project developed with AI assistance. Public source and status notes document the implemented language subset.
  3. RealFiction website showing its Minecraft world, server address, and player status

    Live 2023 — present

    RealFiction

    I architect and operate this live multi-server Minecraft network on Oracle Cloud and Ubuntu, under real player load.

    Java · Velocity · Oracle Cloud · Linux

    Operating a live network: RealFiction
    System
    A multi-server Minecraft network running on Oracle Cloud and Ubuntu, with Java services and persistent player data.
    Engineering focus
    Availability, latency, process monitoring, JVM tuning, and debugging behavior across running services.
    Scope
    Live infrastructure operated since 2023. The public site shows the player experience; backend source remains private.
  4. HeartHaven browser game showing a decorated shared room and companion needs

    Live Social multiplayer

    HeartHaven

    A shared browser world with persistent rooms, real-time presence, and version-checked updates to keep concurrent edits consistent.

    Next.js · TypeScript · Supabase · PostgreSQL

    Keeping shared state consistent: HeartHaven
    System
    Supabase Realtime handles presence and position broadcasts. Host-owned database rows hold the canonical room and garden layouts.
    Key decision
    Edits go through database RPCs with optimistic-concurrency version checks. Row-Level Security policies define access to persistent player data.
    Scope
    A browser-based multiplayer project built with Next.js, TypeScript, Supabase, and PostgreSQL. Architecture and database migrations are available in the public repository.
  5. Imagicast Studios website introducing its independent multiplayer game work

    In development 2021 — present

    Imagicast Studios / Abandoned Horror

    As co-founder and lead developer, I own core multiplayer systems for Abandoned Horror, a 6v1v1 Unreal title in development.

    Unreal Engine 4/5 · C++ · C# · Multiplayer

    Multiplayer game systems: Imagicast Studios / Abandoned Horror
    Project
    Abandoned Horror is an asymmetrical 6v1v1 multiplayer title in development at Imagicast Studios.
    Role
    Co-founder and lead developer, working on gameplay state, input handling, and multiplayer runtime systems in Unreal Engine.
    Scope
    The studio site is public; the game is still in development and its source is private.
  6. United Exams website presenting course hubs for quizzes, simulations, homework, and notes

    Live Built 2025

    United Exams

    Course hubs for quizzes, study notes, and practice, backed by PostgreSQL and per-user access policies.

    Next.js · PostgreSQL · Row-Level Security

    Study tools & access boundaries: United Exams
    Product
    A seven-course study site with quizzes, simulations, homework resources, and notes.
    Stack
    Next.js with PostgreSQL and Row-Level Security for authenticated, per-user study data.
    Scope
    Source is publicly viewable for portfolio review under the repository’s stated terms. Source-available does not mean open source.
  7. Competitive Playable Bosses artwork featuring multiple playable boss characters

    Public mod Completed collaboration

    Competitive Playable Bosses

    A collaborative Super Smash Bros. Ultimate mod that makes boss characters playable, using Rust runtime hooks and custom gameplay state.

    Rust · Runtime hooks · Gameplay state

    Runtime integration & collaboration: Competitive Playable Bosses
    System
    Rust hooks connect custom boss behavior to the game runtime, including input handling and character state.
    Engineering focus
    Low-level hooks, input handling, and shared gameplay state at the game-runtime boundary, where behavior needs careful debugging.
    Scope
    A non-commercial collaborative mod, published under @NemesisSSBU with contributor credits in the repository. Development is no longer active.

Project status and technical notes distinguish live systems from work in development. For private projects or a closer look at the architecture, get in touch.

02

Experience & education

Building since 2021.

2021 — present

Experience

Co-founder & Lead Developer

Imagicast Studios · Berkeley, CA

  • Lead core systems architecture for Abandoned Horror, an in-development asymmetrical multiplayer game.
  • Build engine-level gameplay state, input handling, and runtime multiplayer logic in Unreal Engine 4/5.
  • Coordinate a distributed development workflow while balancing maintainability with feature delivery.

Education

Texas Tech University

B.S. Computer Science · Mathematics minor

Program
Accelerated B.S./M.S.
B.S. expected
May 2027
M.S. expected
May 2028 · planned online continuation
GPA
3.565 / 4.00

Selected coursework Computer Architecture, Theory of Automata, Data Structures & Algorithms, Analysis of Algorithms, Systems & Assembly.

03

A short version

How I got here.

I started in game development, where a desync or a lag spike is something the player on the other side of the screen feels immediately. Since co-founding Imagicast in 2021, I’ve expanded from gameplay systems into infrastructure, languages, and developer tools.

I like understanding where state lives, what happens when a dependency disappears, how a change gets rolled back, and whether the next engineer can tell what the system is doing.

I’m seeking Summer 2027 internships in software engineering and AI, with a particular interest in developer tools, backend systems, and infrastructure. I expect to complete my B.S. in May 2027 and my accelerated M.S. in May 2028, continuing the master’s online. I’m based in Berkeley and especially interested in San Francisco Bay Area or remote teams.

Summer 2027 · Software & AI internships

Building useful systems? Let’s talk.

Berkeley, California · San Francisco Bay Area or remote
B.S. expected May 2027 · M.S. expected May 2028