Ziyad Abdullah

Role: Solo Indie Game Developer, Formula Z: Controlled Dose

Location: Saudi Arabia

Background

Ziyad Abdullah is a Saudi Arabian game developer and licensed pharmacist who worked in pharmacy for three years before leaving to pursue game development. Despite having no prior experience, he taught himself C# through YouTube and online resources, experimented with Blender, and built two small games in Unity by following tutorials.

Abdullah began developing Formula Z: Controlled Dose as a solo project, expecting it to take six months, he said in an interview. The game took two years to complete, during which he worked full-time and handled programming, 3D modelling, animation, sound effects, user interface design and performance optimisation. He funded the project himself, without support from a publisher or development studio.

Current Focus

Abdullah launched Formula Z: Controlled Dose on PC via Steam on October 20th, 2026. The game is a first-person, open-world pharmacy and business simulation in which players manage a pharmacy, serve customers, handle stock, manufacture fictional medications and expand into other businesses.

Players can also explore the open world, buy properties, drive vehicles and travel between four different eras. Abdullah drew on his pharmacy experience to build the game's medication and pharmacy systems, while fictional drugs and other activities give him room to explore ideas beyond real-world pharmacy work.

Industry Position

Abdullah is developed Formula Z independently, using Unity and C# alongside tools such as Blender. While he purchased some 3D models and other assets, he modified many of them to fit the game's needs and improve performance. He also created models and much of the game's artwork himself, with some artwork contributed by his sister.

He chose not to use AI-generated content, saying he believes creative people deserve opportunities to build careers from their skills. His goal with Formula Z was to combine his knowledge of pharmacy with his interest in games, creating a simulation that players can enjoy without needing any medical knowledge.

What He Is Open To

Abdullah hopes Formula Z will reach a large audience and allow him to continue making games as a sustainable career. He has other ideas for future projects but has not started developing another game, having focused his attention on Formula Z. He plans to take a break after launch before deciding what to work on next.