Game Design
Project types
Feature, Narrative, Level Design
I am a multidisciplinary game designer specializing in gameplay, level, and narrative design, focused on integrating storytelling and mechanics into cohesive player experiences. I create character rosters, improve the content pipelines, and lead character development, ensuring each character’s visuals and gameplay reflect their narrative role. I also design both modular, procedurally adaptable challenges and region-specific levels to give each area of in-game worlds a distinct identity. My work balances difficulty and exploration, offering both high-skill optional challenges and rewarding, discovery-driven gameplay.
Case Study 1
Award Winning Character Designs
Often times, gameplay and narrative roles are separated. But character design is one of the best examples of when they work intrinsically together.
Even though I was hired early on in the development process, the game that would soon be renamed to Eighth Era, already had an established narrative and a few key characters. My primary role began with designing more characters to fill out this established world. Quickly, I improved upon the content pipeline and less than. year later I was managing much of the character content–ensuring all visuals and functions informed each other and embraced that character's place in the games world just as much as on the players team.
Less than a year after the release of Eighth Era, our game was granted several awards from the Nyx Game Awards. This included a Grand award for Character Design and a Gold award for Best RPG.
Case Study 2
Level Design
Narrative
Gameplay
I was responsible for the level designs and created generic challenges that could be procedurally reskinned and repurposed throughout the game. For others, I made challenges specific to a region of the world, giving each area a unique feel. Extra challenging optional levels put players' skills and decision-making skills to the test, but also offer the chance to find areas with more relaxing objectives and lots of treasure!
I eventually took ownership of the Narrative Design. Stepping into a well-defined world, with wonderfully crafted characters, I reimagined the way that the player would experience the story and rewrote the dialogue to fit product goals, aiming for short and snappy dialog that keeps the player interested, but also teaches the player about the game.
Herobot Quest did not need the high-level stat management system for players to optimize. Instead, I designed flashier power-ups that players have a chance to find in each level. This makes the game much more exciting and increases the impact of the players' choices.
.png)
Case Study 3
Dynamic Combat
When I set out to make this game, my goal was to experiment more in-engine. I chose a character story that I had talked about for years, and focused on how to make the mechanics of that story a reality.
Blood Magic seemed like a simple place to start, but I quickly found that there was no direct way to set an HP cost. Setting up a series of variables and combat events, I was able to achieve my Blood magic system and more complex systems that made combat more dynamic.
For a short story-based game, it was exciting to see people posting on social media about finally beating the final boss after several tries.
Directing
The game was done. I was ready to launch after just a little more feedback. However, a voice actor I had previously worked with asked to voice a part. I agreed, but only if we got more cast members. I reached out to my favorite actors that I have had the pleasure of directing, and to my surprise, everyone was enthusiastically available.
I had never built a game on my own like this before, and now I was delving deep into audio editing. I got some extra help with that, and it was all worth it. We had created my most popular game, so far, and I learned even more skills.
Case Study 4
Global Game Jam
For my first game jam, I joined a group of people whom I had never met, simply as the Narrative Designer. Several of us pitched ideas, and I was excited that mine was chosen for the core concept.
I made myself available the whole time, helping with other aspects of development, in addition to the story.
At the end, I was voted to present twice on Twitch, and when asked my role, other team members declared fondly that I was actually the Creative Director.
