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Game / Level Designer
Audio & Music Specialist

I am a game designer drawing inspiration from a diverse array of interests. I have a decade of experience in audio and music production. My passion for game design comes from how it allows me to incorporate the things that I love: such as music, writing, art, culture, and history.

I have been an avid gamer since the 90s. My first game design experiences came from hours spent in the level editors of games such as Far Cry and Forge Mode in Halo. My journey into game design started via audio implementation, learning middleware tools such as Wwise. This opened my mind and I quickly started to create my own games, so that I could make audio for them. It was at this point that I became completely besotted with game design. I started with Game Maker Studio 2 and then moved on to Unreal and Unity.

I wanted to expand my understanding so I completed multiple Udemy courses and deeply researched design principles and concepts. I reached a point where I felt I needed to formalise my understanding and gain experience from working with peers. To this end, I undertook a Master of Computer Science (MCs) in Commercial Game Design at the University of West England (UWE). I completed my thesis "Ludonarrative Harmony: Eliciting Emotion in Games" which was informed by data gathered by an experiment in game form "Workplace Dissonance,” and am also currently seeking academic publication with university backing for a paper titled "Gamification in Drone Defence: Evaluating Boid Scripting.”

After completing my MCs with merit, I took on my first role as lead dev/designer for a serious game and research project which was very well received. I continue to refine my skills putting this into practice in solo and group projects while also participating in game jams.

Project CHANGE

Game Maker - Lead designer role working for a UWE research team.

Project CHANGE was my first professional role. I worked with a team of researchers who wanted me to develop and design a game to the level of a concept-proving prototype aimed at teaching and demonstrating sustainability within the home.

I pitched a concept during my interview and designed and built it in four months in close collaboration with the other researchers. We all specialised in different fields, I was the only game/coding specialist on the team.

This was an exciting and rewarding project that allowed me a lot of freedom and that achieved its project goals efficiently and was well received.

[Game Design Document]

Too Close To The Sun

Unreal5 - Game jam (group)

Originally created for the Epic Mega Jam, Too Close To The Sun is a recursive survival horror game still in production. It was designed and created in collaboration with Tadg Enright.

I work on level design and audio/music as well of a range of other aspects, including high conecpt mechanical design and the narrative.

Same Same But Different

Game Maker - Game jam (solo)

Originally created for the TriJam, Same Same But Different was created in 3 hours. It is an experimental platformer based around the theme of "dual realities".

Assume command over two characters simultaneously when playing solo, or collaborate with a friend to each control one character using a shared keyboard.

It has now had over 3000 players.

[Free Download]

[Play Online]

My Core Skills

Code Languages:

C++
C#
GML (Game Maker Language)
Blueprint.

Game Design Software:

Unity.
Unreal Engine.
Game Maker 2.

Audio Software:

Wwise.
Logic Pro X.
FL Studio.
Over a decade of experience working with audio.

Digital Art Software:

Procreate

Used to create 2D sprites and decals for use in 3D settings.
All Game Maker projects art fully created in Procreate and hand drawn.
Used to create sketches of levels and systems in initial design stages.
2D animation.

MagicaVoxel:

Utilises MagicaVoxel to craft detailed 3D level plans, demonstrating an ability to visualise and execute intricate level designs.

Other Skills:

QA testing and bug reporting.
Designed and developed captivating game environments using Unity, Unreal Engine, and Game Maker 2, emphasising a keen eye for level aesthetics and player engagement.
UI design and implementation.
Tutorial design and implementation.
Collectible design and implementation.
AI and NPC design.
World Design.