Game Design
CYBER RUNNER
Master Student Project
In Collaboration with the Dutch National Police, Abertay Game Lab & Cyber Offender Prevention Academia
Roles: Game Design, Producer & Writer
Collection of In-game Screenshots
Cyber Runner is an applied game that aims to provide an educational yet entertaining method of cyber offender prevention. The web-based game consists of educational trivia, ethical dilemmas and thematic minigames as well as an overarching story, all combining to create an engaging environment that draws attention to the dangers of becoming a cyber offender.
I was the producer and, as such, the team representative. Other than keeping a development schedule and changing it based on client feedback, I was in charge of maintaining contacts with all of the team's clients as well as representing the game at public events, such as the Inclusive Design for Sustainability Conference hosted by RNIB Scotland.
Moreover, as one of the game designers and writer of the team, I designed the overarching gameplay loop, researched cyberdependent crimes in order to ensure they are correctly represented through minigames and wrote the dialogue and tutorial content for the game.
The game can be played on your browser by pressing the link.
SOUL TRAIN
Master Student Project
Roles: Producer, Game & Narrative Design
Collection of In-game Screenshots
Become the conductor of the Soul Train and uncover the mystery behind the world you found yourself in.
Soul Train is the effort of a small team of Master students, developed in a 12 week timeline. The game was created following a game jam structure, in which the team responded to several one word prompts.
As Game Designer and Producer, I was in charge of finalising the concept of the entire game while ensuring the scope never gets out of hand given both the small team and timeline that we had to work with.
I also had the opportunity to work on one of the more important duties of a Narrative Designer: contextualising the game based on the story. I did this through changing levels based on the story using the assets made by the team; analyzing what kind of UI the team can source that would still make sense or by adapting text content to restraints in gameplay development.
The game can be played on Itch.io
SPACE NOMADS
Student Project in Collaboration with Spilt Milk Studios
Roles: Lead Game Design & Audio Design
Early Paper Prototyping used in internal team conceptualisation phase
In this Idle RPG Prototype, choose between Sci-Fi versions of Vikings or Pharaohs and their imposing ships as you venture into outer space. Gain a reputation and gear your ship with the best upgrades as you jump from planet to planet choosing the best route for your strategy!
As Lead Designer, my role was focused on interpreting the brief our team received from Spilt Milk Studios which included a general idea and feel for an Idle RPG project. I originally came up with base concepts for mechanics and atmosphere and the team transformed them into our final product. We wanted to put an original spin for the brief, which was centered around a fantasy theme, and transformed the setting into Sci-Fi. I worked closely with our programmers and artists in order to create a cohesive experience which was as satisfying as possible given the gameplay restrictions we had. I oversaw the team from a creative point of view and always ensured that our vision was kept throughout the production process. I mainly worked in Word and PowerPoint, Google Drive, as well as Trello, but I also helped the programmers with direction and tips for Unreal Engine 5.
I was also the Sound Designer of the game. I mixed and matched original audio soundtracks with outsourced media in order to create a constant audio experience which would fit with the narrative and gameplay aspects of the projects. My best work was the combat soundtrack, inspired by the Viking Bukkehorn and given a futuristic spin. I used Reaper for all of my sound creation.
The game can be played on Itch.io.
Oster: A Trader's Journey
Student Project
Roles: Lead Game Design
Lead your trade caravan through a high-fantasy journey: barter with merchants, meet with various artisans who you will help create masterpieces and uncover what a huge world has to offer.
As Lead Designer, the scope of my objective was always determined by one factor - creating a relaxing experience. Everything that was implemented, from gameplay mechanics to the aesthetic and sound design was designed by always keeping in mind that the player should feel at ease while experiencing the game as a whole.
Thus, the project presents several experiences, each of them calming in their own way:
The Visual Experience, defined by a soothing colour palette, cartoonish art and a high fantasy setting, as well as the art the player is free to create on their own.
The Acoustic Experience, defined by a tavern-like instrumental atmosphere, as well as immersive SFX (e.g. the sound of the caravan's wooden wheels).
The Navigation, one of the cornerstones of the game, which aims to immerse the player as much as possible into the diegetic world.
Minigames, represented by quick scenarios that allow the player to experiment as they wish, giving them a sense of freedom and empowerment (e.g. painting a picture of their choosing, haggling with merchants and choosing the right dialogue)
The game can be played on Itch.io
Collection of In-game Screenshots
Game Jam Collection
