Ambitious technical game designer who strives to blend narrative, systems, and gameplay into unique and unforgettable moments for players.

Learning UE5

Unreal Fellowship 2024

For a limited time, Epic Games released the entire course for 2024’s Unreal Engine 5 Fellowship. During this time, I went through the entire course while taking notes and experimenting in my own projects.

Currently, I am taking a VFX class by James Sanders at Intrepid Studios. This class is taught in Unreal Engine 5, allowing me to continue to familiarize myself with the engine and Niagara.

VFX Course in UE5

Prototype Mechanics

When I first started learning UE5, I wanted to familiarize myself with the engine by recreating mechanics that I recognized from other games. I started with a simple, but well known, “lock-on” system found in many combat-focused games. Implementing this system helped me get more comfortable with blueprints and the overall layout of the engine.

To deepen my understanding of UE5, I began to participate in game jams. One of the more recent ones had the theme of “You Are The Weapon”, which inspired me to design a game where the player becomes the bullet. To win, they must find their way through crowded areas, bar fights, and other obstacles to hit their target.

With a focus on learning UE5, I developed the core mechanics and UI elements to better understand the engine’s workflow and implementation. This project helped me build upon my foundation, pushing it further into a more complete experience.

Game Jams

Industry Experience

Dreamhaven (Secret Door)

Sunderfolk


A couch co-op, turn-based RPG where players explore the world of Sunderfolk with their phones as the controller.

Role
Encounter/Technical Design Intern

Engine
Unity

Date
May 2023 - August 2023

Personal Projects

  • Lake Minnewaska (2024)

    A narrative-heavy fishing game exploring themes of grief through Sosa as he navigates the mystical waters of Lake Minnewaska.

    Role: Technical Game Designer

    Engine: Unity

    Team Size: 35

  • Fantastic Felica (2024)

    A short, 2D pixel JRPG exploring the destruction of the world based on player actions, inspired by games like "There is No Game”.

    Role: Unity Engineer, Game Designer, Writer

    Engine: Unity

    Team Size: 5

  • The Last Dance (2023)

    A 3D puzzle platformer exploring themes of womanhood, grief, and regret through environmental storytelling. 

    Role: Game Designer, Unity Engineer

    Engine: Unity

    Team Size: 2

  • Family First (2023)

    A zombie apocalypse themed board game with deceit, betrayal, and a bit of roleplaying.

    Role: Game Designer, Card/Ruleset Artist

    Team Size: 4

  • I Didn't Make The Rules (2023)

    A card game where the rules are made on the spot and confusion is the name of the game.

    Role: Game Designer

    Team Size: 1