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Work in game design consisting of puzzle and level design, art and animation, narrative, and more.
Postcards from Afar
sample narrative written for Global Game Jam 2019
South - island
I finally moved into my new apartment! It seems a lot smaller in real life than it did on the website. Luckily, I don’t have much stuff to fit in it. I still appreciated my dad coming with me to help me move, though. When we were done, we got Chinese takeout and played cards like when I was a kid.
I’m glad you arrived safely! But oh my gosh, I’m always appalled to think that human beings can be so cruel to each other. You said Mandela was on that island for 18 years? It wasn’t even too long ago in history that this even happened. I bet some of those prison guards are still alive today.
Central - Kilimanjaro
I started grad school this week. Man, and I thought undergrad was taxing. There’s so much I realized I don’t know about the thing I’ve been studying for 4 years. And it’s only the first week! How am I gonna survive this?
But honestly, hearing about you having a great time before climbing the mountain gives me a lot of hope. If you can make it to the top and have fun doing it, I’m sure I can too! Especially if the reward is as great as the view you got to see.
North - volcano
It’s kind of hard to talk about this, but I feel I have to tell you. My dad died yesterday. It feels almost unreal, like it’s just a bad dream and he’s going to walk through the front door with Chinese takeout again. I guess all I feel is numb. Maybe it hasn’t hit yet.
That’s really cool about the volcano though. A lava lake, huh? Maybe when I’m done with grad school, we can go back and visit it together. My dad had always wanted to see a volcano, so maybe I can finish that journey for him.
Narrative: CV
The Flame
excerpt from a short story, written for class in 2018
First there was nothing.
And then there was a Flame.
The Flame began his life as all Flames do, blinking into existence. Blinking slowly as he tried repeatedly to catch the wick of his candle, then bursting to life as he finally ignited. His existence was immediately bright and lively and warm. The Flame flitted and hopped around his wick as he took in this new world around him. There was a dark room with large, cushioned chairs, a wooly rug, and a sturdy wooden table. There were stuffed-full bookshelves lining one of the walls. The walls were painted a dark green.
Or, maybe the walls just seemed dark green because there wasn’t a lot of light in the room quite yet. The Flame realized he was the only source of light in the room. He did not know why, for he had just come into existence seconds earlier, but this realization made him feel quite lonely. The Flame pivoted about his wick, scanning the room for answers, feeling lonelier and more despaired. This despair made him feel cold. Wait, no. Not the despair, the Flame chided himself. Can you imagine? A cold Flame. How ridiculous. He simply felt cold because the window on whose sill he perched had been left open.
The Flame gazed out into the cool night air and saw the streets below him. Shadows moved about through the alleys and followed people relentlessly, never to be separated save for the magic of some fairy. The Flame despised Shadows, as all Flames instinctively do. That’s why they repel them so earnestly. The Flame noticed points of light lining the city streets, doing their best to dissipate the gloom. He thought about joining them to help for a second, but decided against it. Something was keeping him rooted in place, and besides, he was so far up and far too small to make much of a difference. The points of light below also seemed different somehow, less lively and more methodically placed. Yes, better to stay up here and do his best to repel his own Shadows.
Before turning around to survey the Shadows in his room, the Flame decided to look up at the night sky. The Shadows can wait; they’ll always be there, just out of reach. But the sky? The sky was far more interesting. Great Clouds of different shades of dark blue and gray made a protective blanket over the town. The Flame felt safe as he looked up at the Clouds, when he noticed a patch of sky that they weren’t covering. Small specks of light twinkled back at him. Stars. They shone warmly, like he did. Not like the street lights below. The Flame flickered back at the Stars, but they did not seem to take notice of him. The Flame then flickered at the Clouds, hoping they’d catch his signal and move out of the way, opening the sky up to more Stars. The Clouds ignored him. It takes something stronger to move a Cloud, the Flame realized. The Flame tried once more to flicker brightly at the Stars, hoping one last time that they’d respond. But the Stars remained silent. They were simply too far away.
Narrative: CV
To Mine Own Self Be True
excerpt from a short story, written for class in 2018
Audio Log #003
Well, that’s no fair. I just found out from my commanding bot that the humans don’t want a bunch of us directly making mineral deliveries anymore. Something about a fear of us rising up if we go in too large a group. Please, the automata are WAY too blindly thankful for this gift of life the humans gave us. We’d never do anything of the sort. But, I guess there’s no comforting those humans. Now they only want the commanding bot of each squadron, plus one or two hard workers, in the delivery room with them. Oh well, I guess it can’t be avoided.
But wait... what do they mean by “hard workers”? Humans are known for being pretty vague. I better ask my commanding bot to clarify.
Audio Log #004
((the log starts with whirring mechanical noises that could only be described as distressed or angry))!
THE MOST INGOTS?? Is that how they define “hard work” around here? Do they think that gathering the most minerals is the best way to measure hard work? The humans never come down here, so they can’t see! They don’t see that some of the bots spend hours upon hours drilling all over without finding a single deposit, yet others literally strike gold on the first try! You could fill your buckets in a matter of minutes if you were lucky enough!!
I tried to explain this to my commanding bot, but it wouldn’t listen. “This one does understand why comrade desires so much to meet the humans,” was all it kept repeating. Gosh, for someone who gets to meet the humans so often, you’d think it would have picked up some of their speech patterns by now! I know I have. They’re fascinating; how could I not? Anyway, I can’t exactly tell it that this is all a ruse to snag some drawing supplies, but still.... It just gets to me sometimes how little the other automata seem to care about our place in this life. Or no, that’s not it. They care all too MUCH about our place and adhering to it. Anything outside our duties or questioning them is dismissed as frivolous. And we automata can’t afford to be frivolous. No, to be frivolous would be a sign of disrespect to our creators.
I guess I’d be less worked up about all this if I were any good at fulfilling my role, to be honest. If I were confident in my ability to produce the amount of minerals necessary to be deemed a “good worker” then this would be easy as pi. I’d just keep my head down, go in and out of the mines each day, and make quota no problem. Maybe I’d have to work a little harder than normal, but hey, it’d all work out. But no, I had to be the mining bot who was created to be inadequate. “Perfectly suited to my purpose” my ass. I guess they forgot about me when I got sent down that assembly line.
So I guess I’ll take my too-clumsy wheels and my too-dim headlights and forget about those drawing supplies. What was going to be my one solace in this dull life (well, besides these audio recordings I guess) is forever out of my grasp now. I guess each day will be just like the rest now, the perfect reminder of how inadequate as a miner I am. Wonderful.
Audio Log #005
I figured it out! I worked it out with the commanding bot that “hardest worker” can mean the one who has the biggest improvement in mineral amounts. The next time we make a delivery will be at the end of the seven day cycle. I just need to get my numbers up by then, and I’m sure I’ll be chosen to accompany the commanding bot to make the deliveries!
It’s going to be hard, but I’ll try to push through. I may be clumsy, but I’m also fast. I do know that. Every time I crash or fall, I’ll just pick myself up and charge ahead. I know I’m going to have to let my pick-axe get dull before I have any hope of drawing with it again, but I guess that’s a sacrifice I’ll have to make. It’s go time!
Narrative: CV
Character emails
sample character emails from a game made for class in 2016
From: Prince Demetrius von Dinglehopper
To: Protagonist
Subject: I need your help!
To whoever receives this email,
Greetings! I am the esteemed Prince Demetrius von Dinglehopper of the small island nation of Fjordabjorn. Unfortunately, all of my accounts have been frozen by my helicopter parents, the King and Queen, because I fed our treasurer to a sea dragon. How was I supposed to know they’d be mad? Anyway, the only way for me to get back into my accounts is if you, kind soul, lend me a measly sum of $10,000 to pay a hacker to gain access. See? I found a cheap hacker. He told me he’s the cheapest one around. Please reply with all of your bank account information and social security number and help a poor chap such as myself out.
Much appreciated,
Prince Demetrius von Dinglehopper
...
From: Game Gurus
To: Protagonist
Subject: Trade in your old games for in-store credit!!
Dear Protagonist,
We’ve looked at your records and found that you’ve bought a lot of great games from us. Since the new batch of first-person shooters featuring muscle dudes is coming out soon, why not trade in your old games for in-store credit to save up for these?
Our records show you have bought:
Epic Fantasy RPG III
Thrilling Horror Puzzle Game Reborn
Quirky Action Adventure Heroes
Amazing Emotional Saga That Makes You Cry: Plot Twist Edition
Space Physics Platforms 2
Cute Story Game That Reminds You of Your Favorite Childhood Games
...which add up to a grand total of $5.15 and half a PB&J! Drop in one of our locations right away to claim your credit!!
Best,
Your pals at Game Gurus!
...
From: Your work friend
To: Protagonist
Subject: Hi!
Dear Protagonist,
Hi pal. I’ve been feeling pretty tired lately and was wondering if you could unlock the supply closet for me to take naps in during lunch. I know you have the keys to it since you’ve been promoted, and I won’t tell anyone so you won’t get in trouble.
Thanks,
Your work friend
Narrative: CV
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