Games
I'm passionate about games as interactive creative media, learning tools, and laboratories for understanding human behavior.
Games often involve rule-based systems that create incentives and disincentives for different types of player interactions. Some games are fun, but not all games are meant to be fun (see Papers, Please or That Dragon, Cancer).
Because games are interactive, they can build empathy by putting the player in unusual situations or forcing them to make difficult choices. The nature and balance of their rules creates economies of action that can support myriad different themes. A game like Shadow of the Colossus would not work in any other medium.
When designing games, I am often reminded of problems I encountered while studying philosophy and public policy in school. It can be challenging and rewarding to think about not only what a game world should look like, but what balance of rules are both feasible to implement and would support the world I envision.
Leveling Up
In 2023, I completed a Certificate in Game Design from the University of Washington. I've developed several game demos published on itch.io and have participated in five game jams. I am active in the Seattle Indies, Duckfeed.tv, and Bethesda game modding communities like Lexy's.
I average one digital game per week and take notes on everything I play. I enjoy many different types of games but gravitate toward toward smaller, single-player titles. Want a recommendation? Try out Disco Elysium or the games of Lucas Pope.
I run or participate in a few tabletop roleplaying sessions a month—games like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Shadowdark, or Call of Cthulu.
Years ago, I made over 200 gameplay and tutorial videos for YouTube and had a blast doing voice work for the Skyrim Book Club.
Recently Played
Tukoni: Forest Keepers Tukoni: Forest Keepers is a cute & cozy puzzle adventure. Play as the forest spirit Tukoni as you meet unique characters, solve captivating puzzles, brew fragrant tea and explore a magical world filled with kindness.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines Vampire®: The Masquerade-Bloodlines™ delivers a new type of RPG experience-one that blends all the core elements of a traditional RPG with the graphical richness, immediacy and brutal combat of a first-person action game. The game plunges players into the dark and gritty vampire underworld of modern-day L.A. as a creature of the night.
Potions: A Curious Tale Potions: A Curious Tale is an adventure & crafting game where wit is your greatest weapon and combat is not always the answer. Play as Luna, a young witch who overcomes obstacles with the potions she brews, as she gathers items from enchanted lands and conquers devious puzzles on her quest.
Tukoni: Prologue Tukoni: Prologue is a point-and-click puzzle adventure, based on a series of award-winning books by the Ukrainian artist Oksana Bula. Play as Tukoni, the forest spirits, as you meet unique characters, solve captivating puzzles, craft new items, and explore a magical world filled with kindness.
Venba Venba is a short narrative cooking game, where you play as an Indian mom who immigrates to Canada with her family in the 1980s. Cook various dishes and restore lost recipes, hold branching conversations, and explore South Indian food in this story about family, love, and loss.