About Me
Game Designer | Writer | Huge Nerd
Hi, I’m Max! I’m currently working as a Character Designer at Toys For Bob Games! I’m most interested in movement design, combat design, and creating environmental actors for the player to interact with.
I'm also a graduate of the AGPM (B.A.) and the GPM (M.S.) programs at UC Santa Cruz.
EXPERIENCE & Accomplishments
- I've got 3+ years of industry experience and 4+ years of experience working in different versions of Unreal.
- A paper I wrote was selected as one of the gold winners of the GDC 2020 narrative review.
- I’ve shown off my tabletop game Thalassophobia at Pixelpop 2019, Dreamhack Anaheim 2020, and BostonFIG Virtual 2021.
SKILLS
- I have produced both digital and physical games.
- I am familiar with both running and participating in stand up procedures such as scrum.
- I work frequently with Google Suites and Microsoft Office.
- I have years of experience with Blueprint Scripting with UE4/UE5.
- I have some experience with unity and coding in C# .
Education
In addition to having a B.A. and M.S., I worked as an undergraduate research assistant where I helped to identify, collect, build, and analyze a database of thousands of independent video games for a research project.
- 2021
Toys For Bob!
In the summer of 2021, I began working professionally at TFB as an intern. Over the following years I became an associate designer and then a junior designer.
In 2020 I started pursuing my masters degree in the games and playable media program at Santa Cruz. I obtained this in 2022.
2020 -
- 2020
GDC Narrative Review
A paper I wrote on the indie game Furi was selected as one of the gold winners of the GDC Narrative Review.
I began working as an undergrad research assignment up until my cum laude graduation in 2020.
2018 -
- 2016
University of California Santa Cruz
I enrolled into the AGPM program which I completed in four years.
Portfolio
Here’s some examples of my work. Some of it was done for class projects, some was done on my own, and some are a combination of the two.
Thalassophobia
Physical | Solo
Thalassophobia is an experimental, one-shot tabletop RPG where the GM takes on the role of an otherworldly creature known as The Suit.
Can a small party of unlikely allies triumph over The Suit or will paranoia tear them asunder?
It’s free to download & play.
Color Schemers
Digital | Group
Color Schemers is a frantic party game for 2 - 4 players developed in Unity for a capstone project by a small group of UCSC students.
I worked as design lead, level designer, SFX creator, and Co-producer on the project.
Scofflaws!
Physical | Group
A unique 4-6 player party card game about deception, anonymity, and cheating.
Each player assumes the role of a particular criminal, each with their own abilities and goals.
Use your abilities to turn the game in your favor!
Luck is for chumps!
Max’s Minigames
Digital | Solo
Two minigames that I created. They both have the same minimalist style, but play differently.
DodgeBomb is a grid-based infinite runner that I created for a game jam.
Color Castle is a versus multiplayer game that is played using an alternative controller that I built.
CTRu
Digital | Group
We make essays on game design that particularly interest us.
We also make trailers and explanatory videos for our games.
Camp Laughter
Digital | Group
Camp Laughter is a low-poly, first-person, horror-comedy game built in UE4.
Can you evade all the colorful killers, solve the campground's puzzles, and manage to escape in one piece?