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Who am I?

The short version: I am a student at Miami University of Ohio studying Games and Simulation, with a focus on developing compelling narratives in video games.

The longer version: I am a lifelong learner, storyteller, and gamer. I enjoy games across many genres, from strategy to metroidvanias to RPGs to roguelikes and beyond. I have experience both as a solo developer as well as working as part of a studio, and am now excited about diving into industry work for the first time. I am equipped as a generalist, but have deeper experience and passion in narrative design, programming, and audio design. My dream is to bring many artistic mediums together in the way that video games do so well to tell a compelling narrative, creating an experience that is not only fun but also meaningful and memorable. When I'm not designing or playing games, I enjoy participating in theatre, especially as a playwright. I have published 4 plays and am always working on another. I also compose music as a hobby, in spite of the fact that I can't find middle C on a piano. Technology is a beautiful thing! You can check out some of my music on my SoundCloud. (Just be aware that some of it is very old, and no longer reflects my current quality standards!) When not at school, I enjoy spending time with my family in Fort Wayne, IN.

I am actively seeking opportunities in the game design field, primarily remote opportunities that will allow me to complete my degree. If you are interested in knowing more about me, or know of anyone who might be interested in my skill set, I would love to get in touch!

When We Had Wings

Full Game - In Development (2025)

When We Had Wings is my senior capstone project, and will go from initial concept to published game in the span of three semesters. This virtual reality game puts the player in a colorful and immersive world of flightless birds, one of whom has just designed the very first hot air balloon. Legend says that birds once soared through the air by their own power, and the player sets out to learn the truth. They pilot their balloon to reach long-forgotten ruins high above the clouds, learn the truth about flight, and even possibly rediscover the full potential of their wings. I am developing this game as part of Hot Air Interactive, a 6-person team, which allows me to focus most of my efforts on narrative and audio design, including composing an original soundtrack.

In flight

Seeing a flat image doesn't do the virtual reality experience justice, but it still gives a sense of what it's like to be inside the balloon. Learning to operate the balloon's controls and take advantage of winds is a rewarding and surprisingly intuitive process.

We intend to release When We Had Wings on Steam once it is complete, and it will be compatible with most VR systems.

Infiltrator

Full Game - In Development (2025)

Infiltrator is a game I am developing as part of Hybrid Studio, a six-person team, over the course of a semester. It is a stealth-shooter in which the environment adapts to the player's choice to stay out of sight, run in guns blazing, or any combination of the two approaches. As a result, the player is able to shape their own gameplay experience. On a team of this size, I have been able to be more of a specialist on this project, diving into narrative and audio design, although the bulk of my work is in programming. Specifcally, I have developed player movement, weapon functionality, and systems like the inventory.

We intend to release Infiltrator for PC for free on Steam once it is complete.

The Galaxy's Worst Commute

Full Game - In Development (2024 - 2025)

The Galaxy's Worst Commute started out as a semester-long project I co-developed with a friend. At the end of the semester, however, we agreed that we had something we were both excited about, and continued development through the summer and into the following year as Galactic Sprout Studio. This movement-based puzzle game follows Mr. Armzdretch, a lovable alien with an unreasonably stretchy arm and the worst possible luck, on his chaotic commute to work. When his ship runs out of fuel, he must continue the journey by using his arm to swing around asteroids, avoid black holes, and more. Since I have only 1 collaborator on this project, I've had a hand in all aspects of development, with some of my major areas of focus being the visuals, level design, and audio.

Worlds of possibility

Finding the fastest route to work is no easy task. Each area contains several levels, each introducing new mechanics, puzzles, and challenges. Our current vision includes 30 levels between 3 distinct areas, but those numbers are subject to change.

We're still working on the game, but the most recent public demo can be found on Galactic Sprout's itch.io page, and can be played on PC or mobile.

Disquiet

Demo - Complete (2023)

Disquiet is a storyworld I developed over the course of a semester, designed with video game franchising in mind. This storyworld is made up of a wide variety of characters, locations, societies, creatures, tools, and powers, all designed to support the narrative of the world. My ultimate goal was to create a narrative experience, not a game. But to give a small window into the world, I created the Disquiet demo through GB Studio. This slice introduces players to a few key characters in the Disquiet world and gives them a taste of the game's unique circumstances, taking place in a city where sound has been outlawed to appease a deity which demands silence in exchange for its blessing. While I have no immediate plans of continuing this project, the experience of designing a complex and compelling world was something I loved doing, and I would be interested in diving back into the world of Disquiet in some capacity in the future.

Disquiet's turn-based combat system

I'm quite happy with how the combat system turned out, even though it is quite simplistic due to time constraints. Your allies choose their own actions based on the current conditions, and you can use items you've found in the world to give you an advantage in battle.

A crossroads

This area holds lots of potential, but is limited in scope because of the nature of the demo. The shops are closed today due to a dangerous criminal being on the loose. But you are still free to explore to the West or East, or return to the North.

The Disquiet demo is available for PC download on my itch.io page.

Unlikely Heroes

ROM Hack - In Development (2023 - 2025)

Unlikely Heroes is my first experience with ROM hacking, and has been in off-and-on development for about 3 years. It is a ROM hack of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, one of my favorite games growing up, and sets out to tell a condensed original story, much like the Special Episodes from the original game. This hack is possible through SkyTemple, an incredible interface for disecting and manipulating Mystery Dungeon, which also has a talented and very helpful community. The hack uses the art, music, and many of the base mechanics from the original game, in combination with my own original story and new dungeons to explore.

Highway robbery

Sneasel and Gligar, the central characters in this story, attempt to mug a passing Spheal. Their combination of humor and heart is the driving force behind the larger narrative. They may be bad guys, but you just can't help rooting for them.

I intend to release Unlikely Heroes on SkyTemple once it is complete. You will need your own copy of Pokemon Mystery Dunegon: Explorers of Sky in order to play it. I do not own any of the rights to Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, nor do I profit from the distribution of this hack.

Let's get in touch!

mgslack14@gmail.com