Hello everybody, I'm Justin! I'm a new grad from University of California, Santa Cruz with a major in Computer Science: Game Design. I am interested in Game AI, UI/UX Design, and Game Systems. I have had a passion for Game Design ever since the first game I played, Pokemon Red, when I was nine years old. Since then I have a fascination with the process of making and analyzing games through the lens of a game designer.

I was able to gain a great amount of experience from my internship at Hangar 13 Games and my continued participation of UCSC Game Development club. Being able to experience the work environment of the game industry through Hangar 13 was such a pleasure since it gave me confidence that making games was what I want to do in life. I spent an entire summer designing and crafting abilities and AI test maps, while also honing my coding skills. This not only prepared me for future game design roles, but also helped me figure out certain aspects of game design that really stood out to me.

Since then, I was very fortunate to get hired by Escape Velocity Games right after graduating college. Throughout my time with them, I have gained so many skills and experience to my game development journey, especially growth as a combat designer. Having to ideate and implement a protoype character within two weeks really streched my imagination and pushed the boundaries of my game development capabilites. I am also grateful to be mentored by two amazing senior game designers which allowed me to learn from my many, many mistakes and quickly see improvements in myself through those iterations.

Feel free to ask me anything or reach out to me at jaq1401@gmail.com!

Resume

Projects

Personal Website

a personal website to showcase myself, projects, and experiences

github repo website

Grand Heresy

a twin-stick top down shooter that supports up to 4 players that battle through the depths of hell

github repo website

Unending Ikea

a first person exploration game where the player is in search of furniture in an infinite IKEA

github repo

NEVER_ALONE

a 2D game where players go through their inbox and down a rabbit-hole of links through the "dark web"

github repo playable game

Cute Corgi Chase

a 2D endless runner where you play as a corgi chasing a squirrel while dodging rocks, cats, and even astroids

github repo playable game

Tank Warfare

my custom version of "Rocket Patrol" with self-made art, sound, and ability for 2 players

github repo playable game

Rocket Patrol Remake

a class project to remake the game "Rocket Patrol" from scratch using Javascript

github repo playable game

Skills

Languages: Blueprints, C++, Lua, C#, Javascript
Game Design: Character design, combat design, level scripting, gameplay scripting
Concepts: Object-oriented programming, Game AI, Behavioral Trees, General Algorithms
Development environments: Unreal Engine 5, Unity, Figma, Phaser 3, Construct 3

Experience

Escape Velocity Entertianment Games

Sept 2022 - Present

Throughout my time at this company, I learned about the whole process of designing a character, how to design a tutorial that is both easy to follow while providing ample information on how to play our game, and inter-discipline collaboration within the entire company and exposing me to different aspects of game design.

Role: Junior Game Designer
Highlights: Ideated and created 5 new characters, implemented the level blueprint for the tutorial, and improved my skills on 3C's.

Hangar 13 Games

Jun 2021 - Aug 2021

Hangar 13 Games is a studio known for making games like Mafia III and Mafia: Definitive Edition. From my internship, I learned behavioral trees, AI designing, and collaboration within a large team.

Role: Game Design Intern
Highlights: Created a new ability for the crossbow enemy, helped with behavioral tree setup for existing enemies, and designed a test map for all enemies.

COMING SOON