Daniel House
Game Designer
Class Coursework
Ion Run
2014
Ion Run is an educational video game aimed at teaching the basics of Circuit Theory.
As a part of this team, my duties varied from gameplay designer, 3D artist, UI Design and implementation, as well as development.
Project Genesis
2014
GDD Sample
Project Genesis is a third person puzzle solving game. The player is an entity with artificial intelligence with the ability to transfer its consciousness into other electronic devices, such as computer consoles and robots. Using this ability to navigate through the dangerous puzzles of the game, the player must seek a way to take control of the complex it was created in, or destroy the complex with extreme prejudice.
For Project Genesis, I worked as the lead designer; created the world, mechanics, characters, gameplay, character progression, paper prototypes, and digital prototypes. I then storyboarded, designed, and developed the trailer for the game creating assets along the way.
Ryph
2013
Ryph is a 1st person puzzle-platform video game. Ryph is comprised of a series of puzzle-filled labyrinths inside dungeons that must be solved mostly by the player character's ability to ryph, an ability that allows them to reorient their gravity in the direction they choose. The game's modified physics engine allows for the character to "fall" to the ceiling and down corridors, increase their speed and momentum, or vice-versa, allowing players to creatively negotiate the labyrinth's challenges. As the player progresses through each dungeon they will unlock more and more elaborate dungeons filled with challenging labyrinths, deceiving perspectives, hazardous traps, and treacherous enemies.
In just one month, I worked with a great team as a gameplay, mechanics, and level designer. Then got my hands dirty in UDK creating the levels and layout. Being one of the first games I've ever worked on, the team and I spent a lot of time creating a huge fantasy world. We had (on paper) created seven plus environments and a linear story. While the scope of the demo was far out of reach, the over planned design process sparked my dreams to one day work on a game as expansive and exciting as we had hoped for in Ryph.
Project Prototypes
Old World
Began - 2017
GDD Sample
Old World delivers the epic warfare of a Real Time Strategy game and combines it with the reflex action of a Third Person Action game. Old World requires that one player build a base with structures to produce units, gather resources, research upgrades, and provide defenses in order to defeat their opponent. However, in this mix, the player has Hero Units at their disposal. Hero Units are unique because they can be played in Third Person Point of View by another player through online play or LAN, where each hero has its own special abilities. With uniquely balanced playable factions and customizable game settings, Old World allows players to fight battles in exciting new ways.
For this ambitious game, I had the opportunity to lead a team of 8 members from the local IGDA chapter Texas Aggie Game Developers during the 2016-2017 winter break. My contributions to this game included the core Gameplay and Game Mechanics design as well as all art and development preproduction.
While the projects below remain as just prototypes, I feel it is important to list them. I learned a great deal of things from each project: time management, leadership, new ways of looking at playtesting etc. If time ever allows, I'd love to one day go back with a great team and finished these ambitious game projects.
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Survivors Recount
Began - 2016
GDD Sample
The Survivors Recount Board Game is about storytelling and survival in worlds separated from humanity. Driven by imagination, each player assumes the role of a survivor with no supplies, and must recount how the group dealt with events over the course of the seven days that lead to their rescue.
This board game was a part of coursework during the Fall of 2016. Working solo, I designed all gameplay, game mechanics, and art within this game. I then developed the game and conducted 4 playtest sessions in an effort to improve its overall design.