Artist’s Statement
I thought of myself as a writer for much of my life. I knew that I enjoyed working with words, fitting them together, tweaking them till they fit just right. I enjoyed what I could do with words, threading together sentiments and phrases, people and scenarios, feelings and fiction, real or no, until I had a story that I could share. That made me a writer. For a while I clung onto that label like the proof in paper that it was before I realized that there was a reason that my eyes were always darting around towards other things. My interior world, my world, got much brighter one day when I realized that I could do more than just write, but again, I thought of myself as a writer for much of my life.
It’s no surprise then that I always have to have a narrative that frames my works, even as I explore other disciplines: coding, digital art, voice work, visual design. I don’t think that makes me particularly unique. We all run on narratives, though I am very conscious of it. Unless I need to, and I rarely do, I make no effort to shake off the primacy with which I hold onto my guiding star: narrative. It sets the vision and the intended experience. It’s the pursuit of that vision, the capturing of that experience that motivates my work for any given project and sets my standards for quality.
Stories can be whatever you want them to be, but I hold a core belief that stories are meant to be shared. A story should be shared to at least one person who’s not you, even if it’s just the person you’ll be after telling that story. I create with an audience in mind and I relish in it with every design consideration I make. I look to involve others in the creation process. When you get multiple visions to align you have something incredibly potent. I aim to work on and be a part of projects that have a strong sense of style and identity.
I am a fan of complicated things, even as they daunt me, especially the complicated things that don’t look that complicated. Usually that kind of complicated took a lot of work. I look to videogames for inspiration on how to create a complete experience. I look to them as inspiration because they require so many different things to fit together well, so much complicated stuff coming together to work out. This portfolio is a showcase of my efforts to understand these complicated things we call games.
Citizen Sleeper: An Eye Towards Abstraction
This essay analyzes how the award winning game Citizen Sleeper creates the conditions for a deeply involved and affecting personal experience. I break down the game’s systems and story through the lens of the Creative Director of Frictional Games, Thomas Grip’s SSM framework while also applying insights from many other influential thinkers on game design such as Ian Bogost, Katie Salen, and Eric Zimmerman.
The Secret Sauce: An Espionage Adventure
The Secret Sauce is a group game project made on Twine that was completed over the course of roughly two months. I was the coder and narrative designer on this project.
Play the game at: https://mann-sy-tha.itch.io/the-secret-sauce
Also Read: My reflection on this project (How the Sauce is Made)
Play Logs
These play logs can be viewed as articles or mini write-ups on various games and media. They contain my thoughts on a variety of different topics related to design and process.
- Dave the Diver: Musings on a Sushi Game and Filling Appetizers
- Shotgun Jerboa: Takeaways From a Student-made Game Project
- Gone Home: Audio and Atmosphere as Substance
- Neuromancer: Neuromancer as a Creation Story
Other Relevant Projects
Although not created for any credit in ENGL4890, these other projects demonstrate my approach with narrative and game design.
In Your Yard
In this game, you’re a grasshopper who traverses around its small world, hopping and climbing, as two human neighbors argue really loudly in the background.
Game remains to be completed over the summer of 2024.
Paradise Lived
This game adapts Book IV and V of Milton’s Paradise Lost. Explore life in the Garden of Eden as Adam and Eve.
Game remains to be completed by May 9th.