Game Design CV and Portfolio
Dr. Alexander Thumm
Phd: Expressive and Performative Techniques for Narrative, Audio and Visual Gameplay
B.Music Honours
al@lamplightforest.com | +61407796602 | Prospect, South Australia
twitter.com/al_thumm
Phd: Expressive and Performative Techniques for Narrative, Audio and Visual Gameplay
B.Music Honours
al@lamplightforest.com | +61407796602 | Prospect, South Australia
twitter.com/al_thumm
Key Roles:
Creative Lead of Mage Drops
Responsible for all game design, programming, art direction, sound-design, and hand-crafting over 100 levels
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1552600/Mage_Drops/
Creative Lead of Pallas of Vines
Responsible for all game design (including complex musical-puzzle system for which I have a US patent), programming, art direction, story, and audio implementation (Wwise)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1239720/Pallas_of_Vines/
Creative Lead of Mage Drops
Responsible for all game design, programming, art direction, sound-design, and hand-crafting over 100 levels
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1552600/Mage_Drops/
Creative Lead of Pallas of Vines
Responsible for all game design (including complex musical-puzzle system for which I have a US patent), programming, art direction, story, and audio implementation (Wwise)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1239720/Pallas_of_Vines/
Video and realtime examples of game design, prototyping and programming work are available on request
| alexander_thumm_resume.pdf |
Summary
• PhD in expressive musical game design
• US patent holder in expressive musical gameplay technologies
• Founder of the game studios Lamplight Forest and Orchid of Redemption
• Have planned, prototyped and pitched multi-year, multi-million-dollar game projects for PC and consoles to publishers around the world
• Designed, developed and self-published Mage Drops for PC/Mac/Linux on Steam and Itch, in the role of project lead, artist, game designer, sound designer and programmer
High level of game design knowledge from planning to execution. Have managed small development teams of up to 15 people, guiding all areas including game structure, gameplay, musical composition, sound design, and art direction including environments, and characters all the way from concept drawings to 3D models and animation.
Skilled in Unity as a game designer, prototyper, gameplay programmer (C#), level designer, puzzle designer (including designing and programming rich/deep systems for sokobans, falling-block/match3s, musical puzzles in a narrative adventure context, and gameplay-centric entity component systems).
Passionate follower and deeply involved in the indie game scene, open to exploring remote work as a scout for publishers. Not only do I have a keen eye for what makes a great game, but as a designer and programmer I have an intimate knowledge of what makes them tick.
Career history
Director at Orchid of Redemption
2021 – Present
Established a micro game development studio, branched off from Lamplight Forest. Focused on 'minimum lovable product' premium games for PC and consoles, smaller and simpler games, but with plenty of richness, each with a development time of less than one year. This studio currently has the game Mage Drops in Early Access on Steam and Itch, published by Lamplight Forest
Director at Lamplight Forest
2016 – Present
Established my own game development studio, developed and pitched large-scale projects to publishers around the world
Key responsibilities
As director and creative lead I’ve designed and developed prototypes, sourced and managed a team of freelance artists and programmers
Acted as art director, game designer and writer on multiple projects (including musical adventure Pallas of Vines), created and presented pitches and playable demos for multi-million-dollar projects to publishers around the world
Achievements
Secured a US patent on musical-gameplay technology, based on my PhD research
Have developed over 20 playable prototypes of highly unique games (which I personally designed and programmed). Have pitched several of these and received highly positive feedback from world-class publishers
Have received advice and/or mentoring from a key figures in game community including Tony Lawrence (Mighty Kingdom), Tom Crago (Tantalus), and Ian Dallas (Giant Sparrow)
Have presented talks and playable demos at international conferences in the US, Canada, UK and Australia, including at Unite LA and Montreal International Games Summit
Freelance Game Design Tutoring at Lamplight Forest
2018 – Present
Private tutor in game design, gameplay programming, Unity, C#
Key responsibilities
One-to-one tutoring on the basics of game design including project-planning, iterative development and testing, awareness of entity-component style planning and execution
Setting additional tasks to consolidate self-learning and an ongoing understanding of the fundamental principles demonstrated
Achievements
Achieved rapid student progress from planning to prototype in a short time. Guided students towards their own understanding of self-directed iterative development and testing
Sound Design for Games and Music Technology Tutoring at University of Adelaide, Elder Conservatorium
2015 – Present
One-to-one tutoring, class tutoring and assessment grading
Key responsibilities
One-to-one tutoring on music technology fundamentals, based on the needs of the student
Class tutoring in sound design for games (Wwise, FMOD and Unity, adaptive music) and music technology fundamentals. Introducing basic concepts, leading classes through generating creative work and participating in group feedback. Grading online assessments
Interests
Games, Music (piano and guitar), Contemporary dance
References
Available upon request
• PhD in expressive musical game design
• US patent holder in expressive musical gameplay technologies
• Founder of the game studios Lamplight Forest and Orchid of Redemption
• Have planned, prototyped and pitched multi-year, multi-million-dollar game projects for PC and consoles to publishers around the world
• Designed, developed and self-published Mage Drops for PC/Mac/Linux on Steam and Itch, in the role of project lead, artist, game designer, sound designer and programmer
High level of game design knowledge from planning to execution. Have managed small development teams of up to 15 people, guiding all areas including game structure, gameplay, musical composition, sound design, and art direction including environments, and characters all the way from concept drawings to 3D models and animation.
Skilled in Unity as a game designer, prototyper, gameplay programmer (C#), level designer, puzzle designer (including designing and programming rich/deep systems for sokobans, falling-block/match3s, musical puzzles in a narrative adventure context, and gameplay-centric entity component systems).
Passionate follower and deeply involved in the indie game scene, open to exploring remote work as a scout for publishers. Not only do I have a keen eye for what makes a great game, but as a designer and programmer I have an intimate knowledge of what makes them tick.
Career history
Director at Orchid of Redemption
2021 – Present
Established a micro game development studio, branched off from Lamplight Forest. Focused on 'minimum lovable product' premium games for PC and consoles, smaller and simpler games, but with plenty of richness, each with a development time of less than one year. This studio currently has the game Mage Drops in Early Access on Steam and Itch, published by Lamplight Forest
Director at Lamplight Forest
2016 – Present
Established my own game development studio, developed and pitched large-scale projects to publishers around the world
Key responsibilities
As director and creative lead I’ve designed and developed prototypes, sourced and managed a team of freelance artists and programmers
Acted as art director, game designer and writer on multiple projects (including musical adventure Pallas of Vines), created and presented pitches and playable demos for multi-million-dollar projects to publishers around the world
Achievements
Secured a US patent on musical-gameplay technology, based on my PhD research
Have developed over 20 playable prototypes of highly unique games (which I personally designed and programmed). Have pitched several of these and received highly positive feedback from world-class publishers
Have received advice and/or mentoring from a key figures in game community including Tony Lawrence (Mighty Kingdom), Tom Crago (Tantalus), and Ian Dallas (Giant Sparrow)
Have presented talks and playable demos at international conferences in the US, Canada, UK and Australia, including at Unite LA and Montreal International Games Summit
Freelance Game Design Tutoring at Lamplight Forest
2018 – Present
Private tutor in game design, gameplay programming, Unity, C#
Key responsibilities
One-to-one tutoring on the basics of game design including project-planning, iterative development and testing, awareness of entity-component style planning and execution
Setting additional tasks to consolidate self-learning and an ongoing understanding of the fundamental principles demonstrated
Achievements
Achieved rapid student progress from planning to prototype in a short time. Guided students towards their own understanding of self-directed iterative development and testing
Sound Design for Games and Music Technology Tutoring at University of Adelaide, Elder Conservatorium
2015 – Present
One-to-one tutoring, class tutoring and assessment grading
Key responsibilities
One-to-one tutoring on music technology fundamentals, based on the needs of the student
Class tutoring in sound design for games (Wwise, FMOD and Unity, adaptive music) and music technology fundamentals. Introducing basic concepts, leading classes through generating creative work and participating in group feedback. Grading online assessments
Interests
Games, Music (piano and guitar), Contemporary dance
References
Available upon request
Key skills
• Skilled at complex game project design and execution
Adapting to the changing needs of a creative project
• Breaking down tasks to communicate them clearly and simply to artists, programmers and students
• High level of research skills. Able to analyse and synthesise large amounts of information on game industry gameplay, art and narrative trends
• Planning and executing game design visions at both micro and macro levels
• Skilled in Unity and C# gameplay and game-structure programming
• Deep knowledge of Unity+Wwise audio integration
• Art direction: a keen eye for sourcing and communicating key reference materials, developing background fictions to flesh out art direction
• Game design, art and narrative expertise drawn from encyclopedic knowledge of game history
• Skilled at complex game project design and execution
Adapting to the changing needs of a creative project
• Breaking down tasks to communicate them clearly and simply to artists, programmers and students
• High level of research skills. Able to analyse and synthesise large amounts of information on game industry gameplay, art and narrative trends
• Planning and executing game design visions at both micro and macro levels
• Skilled in Unity and C# gameplay and game-structure programming
• Deep knowledge of Unity+Wwise audio integration
• Art direction: a keen eye for sourcing and communicating key reference materials, developing background fictions to flesh out art direction
• Game design, art and narrative expertise drawn from encyclopedic knowledge of game history
Education
• PhD in Expressive Musical Interaction in Video Games
from University of Adelaide (incl. 6 month visiting scholar position at University of Southern California’s Game Innovation Lab, LA)
Graduated 2017
Received Australian Post Graduate Award Funding
• Bachelor of Sonic Arts with First Class Honours from University of Adelaide, Elder Conservatorium
Graduated 2013
• 4 time recipient of Elder Conservatorium Director's Award for Academic Excellence
• PhD in Expressive Musical Interaction in Video Games
from University of Adelaide (incl. 6 month visiting scholar position at University of Southern California’s Game Innovation Lab, LA)
Graduated 2017
Received Australian Post Graduate Award Funding
• Bachelor of Sonic Arts with First Class Honours from University of Adelaide, Elder Conservatorium
Graduated 2013
• 4 time recipient of Elder Conservatorium Director's Award for Academic Excellence