I've been working in mobile games since 2011. Since then I've worked on some of the biggest mobile titles in history, including Plants Vs. Zombies 2 and Subway Surfers— the most downloaded game in mobile history. I’ve also done consultation on monetization, system and feature design, and narrative design. Currently, I am the Creative Director at Electric Manta, an independent mobile studio.
When I'm not making games, I write essays about personal experience, the game industry, and popular culture. I've written for outlets like OZY, The Billfold, and Gamasutra, and I was a regular contributor at The Yearbook Office. My book Empathy Engines: Design Games That Are Personal, Political, and Profound released in early 2017.
I can't stand broken systems, so I'm constantly working to improve the world around me. My work to improve the game industry for marginalized people has been written up in Polygon, Kotaku, The Mary Sue, and The Verge, and my personal work strives to make the world a better place.
In my spare time, my passion is making independent games that are personal and that revolve around connection: between players, between players and the designer, and connecting the player to themselves. This includes Deadbolt, a 2012 Indiecade award nominee that I've brought to conferences around the world, including the SAAM Arcade at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC.
Don’t hire me if you’re hoping points and badges are going to motivate your users. I’m an expert in motivationally-based systems design who’s worked with clients like Cedars-Sinai, Starbucks, and the LA Dodgers. You can hear more about my gamification philosophy on Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman, where I discuss why Duolingo works so well.
I'm not part of the movement to design games that elicit empathy: instead, I believe in designing empathetic systems that respect players. My interactive tool to inspire constructive apologies and making amends, Am I Part Of The Problem?, was played over 10,000 times in the first week it was live.