game design
Interactive experiences, video games, & tabletop games.
1920’s Murder Mystery
Miami Game Design Club’s immersive murder mystery event for Miami University’s RECON.
Who killed Steve Porter?
The year is 1921, and you and your fellow private investigators have just been hired by the Rockridge Police Department to investigate a death. Your job is to work with the police to confirm the details of the death of Steve Porter, a local journalist. RPD has left some materials in your PI office, and after they finish inspecting the crime scene, they’ll send you in.
Your team has just 45 minutes to conduct your investigation and determine the true nature of the crime.
The Brains Behind the Mystery
In February 2020, Miami Game Design Club (MGDC) created a 1920’s murder mystery experience for Miami University’s RECON 2020—the biggest geek culture event in Oxford, Ohio. Teams of five worked together to investigate the death of Steve Porter by inspecting the evidence in his office in an immersive experience much like an escape room.
As the lead designer on the MGDC team, I researched and constructed all of the paper evidence in Adobe Illustrator—including a birth certificate, an autopsy report, love letters, and newspapers. I focused on creating compelling and historically realistic documents to better immerse the players in the mystery.
Marathon Game
In this strategic roll-and-move board game, the goal is speed. There will be dice rolling, spinner spinning, and card drawing to determine your luck on the road. But ultimately, it's up to you to conserve your strength, avoid injuries, and run as fast as you can to the finish line. So line up, rein in your nerves, and get set, because the marathon is about to begin!
Explore the labs where Project X began in this Puzzlescript game. Piece together what exactly is going on with Project X—and watch out! The lab can be dangerous.
“It’s just well done.”
—Dann Sullivan, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Big Boss Battle
Read Dann Sullivan’s review of Project X: Aliens here.
Press ‘X’ to begin the game!
Project X: Aliens
You're an egg. But where did you come from? What will you become?
Use the arrow keys to play.
Once I was an Egg
missed
A series of dreams force you to confront people you once knew... What do you say to them now?
Select dialogue with the arrow keys. Press any key to advance through conversations.
You’ve stumbled upon a mysterious timepiece in the ruins of an old castle. With the timepiece’s power to manipulate time, can you find a way to repair the castle?
The Time Piece
more games
Sleepwalking
Sleepwalking is a puzzle game where you every step you take moves you in the real world and the dream world. Make sure to find your way to bed without waking up in the wrong place!
A Plantastic Life
A Plantastic Life is a cooperative card game where players work together to grow and protect a sunflower. Watch out for pests and brave the ever-changing weather!
Quest for the Ruby Amulet
In this Dungeons & Dragons module, your party is sent to the Tower of Dinema in search of an important ruby amulet. Can you make it out alive?
The Mysterious Art Portal
My senior thesis for Miami University: an interactive and informative mystery within the Miami University Art Museum.
Dr. Andrew R. Tucker is missing.
Dr. Andrew R. Tucker, a fictional researcher of art practices and technology, is missing. He was visiting the Miami Art Museum in search of a specific piece of art—a piece that he believed to be a portal into another world. Tucker theorized that certain artworks were created to be portals into the artist’s mind. Now, it is possible that he has proven that theory correct, for he left behind clues that lead to a single piece of art. Can you follow his clues and identify the artwork for yourself?
Promoting Engagement with Art
I worked with Jason Shaiman, the Curator of Exhibitions at the Miami University Art Museum, to create an interactive experience for the Art History at a Glance exhibit. This experience engages guests with the artwork by utilizing the art as clues in the mystery. The narrative gives the guests a reason to look more closely at the artwork and encourages them to learn about each piece further by requiring them to read the artist plaques.
The experience is playable in a physical format, and has the capacity to be implemented in a digital form as well. The narrative, puzzles, physical elements, and app screen mock-ups were written and designed solely by me.