Ellie Smith
Game Designer

I'm a second year at Falmouth University studying BA(Hons) Game Development: Design. I love the design of games and the complex problems, producing excieting and meaningful experiences. In particular I'm interested in the interfacing between user and computer and systems that entwine together to emerge moments of surprise and delight.

In general I love loads of different crafts; anything from bookbinding to wooden ring making to pyrography. Additionally I've recently discovered my passion for climbing.

Games

Link to itch.io for ROBROS

Robros is a first year group project that I worked on as a game designer with other people from different disciplines at Falmouth University.

Play as 'R' and 'N' discarded robots fighting to save humanity form the corrupt surveillance company WannaSmile.Co....
In this co-op first person shooter you must rely on each other by fighting your way through hordes of enemy CCTB robots whilst recharging each others batteries and destroying generators.

Roles:
- Systems Designer
- Level Designer
- UI Designer
- UX Designer
- VFX Artister
- Marketing / Graphic Designer

What I learnt from this project:

- In this project I learnt a lot about group working and how to communicate with others in the team particularly as a designer to divide responsibility, get tasks done efficiently and proivde constructive feedback to refine work

- I also got to work on designing a system that facilitates co-operative gameplay with a particular focus on balance the individual experience with the co-operative one

Insequity is a third-person horror platformer with Metroidvania elements, inspired by the rich, stylized visuals of Arcane. Set in a decaying GMO research facility in the 1970s, you play as a brilliant but unhinged scientist who’s been accidentally shrunken to insect size. Now, you must navigate the vast and dangerous zones of the lab in a desperate search for a solution to reverse the shrinkage.

Utilise the Incubator to splice insect genes into your own DNA, hybridising and expanding your range of abilities to help you survive and complete your mission. But you're not alone. Stalking the ruins is a mutated anthropod hybrid experiment—one born of your own reckless ambition.

Reverse the shrinkage. Survive the chase. Reclaim your research.

Roles:
- Lead Designer (UI / UX / Levels / Systems / Narrative)
- Marketing / Graphic Designer

- 2D animator

Link to itch.io for Insequity

What I learnt doing this project:

- Initially I created a board game prototype of our ideas, which established the monsters presence and the incubator system. Afterwards we tried to introduce player abilities to the game however we struggled to establish what those would be and when I think about it they took time away from refining the core loop so I think if I did it again I'd choose to put less time into the abilities.

- I also would have put more effort into maintaining an agile working pattern. Had we of done more testing I believe we would've been more informed about some of our decisions and would've caught more bugs before milestones were reached.

BAFTA YGD

2022 BAFTA YGD Finalists and Winners

BAFTA Young Game Desginers is a competition for kids aged 10-18. I entered this competition in 2022 and made it to the finals out of 1000s of entries with my concept for Escape the Engines:

A Steampunk Escape Room Party Game, with the only means of escape being through the players' abilities to communicate and work together before the time runs out.

Docs

Systems Design

Interface Design