About Me

Why I Work in Games

Hi, looks like you wanted to learn more about me! I'm Daniel, and I share a huge passion for games that I want to share with others. I've learned a lot about myself through my experience with games, from the relationships I've formed and the titles that made me explore parts of myself that would have otherwise been uncharted.

I still have fond memories of friend coralled around a TV screen staying up hours into the night, passing around controllers and taking turns on games. I've experienced titles that have caused me to reflect on myself, challenged me, and shaped my world view. A good title can challenge you and reframe the way you interact with the world, as any form of art can.

I really strongly believe games are a special form of artistic media. Games have the ability to draw people together, and challenge us in ways both mechanically and mentally that other forms of media can not match. I want to create experiences like that for people, and to put little pieces of myself in my work and share that with the world.

My Top 5 Favorite Games

Xenoblade Chronicles

Xenoblade is an incredible RPG that has stuck with me ever since the first time played it. Many of its best experiences are best left for you to experience if you have not, as spoilers can ruin many aspects of its narrative. Still, its cast taught me a lot about the person I would like to become at a formative age. It instilled lessons about perseverance and overcoming hardships through grit and care that I still hold dear.

This story also has deep roots in real world philosophy about fate and causality, and diving into this has been a personal joy. I am grateful that I was able to experience this title and this series has become one of my favorites.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

My first playthrough of Breath of the Wild was an experience that I've never quite been able to replicate. The atmosphere the game creates is unmatched, giving both a sense of adventure and melancholy. I played this during a pretty major transitional period of my life, and the calm exploration gave me the peace of mind and time to reflect that I needed at the time.

I've heard criticism of the "empty" world in this game, but for me personally it only heightens my experience. The barren, ruined world creates an atmosphere that very few games I've played have been able to pull off.

Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 has an incredible amount of content, and I still have more to explore. My first playthrough was done with a group of three of my other childhood friends. It had been years since we were able to put that amount of time into a game together, but something about this game kept pulling us back and 80 hours later we finished our first playthrough together.

I replayed the game a bit after, and was once again blown away by the depth of its systems and loved its character writing. I am grateful that this game can offer many types of great experiences, and it was my first introduction to my now blossoming interest in tabletop roleplaying.

Hollow Knight

Exploring the world of Hallownest in Hollow Knight is nothing short of magical. Getting lost and wandering never was boring, and the world was packed with beautiful sights and points of interest. It's combat and bosses were incrediblly engaging and fun to master, as I took on the challenge to 100% its achievement list.

It was also my introduction to this style of narrative storytelling, and I have been hooked since. Exploring a ruined kingdom, and piecing together its history using the environment and cryptic dialogue was captivating. I soon found myself thoroughly invested in the history of this little bug kingdom, and mourning its fall to ruin.

While the sequel is an improvement on this title in so many ways and might be the surperior game overall, I cannot deny this title has a special place in my heart. Hallownest, its sights, and its inhabitants are forever ingrained into my mind.

Signalis

Signalis has a special place in my heart due to my first playthrough of it. It was a recommendation of a close friend, and I decided to play through it while he would watch and chat. The game was immediately captivating, feeling like it drew on the gameplay systems of Resident Evil while and storytelling of Silent Hill. The atmosphere was thrilling throughout, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire playthrough.

However, what I remember most was theory crafting with my friend and talking about our personal interpretations of the story. It's an extremely revealing experience, and I think your personal interpretation of this story tells a lot about you. I remember these conversations extremely fondly, and it reminds of someone that I now live more than 1000 miles from.