Joshua Stead-Dorval, Game Design Portfolio
MS Game Design and Development
Rochester Institute of Technology
Thank you so much for reviewing my creative portfolio. I am honored to showcase my work as an applicant for the MS Game Design and Development program at RIT.
Below you'll find my personal statement, resume, and four projects that highlight my skills and experiences as a writer and designer.
If you want to learn more about any of these projects, please click on the associated image or feel free to browse through the rest of the website. Thank you again for your consideration!
Order of Cthulhu
Lead Programmer
A 2D cooking simulator with an eldritch horror theme. Satiate the hunger of eldritch demons in Cthulhu's restaurant before time runs out.
On this project, I ...
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Programmed game in GameMakerStudio 2
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Collaborated on creative vision and game design elements.
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Developed game mechanics with level designer and creative director
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Presented game at in-house department conference
In the Shadow of St. Amelia's
Writer and Designer
In this text-based narrative adventure game, play as the lonely lightkeeper of St. Amelia's lighthouse, grappling with his past. When your inner demons come to visit, what will you do?
On this project, I ...
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Wrote an original narrative exploring themes of guilt, avoidance, and forgiveness
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Designed a branching narrative structure with non-linear segments to reflect navigating the physical setting
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Implemented game narrative in Twine
Peaceland: Choose Your Memory
Narrative Design Lead
A 3D narrative-driven game inspired by real stories from Kosovo and the Balkans. Uncover memories of everyday people in a deeply divided post-war zone.
On this project, I ...
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Led a team of 2-6 developers to design a fictional world and create narratives to reflect common patterns of peace building in postwar zones
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Produced scripts, in collaboration with team, for 15-minute demo
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Collaborated on worldbuilding documents and narrative catalog for Peaceland
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Presented on behalf of the team at Narrascope 2024 and 2024 Schwartz Discover Scholars Showcase on Peaceland and Empathy in Interactive Fiction
Infinitus: The Endless Desert
Designer and Developer
A 3D rouge-like first person shooter set in the endless desert of Infinitus. Fight your way through the desert, gaining more powerful every time you enter, as you search for the elusive Way Out.
On this project, I ...
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Designed game mechanics to facilitate escalating difficulty and replayability
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Programmed game in Unreal