LAN ROED

Game Designer

Hello! I'm a creative and practical game designer. I have a decade of experience in the gaming industry, during which I've contributed to successful projects and released my own indie game Cribbage With Grandpas. This game received regular features on the Apple App Store and earned a nomination at IndieCade in 2017.

Game Design:

I have a deep understanding of game mechanics, gameplay flow, and player engagement strategies, with experience in lead and senior roles.

UI/UX Design:

I excel at creating user interfaces and experiences, demonstrated by my roles as a UI/UX designer and contributions to improving game interfaces.

Team Leadership:

I've successfully managed teams in roles such as lead game designer and senior game designer, emphasizing collaboration and project completion.

Project Management:

I'm skilled at translating creative vision into prioritized tasks.

Tech Proficiency:

I'm well-versed in game development technologies like Unity Engine and Unreal Engine 5.

Graphic Design:

My background in traditional art and experience as an artist and art lead enable me to craft visually appealing game assets, characters, and environments.

Adobe Suite:

Proficient in Adobe software, I excel in creating and editing game assets, graphics, and promotional materials.

HTML/CSS:

My knowledge of HTML and CSS is beneficial for web-based game development and related projects.

Industry Recognition:

I've served as a jury member for the IGF, IndieCade and Indie Cup festivals.

In addition to my professional work, I've designed and taught courses in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Typography at Vancouver Film School. I'm deeply passionate about experimental and non-traditional games; I founded the 500+ member Alt Games Vancouver meetup group and Heart Projector — a group I co-founded with a few other local developers in town which has been curating exhibitions of experimental experiences for over six years.

Cribbage With Grandpas

I made the iOS and Android game Cribbage With Grandpas with Justin Smith in 2016. It has been downloaded over 40,000 times, featured regularly on the Apple AppStore and was nominated for IndieCade 2017.

The game took about nine months from concept to market and I created the original concept, all of the artwork, marketing materials (including the trailer above), UI/UX/gameplay/narrative/audio design, as well as managed the production and release.

Blackbird Interactive

At Blackbird I was a senior game designer and the lead game designer responsible for the Lost Legends DLC content. I also managed the team responsible for creating them. Our team created the first years worth of these unique game modes well ahead of deadlines while making creative use of minimal support and resources.

I used my knowledge of production and development to break down creative goals into line items to surface risks to the director level resulting in positive change for our team and created a healthy culture of collaboration during my time there. During this time I managed four designers directly while facilitating their positive collaboration with the other discipline teams in addition to maintaining the Lost Legends GDD and related documentation.

Ultra Creative Games

Ultra Creative Games was a Vancouver start up whose goal was to create unique and immersive, quality educational games for kids age four to six. I was brought on as a senior game designer to create prototypes to pitch to our client. I led a small team in the creation of two prototypes; Monster Doctor and Creative Quest. Both prototypes were well received by testers and our internal teams.

DeNA Studios Vancouver

As a senior art lead at DeNA I led art production on large projects with powerful brands, working with in house and remote resources.

I worked on several titles before the company closed the Vancouver studio including G.I.JOE Battleground and Blood Brothers Puzzle Tactics. I pitched art styles and game concepts to the development team and provided feedback on all aspects of production.

UI/UX Work

I've designed the UX and created UI assets for:

I Was A Teenage Exocolonist

Glitchhikers; The Spaces Between

Cribbage With Grandpas

Tap Cats*

Along with several unnannounced/unreleased projects.

*No longer available on the app stores.

Graphic Design

My background in traditional art is an asset to any game development team. It brings a unique blend of creativity, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of aesthetics to projects I work on. I have a strong grasp of color theory, composition, and texture. Additionally, my experience with physical media provides a solid foundation for digital art techniques, ensuring a well-rounded skill set.

As a game designer with a background in art, I can bridge the gap between design and visual execution seamlessly. This ensures that the artistic vision aligns perfectly with the game's design goals, leading to efficient and harmonious collaboration within the team.

More lovely folks!

Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of collaborating with a diverse array of brands and studios within the gaming industry. My involvement has spanned various facets of game development, allowing me to contribute from concept artwork to game design and production. While I'm not a programmer, I'm comfortable with scripting languages like C# and JavaScript, as well as HTML/CSS.

As a seasoned game designer, I've had the opportunity to gain experience in creating prototypes, crafting comprehensive feature documentation, and gameplay/narrative/UI/UX design. I'm comfortable in game engines with experience in both Unity and Unreal as well as proprietary tech. My multifaceted skill set has enabled me to play a pivotal role in shaping engaging gaming experiences.