{"id":2283,"date":"2025-12-08T03:14:44","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T03:14:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/ib8g23\/?p=2283"},"modified":"2025-12-15T15:49:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T15:49:56","slug":"megan-matthews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/ib8g23\/2025\/12\/08\/megan-matthews\/","title":{"rendered":"Megan Matthews"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-heading-3-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Working in Game Design <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Multidiscpiplinary game designer at Ustwo<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Specialising in Acessability and Level Design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">8875935<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">My Journey Into The Games Industry<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Making stuff at home<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>University and Game Jams\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Talked about project on Twitter, got a bit of reach in the cosy games community<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>First step into the industry, Laura on Codecoven reached out and said she should apply for their summer program. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dan, who came in to give a talk, also managed to give her a position as a Junior Level Designer Contract<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hit burnout, became a freelance environment designer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Went through the whole interview process for Botany Manor, was rejected but redirected to other companies who were looking for someone like her. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Got hired at Ustwo as a Junior Games Designer! \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Strong portfolio<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Understanding of the current game and genre<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Confident ability to answer design-based questions\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;What do you think about the design of this thing&#8221; &lt;- talk about the design, its strong and weak points<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">TIMELINE:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Graduate Project<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contracter as a Junior Level Designer at Playtra Games + Summer Program at Codecoven <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ustwo Junior Games Designer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">DESIGN AT USTWO GAMES<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Phases of project at Ustwo\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Concepting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prototyping<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pre-production<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Production<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Post-Launch<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">LEVEL\/PUZZLE DESIGN TIPS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think about how levels fit together, how players can progress without getting stuck, how to make a learning curve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Puzzle games ebb and flow, it&#8217;s not a linear progression of harder and harder and harder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Design Collaboration Tools<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Digital Cool Boards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Crazy 8s\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Write 8 thoughts, then present back to the group, and everyone votes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Paper Prototypes <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One on one collaboration<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Show and tell feedback<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Portfolio Tips<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Level Design your Portfolio\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Where do you want the hiring manager to start?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What do you want them to travel to?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can they absorb the information quickly?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where does it look like they can travel to next?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Project Page\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Show your wide range knowledge here<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Include a catchy image and a short description<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What to include under projects?\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Diagrams<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Greybox\/Whitebox screenshots<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gameplay gifs (with descriptions)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>List what you did<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Postmortems\/retrospectives<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trailer reels on their own is not that great, explaining is more useful<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep it short and concise: use bullet points!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Project Example:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Project name + status, role, link, and description<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gameplay trailer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key areas of work I completed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Design sections, deep dive breakdown into puzzle design <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>DO\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Show appropriate work and how you did it<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Explain what the project was and what stage it was in<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clearly explain your roel and what you did<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Include annotated images <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>White positively<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>DONT\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Show innapropriate work (no NSFW)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Talk negatively about what otehr people did or didn&#8217;t do<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Post many images with no explanation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Write an essay. If it takes too long to read, nobody will <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Think: What sort of designer are you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Do you craft many worlds?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are you always drawing\/sketching characters?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have you been writing stories?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How are you prototyping?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>THESE ARE YOUR PASSIONS AND SKILLS!!! CONVEY THIS IN A PORTFOLIO!!!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The Power of Networking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Finding peers in the same field as  you<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Creating a support network for you and those around you<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Networking is NOT supposed to be annoying<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You don&#8217;t have to network with professionals! Talk to other students too, one day they will have a job just like you!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Networking is a continuous practcie<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It can be casual, serious, fun, playful, professional, or friendly <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Benefits of networking:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Give people a chance to remember you<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Peer support group<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Friendly faces at events<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Taclkes imposter syndrome <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>People will come to you when a job opens up<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Opportunity to learn from others<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Talking to others can be inspiring<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Builds your confidence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Allows the games industry to feel friendly and fun <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Starting Conversations\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It&#8217;s ok to say, &#8220;I know you from social media&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ask to join into a conversation if its an open space<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If someone looks on their own, go over and say hi!!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ask for help. if its an event, there are people around to help you!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Take a friend or mentor with you<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Try new games, and talk to devs about their games<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go up to booths and ask them what their job is, what do they work on? <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ask questions, be curious, and open to sharing!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Practice your verbal introduction before attendingg events!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Key Takeaways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>No one will have the same path<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be open minded, take opportunities that suit you, goals can change<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Network! Get to know your peers!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Look after yourself. It can be tough sometimes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In level design, what&#8217;s the first principles you think of?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do you know you&#8217;ve made an engaging puzzle in level design?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>HOW did you make the levels in Moument Valley <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What sort of design based questions do they ask in interviews?\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>ustwo &#8211; question on the application about games in a similar genre, wanted you to pick one of the games from the list, talk about a piece of design that you hate and why you think it&#8217;s bad. Did they actually say they didn&#8217;t like it, and did they explain why. Hone in on something, identify the problem, explain a solution. Or specific questions like have you worked on story based, etc etc <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What does an average day of work look like for you?\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Depends on the time. right now, she&#8217;s just finished a project, and is between projects. So she&#8217;s in engine, watching tutorials, developing mechanics. A couple months ago during post launch, checking in with different departments checking everything works. Assignments are given, she spends a couple weeks on it, she moves on. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In level design, what are the first principles you think of?\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Depends on the level. If its a puzzle level, think about what exactly it is the player is learning. How can I get them to master this mechanic. Then make it get more complicated. Then the final level can be lots of things combined!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Just worked on an open world map, and that was a lot more about navigation. How does the player know where they are, how to prevent getting lost. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify the most important thing about the level, and make it revolve around that<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How much of your job is idea generation vs problem solving\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>50\/50. Depends on the type of production. In pre-production, it&#8217;s very idea generation, and post-launch is adding ideas. In the middle, it&#8217;s problem solving<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do you know you&#8217;ve made an engaging puzzle?\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If someone takes ages to finish a puzzle, but they don&#8217;t complain about the puzzle itself. No verbal frustration means no friction. They&#8217;re concentrating. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you bump into alumni in work?\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Flora came to work as a prototyper in Monument Valley 3, and was involved in all of the post launch<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In code coven, an alumni worked with Megan and she referred them in Ustwo, and they now work together as well!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do you &#8220;network&#8221; without coming off as &#8220;using them&#8221;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go into it with the mindset of talking to them to get a job. 99% of the time they won&#8217;t. Talk to them to learn more about your passions! Ask questions!!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What do you feel about Linkedin as a platform?\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The more socials you have, the more opportunities people have to reach out to you. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don&#8217;t treat Linkedin like social media. Maintain professionalism. DO NOT MOAN. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">memopotato.bsky.social<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Working in Game Design Multidiscpiplinary game designer at Ustwo Specialising in Acessability and Level Design. 8875935 My Journey Into The Games Industry TIMELINE: DESIGN AT USTWO GAMES LEVEL\/PUZZLE DESIGN TIPS Think about how levels fit together, how players can progress without getting stuck, how to make a learning curve. Puzzle games ebb and flow, it&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-guest-speakers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/ib8g23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/ib8g23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/ib8g23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/ib8g23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/ib8g23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2283"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/ib8g23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2285,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/ib8g23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2283\/revisions\/2285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/ib8g23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/ib8g23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/ib8g23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}