Tell us a bit of information about your experience/career background?
I’ve been in the games industry for a little over ten years, the majority of that time in animation production. I started on the bottom rung of the ladder and worked my way up through the production team, going on to manage the entire animation department in my last role. I’ve been lucky to have been able to work on dozens of titles across my career so far and to have worked with some truly exceptional people, something I look forward to continuing!
Why d3t?
The biggest thing which attracted me to d3t is the culture. From reviews I’ve read of the company, speaking with the team I’ve met so far, and the multiple “Best Places to Work” awards, d3t is clearly a studio that knows its biggest strength is its people.
The varied nature of projects on which the studio gets to collaborate is another big plus. Being a co-dev studio means that you get to work on a huge variety of different titles, spanning multiple genres and platforms. No day is the same!
What do you love about games?
I love the inclusive nature of games, there’s something for absolutely everyone. Whether you’ve only got 20 minutes to jump online with your friends, want to spend the evening cosied up with a chill sim, or are hosting a horror night to amp up the Halloween spirit, there’s a game out there which fits the bill.
The engagement of games is something I love as well, when you’re playing a game you’re present in that moment and it can pull you in because you’re not just an observer like with a film or TV show, you’re actively there and can put yourself in the shoes of that character or situation more easily.
What games are you currently playing, and what is your favourite game?
I’ve been playing Starfield and Cities: Skylines most recently because I love a good RPG and sink too many hours into sim & strategy games. You could just as easily find me relaxing with some Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing, and I can’t resist something with a great story like Until Dawn or Life is Strange (especially if it has a great soundtrack!).
Picking a favourite game is so tough because it depends so much on my mood, but Red Dead Redemption 2 really blew me away with its world design and environments. I loved getting lost in the world and the story was fantastic. I ended up taking a break for a couple of months before picking up the prologue because the main story emotionally drained me so much!
Some of my older favourites include classics like Ocarina of Time and a lot of that era of Nintendo, plus The Simpsons: Hit and Run is a game I often find myself going back to.
Do you have any fun facts or hobbies?
I enjoy the outdoors, going for walks and hikes and taking the opportunity to be away from screens for a bit. I feel lucky living in the North West since we’re so close to so many national parks. If I want to go out into the countryside and I’m feeling too lazy to walk up a big hill, then chances are I’ll go for a pootle on my motorbike around some country lanes.
Closer to home, I have a couple of small hobby programming projects which, though gaming-related, aren’t your traditional “make a game” projects.
Recently, I’ve also become a keen DIYer, meaning I’ve spent far too much money at B&Q with not very much to show for it.
Tell us a bit of information about your experience/career background?
I started my career working on in-browser, kids ‘edutainment’ games; including a Club Penguin inspired game for Discovery Kids called ‘Dino Builders’ that I think is long gone now (That was 10 years ago!? What even is time!?)
I then worked in the mobile gambling industry for 7 years, where I worked my way up to Principal Artist at InTouch Games. However, I’m really excited (and a bit nervous) to finally be able to professionally work on console and PC game UI with you of the team at d3t and Coconut Lizard!
Why d3t?
Out of all the interviews I had, the vibes from d3t seemed right. And the kind of projects the studio is co-developing on was an opportunity for me to take my career in the direction I’ve wanted it to go for quite a while.
What do you love about games?
They can be real works of art; purpose crafted worlds you can spend hours getting lost in. Where every building, plant, button, and action has been consciously designed to fit into a wholistic experience (hopefully!)
What games are you currently playing, and what is your favourite game?
I’ve nearly finished Tears of the Kingdom (however, I keep getting distracted running around collecting stuff!). And I’m also working my way through Lies of P and Death Stranding.
Shadow of the Colossus must be up there in my top favourites. As well as an old PS2 game called Primal – although the gameplay itself hasn’t held up I still like the world. Oh, and the SoulsBorne games, obvs. I actually really enjoyed Dark Souls 2 (DON’T AT ME!) ;)
Do you have any fun facts or hobbies?
I live in the West Midlands. It’s not really fun but it is a fact. And I’m currently trying to teach myself more about 3D modelling and Unity development to make a fan game based on the world of Primal I mentioned before. It’s slow progress and not amazing. But I’m happy with it, considering I didn’t know how to do any of it a year ago.
How long have you been in the industry? Three years
How long have you been with d3t? Three years
What was the first game that you worked on? Assetto Corsa Competizione
How did your career begin?
I graduated from Liverpool John Moores University back in 2020, where I achieved a first-class degree in Computer Games Development.
During my final year there, I also worked as an intern at RenderNation which involved exploring gamified techniques to improve their workflows.
How did you get your job at d3t?
After attending plenty of talks related to ‘Getting a Job in the Games Industry’. I was able to understand what studios were looking for in an applicant and how to tailor my CV and portfolio to secure a job. Once I had polished up my CV and portfolio, I contacted d3t and secured an interview.
What do you do day-to-day in your role?
I kick off my day by chatting with other project members, typically catching up and having a friendly chat before jumping into our stand up meeting. In this meeting we can discuss any blockers, reach out for help and offer any assistance to other team members.
After stand up I will identify which tasks I’ll be working on for the day. This involves writing and maintaining code, investigating bugs and new features, and contributing to code reviews.
What is it like working at d3t?
d3t is an excellent company to work for, they truly put their employee’s needs first and offer excellent flexibility with their hybrid working. This is achievable because of d3t’s quality of work, and the standards showcased across the fields.
Working alongside industry veterans, who have worked on a magnitude of games, gives me the opportunity to continue developing my skills. In fact, I’d have to say that being surrounded by some of the top talent in the industry is one of the many great benefits of working here.
Since joining d3t, I have worked on some fantastic AAA games and this catalogue only continues to grow. Working with some of the largest studios and publishers, in the industry, demonstrates the standard of work produced by us all here.
What has been your most memorable moment working within the industry?
Working on my first title and experiencing the project launch. It’s a sense of achieving something great with an amazing group of people. You get to see everybody’s hard work pay off and a game that is enjoyed by the players.
Do you have any tips for people looking to get into the games industry?
A solid portfolio is by far the most important thing you need. If you can showcase your personal projects and provide some context regarding your work it will go along way. Setting up a portfolio is relatively cheap and simple with most modern website builders. You could go the extra mile and develop it yourself. You don’t have to create a groundbreaking game, a simple game that demonstrates some understanding, across multiple areas, within your chosen field. For example, a programmer could develop a simple 2D side scroller, include an inventory system, powerups and some basic enemies. This demonstrates your Gameplay and AI and UI abilities.
We are hiring
Stay tuned for more spotlight features coming soon. In the meantime, if you’re feeling inspired and want to join our team, check out our vacancies page!
How long have you been in the industry? Since April 1997. I’ve stopped counting how many years that is.
How long have you been with d3t? I joined d3t in December 2015. It’s been quite the ride and I regret nothing.
What was the first game that you worked on? My very first job was with Psygnosis. The team I joined was working on a game called “The Contract”, but it never saw the light of day. The first game I worked on which made it to the shelves was the PC version of ToCA2.
How did your career begin within the games industry?
Back when this was all fields, there were no games design courses that I was aware of. My degree was in Business Law, which is clearly a perfect fit.
But a good friend of mine from school did Computer Science (I think it was) and got a job at Psygnosis after his degree. He recommended I apply, and this was successful. And so it began. He’s now working at d3t too, coincidentally, and is brilliant.
How did you get your job at d3t?
I was made redundant by Sony in 2015, and joined d3t at the end of that year through an agency.
What is it like working at d3t?
I’ve worked for Psygnosis, Codemasters, Warthog, and Sony. I can honestly say that d3t is easily the best of them.
The difference is the culture, and how d3t treats the people here. It is the most genuinely people-first organisation I have experienced.
The impact of this is that throughout the company there are real efforts and initiatives to help people thrive. And in doing so, we get really talented people demonstrating their abilities.
As a Head of Design, what do you typical day-to-day activities consist of?
There are 4 things I do most: talk to people, listen to people, react to events, and plan for the future.
Gone are the days when I actually do design work on a project. Instead, most days I will have at least one scheduled discussion with a designer here at d3t, to see how they’re doing on the project, what’s going on in their lives, how they may be progressing in their career goals etc.
I have plenty of meetings about project status and progression, what upcoming projects we might be preparing for, and discussions about plans or initiatives at a company level.
We always have a number of different projects running, so I try to go to at least one stand up meeting every day – ideally more – so that I get to say hi to some of the team.
What are the current games design challenges we face and how are we overcoming them?
Some older game design challenges come with a brand new mask. Keeping a player engaged is the core to what designers do. So that’s always the underlying question.
But upon that, there are new and interesting things to throw you off your design stride. The “big” games are getting bigger. Having a bigger game doesn’t necessarily mean the actual player engagement is better – a longer playing time means you need more innovation to avoid repetition. But there are also increasing numbers of smaller games, based perhaps around unexplored ideas or concepts. Keeping up with this is a whole new challenge – possibly impossible for one individual.
AI is obviously a challenge, but potentially a great opportunity. Utilising these opportunities is something we, and lots of others, are exploring. Probing what it’s good at, and what it struggles with, is very revealing.
What are the things that excite you most about your role?
As I mentioned, my role is no longer to act as a designer. But I can still appreciate great design and help the other designers in that area.
But what’s most exciting and rewarding about being the Head of Design is being able to help shape the path of d3t – which projects to go for, what training would be most useful, seeing people surpass my, and their own, expectations.
Having worked for a number of games companies, I’ve seen good and bad processes. Being able to pick the best and see them in action to make d3t a really rewarding place for everyone – that’s the best thing.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced whilst in the industry and how have you overcome it?
I’m very pleased there has been a significant shift in mindset regarding what is acceptable to expect from people regarding working hours. Crunch was difficult. It put strain on personal and mental health, as well as relationships and families. It can only be a good thing that the industry seems to, on the whole, have a greater understanding of this.
Our working model means that it doesn’t make sense to stress the team through overtime. Having this as a principle within d3t is great.
What has been your most memorable moment working within the industry/or at d3t?
At Develop in 2022, over the course of one day, or perhaps two, we learned we won both the Best Places to Work and the Best Creative Provider awards. That was great because it meant not only our people valued the culture and ethos of the company, but also the output was top quality. That was a good day.
Where do you see games design heading in the next 2-3 years?
There’s been a movement towards greater specialisms in design. In the first few years of my career, I did scripting, level design, systems, narrative, and possibly more that I can’t remember. But as games get bigger, so do the teams. And that allows people to really get into the minutiae of different elements. Being able to find a niche that really fits an individual’s talents and passion can be a wonderful thing.
Obviously AI has the potential to impact how much a designer is able to produce. From what I’ve seen of the current AI systems, the output is pretty generic, but I imagine that will change. As so many developers use Unreal, an AI that can create Blueprints, even if they’re quite basic, will give a huge head start to designers.
What makes you proud to work at d3t?
Our commitment to making a successful games company that treats the employees well. Being part of the senior leadership team, I can honestly say that the discussions we have are genuinely aimed at helping our team. The quality of the work we create is a direct result of the quality of the people.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to get into the games industry as a Designer?
I think anyone whose job revolves around being creative benefits from absorbing stories, perspectives, songs, information etc from as many different sources as possible. We can only create from what we know, so the more we know, the wider our possible creative output. I would heartily recommend watching films, reading books, going to the theatre, visiting museums, listening to music – especially if it’s outside your current sphere of knowledge.
Personally, I get great value from understanding brains. Having insight into how brains work helps us anticipate how players will act, and react. This is why I put time into the psychology of games and game design.
Any other points that you’d like to share?
Something I have noticed, particularly from designers within their first couple of years in the industry, is that there is a lot of self-inflicted pressure. The perceived need to be perfect, possibly as a result of imposter syndrome, can be quite debilitating. So for anyone in this situation, I would heartily recommend they realise that nobody gets things right first time. Any creative process is mainly iteration, and so having the freedom to allow yourself to adopt this mindset is very liberating.
We are hiring
Stay tuned for more spotlight features coming soon. In the meantime, if you’re feeling inspired and want to join our team, check out our vacancies page!
Tell us a bit of information about your experience/career background?
Before starting my careers in games, I jumped between history degrees and comic art and writing. However, when I discovered game development as a career, I utterly fell in love. I wasn’t quite sure right away what I wanted to do; I just knew that I needed to be part of this world.
I spent my first few years in the same company, learning and experimenting, and eventually becoming a level designer. This role not only allowed me to improve my expertise, but it also allowed me to mentor others at the company, which I absolutely loved.
Why d3t?
After working for many years on the same project, I really needed a change of pace, a place where I could, with time, experiment with different styles and genres and d3t fit this perfectly.
Whilst researching d3t, I learned about the studio’s incredible culture, one of the most important aspects for a company. And all that I had read was confirmed to be true from the first interview. They made me feel welcome right away, and I’m beyond excited about being part of it all.
What do you love about games?
I love the multi-layered level of creativity that games can offer. There’s problem solving, there’s art, there’s beauty and there’s fun. I’ve loved creating games since I was a child, even if back then it was of course at a much smaller scale.
It’s a medium that offers visual stories and interactivity, unlike any other. It also allows for great experimentation and incredible variety.
What games are you currently playing, and what is your favourite game?
I’m currently jumping between Spiritfarer, Age of Empires, Spiderman, and Assassin’s Creed. However, I’m really looking forward to the new Final Fantasy VII game.
Of the last few years, the game that I loved the most is, without a doubt, Ghost of Tsushima.
From my childhood years, I’ll never forget Monkey Island, King’s Quest and a few platformers like Prince of Persia, Aladdin, and the Lion King. An important mention also goes to StarCraft. These are some of the first games I ever played, and I still hold them dear.
Do you have any fun facts or hobbies?
As one might guess from my background prior to games, I am a big history nerd, and have an immense love for comics. I still occasionally do some comic art, now and then.
I also have a love for creative writing which, together with my passion for history, tends to make me spiral in hours of research on the most peculiar topics. This is somewhat of a warning.
My favourite current hobby is playing TTRPGs, and the occasional board game.
Tell us a bit of information about your experience/career background?
I have had the pleasure of working on a multitude of titles across many different genres. Through multiple console cycles I have been able to help push the boundaries in the experiences that games deliver.
Why d3t?
d3t work on a wide variety of top titles which as a designer, creates ample opportunity to learn and grow. Being able to contribute to such exciting projects whilst sharing my own experiences was something that really drew me to the studio.
What do you love about games?
Games create such an immersive media limited only by the technological constraints provided during that moment in time. Games create community, memories, and a relationship between immersive media and player that no other medium can match.
What games are you currently playing, and what is your favourite game?
I try to play a wide range of games. My personal favourite genre is horror, and I recently completed the excellent Alan Wake 2. When it comes to my favourite game, I have always been a Nintendo acolyte. The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker probably stands as my all-time favourite game closely followed by Super Mario 64.
Do you have any fun facts or hobbies?
I am a huge sports enthusiast. Premier League is my first love followed by the NFL, NBA, and NHL. When not playing sport, I am often found painting and playing Warhammer Age of Sigmar. As well as video games I really enjoy tabletop gaming.
Tell us a bit of information about your experience/career background?
I have been a passionate game developer since my time at university, where since graduating my free time has been mostly split between rock-climbing, going in the pub and programming games in order to learn how to code graphics etc. There were no university courses targeted at video games in the Czech Republic, so my course was “Mechatronics” which is somewhere between robotics, mechanics, and programming. Hence I had to learn on my own how to make games. In fact I often spent 15 hours a day learning how to code with Direct3D and OpenGL in C++ or C#.
However, being extremely enthusiastic about coding paid dividends fairly soon as I started to get jobs at games studios. At first it was at Indie studios, but it soon progressed to me working at some well recognised studios, such as Sony, Warner Bros and Epic Games. Where I helped to produce many world-wide known game titles.
Why d3t?
I gathered that d3t is a really nice company to work for, so I did some more research and learned about the number of awards that d3t got for being a great place to work in the recent years. I also very much like the idea of the business model, which implies that most people get to work on different projects and don’t get stuck for years in one spot. Furthermore, I found out that there are some people at d3t I used to work with in other companies in the past, so getting onboard whilst knowing some colleagues was a very pleasant bonus.
What do you love about games?
It’s the fun and imagination part combined with being an active actor of the game. I often compare games with movies and say that whilst I like some movies that are fun and inspiring, one is just passively watching them. With games I can decide how I enjoy the time and often where I take the story. Whether I am seeking for all the secrets in a particular level, or where I am exploring the limits of the game, such as getting to places the designers didn’t intend to etc. There is also a purely selfish aspect of being into games, which involves my kids who also love games, so I get a lot of “Daddy is sooo cool!”.
What games are you currently playing, and what is your favourite game?
Funnily enough, I have played some fairly retro games lately. I’m currently playing Quake 2 on PS5, however, before that I was diving into Duke Nukem, Quake 1 and Chasm the Rift – yes the games we used to play on DOS, I used to play these on my 486!
From some less archaic titles, I like Assassin Creed, I enjoyed Ghost of Tsushima and Far Cry. I am also a big fan of all the Heroes of Might and Magic series.
Do you have any fun facts or hobbies?
I play top division in table-tennis (so watch out). I like to restore vintage power-tools or engineer my own in my workshop (I am a fully qualified auto-mechanic and I used to have my own garage before going to university).
I also have a tree nursery with around a thousand trees most of which are UK native and naturalised species. I also play guitar and the drums and consider myself a fairly tolerable person (from time-to-time).
Tell us a bit of information about your experience/career background?
I started out undertaking an apprenticeship in 3D art, which was later followed by me attending university for a course in 3D art, where I was able to further my skill set.
During the Covid pandemic I worked on a range of freelance projects, which eventually lead me to an Assistant Producer role at the company I was finding work through. Initially I took the role as something more secure than freelance work, with the aim of returning to art. However, after a few months in the role, I noticed that I wasn’t missing the art side of the industry but was instead enjoying managing the projects much more. From there I decided to continue along that career path. I’ve now managed projects from indie games all the way to Netflix films and have loved every moment of it.
Although I realised that I really wanted to get back into what I loved managing the most, games, and d3t is the perfect opportunity for me to do that.
Why d3t?
I first heard about d3t when I was around 19 working on my apprenticeship, and after doing some more research into the studio it seemed like a great place to be.
Since then, I’ve been working on getting into the games industry, whilst also following the progress of the studio. I’ve known a few people join the studio in the meantime, and everyone who has loves it there. Primarily because of the range of projects they are working on, combined with the studio’s culture. Ultimately, from a work point of view, it seems like it can’t be beat.
Therefore, when the opportunity to apply came up, there was no chance I wasn’t going in for it!
What do you love about games?
My favourite thing about games is seeing how creative it allows people, teams, and communities to be. I recently found out about a solo dev, Pat Naoum, who has traditionally hand painted an entire game. I’d never even considered this a possibility, but he’s done it all on his own.
I also love seeing what developers and teams can come up with, whether it’s a crazy game concept or a unique approach to its development. I think this freedom makes it such an interesting and constantly entertaining hobby and industry.
What games are you currently playing, and what is your favourite game?
Currently I’ve decided I’m not stressed enough…so I’m revisiting the Soulsborne series. Mainly I’m battling with Sekiro, as I’ve not actually played this yet. In between the painful Sekiro sessions I’m mixing in a bit of Elden Ring, which I’ve had to start again because I got lost in my original run. I’m also looking forward to throwing Lies of P into the mix at some point.
As for a favourite game, it’s got to be Crash Bandicoot and that’s definitely not just for the nostalgia of it. Yes, I played the remake and either 5-year-old me was a next level gamer, or they made it harder intentionally. I’m leaning towards the latter.
Do you have any fun facts or hobbies?
Right now, I’m really into karting, running, the gym, and redecorating as much of my house as possible (not sure if that’s a hobby or a problem at this point).
I’ve also been climbing/bouldering for a couple of years now. I’ve not managed to venture to the outdoors just yet, but I definitely need to try that soon.
During my second year at university, d3t visited for a careers fair and did a presentation about their studio, with advice on how to get into the industry, along with advertising roles for internships and graduate jobs. I was really impressed with the variety and type of work that d3t do, along with the portfolio of impressive projects they had worked on – it sounded like the ideal role for me. I spoke with them, handed them my CV, and connected with them on LinkedIn afterwards.
Although I ended up doing my placement year elsewhere, I had not forgotten about d3t and applied again for a Graduate role after returning and completing my studies. I was excited to see them again!
What do you do day-to-day?
My day always starts with a brew, saying good mornings, and a quick stand-up meeting which gives us a chance to synchronise with each other, so we know what we’re all up to and it’s a good chance to get some help on anything if I’m stuck. I like to work hybridly from home and at the office depending on whatever suits me at the time. Fortunately d3t are very flexible with this and it’s one of my favourite aspects of the company!
For the rest of the day, I’ll be working on whatever my current task(s) are, which involves writing and reading code, communicating with my team what it is I’m doing and whatever help I may need, investigating bugs, writing documentation for research and investigation, checking code reviews, and so on.
Do you have any tips for people looking to get into the games industry?
Without a doubt, the best way to stand out is to create a portfolio! It’s fairly cheap and easy these days to host a personal portfolio website using WordPress or something similar, and it is definitely worth your time to learn how to make one. Websites like GitHub/ArtStation are great places to make your work public too.
Personal projects really stand out, but university projects alone will suffice if you don’t have any. The key is in detail – explain what you have made and how the things you’ve made work. If you’re a Programmer, programmers will be looking at your projects and will be interested how you solved problems and implemented features. If you’re an Artist, artists will want to know your workflow and what tools you used, etc.
And last of all, have passion for games and making them! It’s an industry full of people who love doing it, and if you want to be part of it, passion will go a long way.
We are hiring
Stay tuned for more spotlight features coming soon. In the meantime, if you’re feeling inspired and want to join our team, check out our vacancies page!
