John Odell

Sunderland, MA, 01375
(413) 404-6818

Champlain College

August 2020 - May 2024

Graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Game Design, minored in Interactive Narrative
Coursework including game design, game programming, interactive narrative, ludology, and project management
Led multiple semesters-long student projects and organized game jams
Chosen by faculty as the winner of the 2024 Excel Award for Game Design

Lead Designer, Molementum

Champlain College Senior Capstone Project, Burlington, VT

Summer 2023 - Spring 2024

Led a team of six designers on a networked free-to-play multiplayer Unity action game, Molementum.
Designed, tested, and iterated upon multiple levels for a traversal-heavy third person action multiplayer game.
Owned, prototyped, and led development on game content including character abilities, levels, and narrative beats.
Designed and iterated upon core features and gameplay systems, with a focus on game feel and feedback.
Collaborated interdisciplinarily with other feature teams, artists, programmers, sound designers, and producers.
Documented design ideas and workflows using GDDs, VDDs, and design guides.
Programmed, cleaned, and debugged movement, character, and network scripting using C#.
Used agile production methodologies and adhered to strict development requirements.
Organized and managed the design department, including organizing and assigning tasks.

Gameplay Designer, The Horse’s Name is Friday

Champlain College Game Studio Project, Burlington, VT

Spring 2023 - Fall 2023

Designed gameplay systems and narrative for a first-person Unity survival horror project.
Developed prototypes for internal proof-of-concept and external greenlighting.
Onboarded and worked in tandem with a second designer after the game was greenlit for continued development..
Organized level, systems, enemy, puzzle, and player ability pipelines with engineers and artists.
Led daily stand-ups with the team, and weekly check-ins with faculty.