
SHRUTI BHAT
GAME DESIGNER
Driven by a passion for memorable stories and a curiosity for innovation, I have contributed to 6 Steam titles, multiple Itch.io games and corporate learning development courses in four years of working with interactive media.
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I started my journey with a Bachelor's in Design (2021), going on to contribute to indie titles and corporate projects before pursuing a Master's in Game Design (2024), receiving multiple awards for professional and academic success.
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With a keen focus on creating immersive experiences with intriguing puzzle mechanics, environmental narrative, and detailed world lore, I am on the lookout for a new adventure.
Skills
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Game Design
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Narrative Design
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Game Writing
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Lorekeeping
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Documentation
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Playtesting
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Set Dressing
Impasto
Narrative Designer, Narrative-Art Liaison
Impasto is an atmospheric adventure game with elements of horror. The game explores the fictional world based on the Black Paintings by Spanish painter, Francisco Goya.
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Genre: Horror, Adventure, First-person, Single-player RPG
Platform: PC & Mac
Engine and Tools: Unity, GSuite, Perforce, Maya, Photoshop
Team: 40+ team members, 7 departments
Duration: 12 months
​Accolades: Featured by PC Gamer, Reviewed by Alpha Beta Gamer, 88% Positive reviews on Steam
Contribution Highlights:
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Acted as a Narrative-Art Liaison, taking ownership of 3 environmental art pieces - the vault puzzle, stained glass paintings and Saturn’s cave murals
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Collaborated with the design team on gameplay, puzzle and level design (Church district, Vault Puzzle)
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Created the overarching storyline, NPC Dialogues (Judith, Don Claudio) and directed the voice actor for Judith
The WereCleaner
Art-Narrative Liaison, Game Artist
Kyle is a janitor. He's also a werewolf. And now he's got the night shift. The WereCleaner is a third-person, stealth+comedy isometric game about keeping the office clean while being a werewolf.
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Genre: Third person, isometric, stealth-cleaning comedy
Platform: PC, Mac and iOS
Engine and Tools: Unity, GSuite, Miro, Perforce, Maya, Photoshop, AfterEffects, ClickUp
Team: 30+ team members, 9 departments
Duration: 12 months
Accolades: Featured on the iOS “Best of What’s Hot” list, 120k units sold on iOS, over 100k units sold on Steam
Contribution Highlights:
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Contributed to the overarching storyline, world lore, the diegetic tutorials, NPC profiles and more
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Created 2D concepts and lore for the Mascot Room Mess​ while set dressing for other areas
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Communicated within a team and across departments
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Identified bugs and proposed effective solutions.
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The Elf's Apprentice
Solo Project - Game Design, Narrative Design, Research
A cooperative puzzle game designed to evoke reflective nostalgia and foster meaningful conversations between generations. Inspired by intergenerational storytelling, the game weaves together puzzles and a narrative that encourages players to share personal memories while collaborating to progress.
Genre: 2D, couch co-op, puzzle, narrative-driven
Platform: PC
Engine and Tools: Unity, Photoshop
Team: Solo
Duration: 3 months
Accolades: Best MA Dissertation in Games Design; Arts and Humanities Outstanding Dissertation Award
Design Highlights:
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Couch co-op inspired by intergenerational storytelling and aimed to encourage communication to bridge generational gap.
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Requires collaboration through knowledge-sharing and problem-solving
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Developed through an iterative process combining literature reviews, historical research, and game prototype testing.
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Contributes to academic discussions on nostalgia in game design, highlighting the potential of interactive media to bridge generational gaps.
Maxim VR
Game Designer
Maxim VR creates safe, immersive Virtual Reality environments for young adults, fostering positive mental health and well-being. The platform offers a digital sanctuary where technology, design, and healthcare unite to empower young minds.
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Genre: Mental-Wellbeing, Virtual Reality
Platform: VR headset (Oculus Meta Quest 2/3)
Engine: Unity
Team: 12 people (bootstrapped)
Duration: October 2023 - Present
Contribution Highlights:
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Developed the game design document for the app that directed all creative efforts
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Conceptualised and developed the Landing Hub, Breathing Space and Night Meditation areas
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Worked on leading a team of 4 creatives alongside the Founder