Zachary Giguère / Junior Game designer

 

about me

I grew up on a farm without cable television. My main source of entertainment came from video games. My fascination towards them only grew with time. For many years now I have played games not exclusively for fun, but also to analyse them for what they can offer as an experience. I was led to studying architecture to enter a “serious” profession. After relocating to Montreal, I realised that a game designer career was a realistic option. The choice of leaving architecture was an easy one for me.

 

PROJECTS

Journey Within

Spirit's Creek

The challenge: produce 100% of content for a fully functional game in 15 weeks, working with a multidisciplinary team of around 50 juniors.

Journey Within

Journey Within

Presentation of my team’s pitch for our school’s game production. Our project was visibly the most coherent, well planned and proposed the most feasible scope. It garnered us the majority of votes from our peers.

 

Slasher's Keep Analysis

My observations and proposed enhancements to the main gameplay of an obscure indie game. This demonstrates my ability to work in solution-based problem solving geared at enhancing the player experience.

 

Dungeon Master

I am a passionate, self-motivated homebrew Dungeon Master, creating memorable player experiences since 2015. During those years, I created and overhauled multiple systems and mechanics to enhance my gameplay.

 

 

aptitudes and skills

Softwares

Game editors: UE4, Unity, Game maker, Hammer
C# Coding
Utility Softwares: Excel, Photoshop, P4V

 

Experienced Dungeon Master

I’ve been a player-centric motivated homebrew Dungeon Master since 2015. By hosting several groups, I’ve learned how to enhance my players’ experience by adapting my content to appeal to different playstyles.
One of my core strengths as a DM is to intertwine gameplay and narratives while keeping everything coherent and consistent.
 

Player oriented

To further my knowledge, I have been regularly playing different games for which I am not the target audience. This allows me to better understand how to appeal to different audiences and makes me explore new ways to link gameplay and storytelling together.
When faced with weaker, but interesting games, I explore different solutions to the game design problems encountered that would make the player experience more enjoyable.
My Slasher’s Keep analysis demonstrates this ability.


A varied perspective

My circle of friends includes professionals and students from different sectors of the industry, giving me insight on the challenges encountered in their respective profession. I have attended meetings and audited multiple classes in other related fields such as animation, sound and modelisation.
This gives me a solid understanding of what is required to facilitate the skills of different professionals within a multi-functional team to produce an assignment.

I believe my interest and knowledge of other professions combined with my bilingualism, communication and organisational skills gives me an extra edge as a game designer.

 

EDUCATION

VIEW OR DOWNLOAD MY CURRICULUM VITAE 

 

Design de niveau de jeu

Le Campus ADN - AEC  1110 hours (2021-2022)

-Learned to efficiently convey ideas and concepts via documentation (PPT or Word).

-Create reader-friendly documentation.

-Deepened my knowledge of Rational Game Design Theory.

-Understand the different links in the production chain of a video game as well as the main job functions of related professions.

-Designed and produced different elements of a game harmoniously, within the scenario and the artistic and technical directions of the game project.

-Accustomed to standard video game production pipelines.

-Accomplish all the tasks related to the profession of game / level designer in a 15 week production.


Technologies de l'Architecture

CEGEP de Lévis (2018-2019)

CEGEP du Vieux Montreal (2019-2020)

-Understand the effects different spaces have on humans.
-I know the real life-logic behind built places.
-Working in a team to achieve a structured goal
-Able to convey and understand concepts and ideas


 

Work


Game production Campus ADN

Spirit's Creek, a 15 week game production. (2022)

Approx. 50 juniors from different domains (Sound Design, 3D Animation, 3D Modeling and Level Design).

Game Design

Designed, documented and coded the menus and UI.

Delivered the intentions of the design to Sound Designers and UI artists.

Level Design

Designed and created the first level of the game.
Worked in tandem with a level artist to keep the gameplay clear.

Overall

Adapted designs as the production encountered problems.
Debated design ideas to coworkers.


Working door to door for a charity fundraiser

Public Outreach (2020)

-Acquired an acute capacity to read individuals and make them engage positively.
-Strengthened my patience and mental resilience.
-Team building, motivation and emotional support of teammates.


Special educator assistant

Centre de Répit André Larochelle (2015-2018)

-Worked with people experiencing different disabilities and challenges.
-Developed empathy, patience and resilience.
-I am aware and sensitive of the social challenges people on the spectrum face in their daily lives.

 

 

CONTACT ME


Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to discuss work possibilities.


CURRICULUM VITAE
 

 

Zachary Giguere
Montreal, Quebec

(579) 488-5512

zgigueregestion@gmail.com


LinkedIn


Discord

GriefingGoblin #9145