Jesse Villa
I am an ambitious game developer seeking opportunities to evolve as a narrative and game designer through collaborative and creative projects at a dynamically forward-thinking company.
Game Projects
Whether action-packed or nerve-wrecking, creating video games is such a fullfilling experience.
Good luck and have fun playing these games.
Invicta Vitae (2021)
Pipe Dream Peril (2020)
The Night Before Xmas (2023)
The Night Before Xmas (2023)
Gameplay Designer and Sound Designer
A Hack and Slash Horror Adventure game where you play Santa Claus, who wakes up and finds out his workshop is empty. Some misfit toys have kidnapped Santa's elves, and he has to save them as Christmas approaches. . .Created in Unity
– Designed the action gameplay and assisted in the spooky sound design for a single-player action horror game.
– Constructed a combat system of player and enemy mechanics while establishing enemy motives and player objectives. In addition, utilized a vast library of sound effects to help create an audible player experience.
- Developed for the 2023 ABK Employee Network Game Jam organized by Activision Blizzard Veterans Employee Network.
Invicta Vitae (2021)
Gameplay Designer and Lead Narrative
Awarded "Design Innovation Award" at the UCSC Sammy Awards 2021A 2D Survival Horror game where two players will be pitted against each other in a battle of wit and chase.
Outwit the hunter as the harrowing scientist or outplay the hunted as the monstrous Multacrus Invicta.
Whether you are fighting for your life or chasing after your meal, only one comes out alive.Created in Unity
Survivor Gameplay
Designed player interactions, flashlight mechanic, and collectable objectives
Terminal UI
Helped design the Terminal UI including location names, objective status and checklist
Monster Gameplay
Designed monster crawling movements, attack controls, and echo-location visuals
Original Map Design
Developed the in-game map layout, collectibles, and objective markers
I constructed the horror narrative for the game, detailing the harrowing events that occurred through story documentation for backstory and in-game lore. When designing the map, I utilized visual storytelling of destroyed labs and dismembered humans to encapsulate dismayed players in a decayed environment.
To give potential players a glimpse into the horrors of Invicta Vitae, I produced the promotional material. I created storyboards to conceptualize the trailer, recorded and edited in-game capture footage utilizing Adobe Premiere and designed onscreen graphics provided by the team's art department
Pipe Dream Peril (2020)
Game Designer
A virtual board game where players take the role of rats escaping the underground sewers to live above the outside world.
However, they must be careful as the other rats will have tricks up their sleeves and do anything to obtain freedom.
Who will make it out alive and who will be stuck underground with escape as their pipe dream?Created in Tabletopia
Utilizing Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, I created and outlined the game's overall grimy look with royalty-free assets. In addition, I designed the game's gameplay and mechanics to make for a replayable, fun experience!Game Design Document
Sound Projects
It's not just the visuals that play an important part as developing sound can make or break a moment.
Even silence can play a loud part in sound design despite what you hear.
My Dear Hatchet Man (2023)
A horror romance visual novel where the player falls in love with a serial killer.
- Assisted in the sound design of background music and ambience with Reaper and Audacity.
- Utilized libraries of sound effects, tracks, loops to edit and design audio to fit the visual storytelling.
Reef Blower Audio Swap (2020)
My final submission for Prof. Nathan Altice's CMPM 150 "Creating Digital Audio" final project.
- Audio in the video was produced by myself with Reaper and Audacity.
- Created, designed, and edited all the sound effects through Foley work.
Stories
From time to time, I feel inspired to write short stories or delve deeper into the lore of video games I worked on. Enjoy a nice read.
Our Darkest Thoughts (2019)
Invicta Vitae (2021)
Invicta Vitae (2021)
Lore and In-Game Documents
A detailed plot to the video game Invicta Vitae, the struggles that preceded and the horrors that followed.
Our Darkest Thoughts (2019)
Interactive Story
Awarded "Best Opening" at the interactive fiction competition Spring Thing 2019TW: Depression, Suicide
A short interactive suspense fiction where you have to find your way out of the darkness.Created in Twine