Game Design Portfolio - Chris Logsdon / Rune

(Unreleased projects under NDA)

Led design on multiple prototypes. Highlights include an exploration-focused 3D character platformer, and a 3D programming-based puzzle FPS. I designed and did light programming on player controllers and mechanics, enemy behavior, puzzles and levels, and HUD/UI. I also kept thorough design documentation and wrote tech specs for engineers.

A Faerie's Tale: Death's Promise

A strange story I overheard in the woods. My first short story length writing work. Mixed perspective, both with different prose styles. A few photos, the borders, and the logo are created by me. All other photos and all audio are royalty-free works I curated and edited.

X-YZE

2D bump combat action game. Top-down (2D Zelda style) action game featuring bump combat inspired by classics like Ys, with a bit of an arcade feel. ~3000 words of mysterious short story. I did all design, programming, audio, writing, and nearly all art.

DISC

Online multiplayer VR sports game. A hybrid of air hockey, football/soccer, and Tron disc combat. I was a designer for player mechanics, disc behaviors, court layouts, and rules of the sport. Also kept thorough design documentation, wrote tech specs for engineers, and created pitch decks for stakeholders.

STARWAVE

VR music fitness game. I was a designer for gameplay mechanics, level design, and game mode design. I also assisted in fine-tuning our unique DAW-based level design workflow. In addition, I wrote thorough documentation of our design and technical concepts.

AFTERLIFE

Experimental horror text game. Made in a couple evenings using an indie engine (Super Videotome). An exploration of new and unconventional formats, and an exercise in short-form writing.

within

Narrative art/experience game about what lies within us. Made over the course of 2 months to learn a new framework. It's an experiment in tonal contrast and playing from an unusual perspective. I did everything myself except for some of the art, which are modifications of existing images.

Catching Stars

Chaotic ambient rhythm game with procedural music. Move your cursor along the track so it hits stars while avoiding skulls. Watch out, though, because Commander Cat is pressing buttons and pulling levers that will throw obstacles your way! The overall concept was a collaborative effort with Alix Lytton, but my specific contributions were all things coding and audio. This was made for a 48hr game jam.

Outlanders

Online multiplayer fantasy arena combat game. Choose a class, each with unique skills, and duke it out in a team or free-for-all deathmatch. In a team of 8, I co-designed the ability system and the abilities themselves, co-designed and tested/balanced the class stat/level-up progression, implemented UI with Scaleform, directed/produced voice-over recording sessions, composed music, and implemented nearly all of the above in-engine.

Scattered Song

A peaceful and musical puzzle adventure game. Find the missing pieces of a song scattered about the world, and restore them to their pedestals. This was my first big solo project, and it's full of all the good stuff like teleporter mazes, invisible mazes, and obtuse hints. Made in about 1 month.

The Heroes' Tourney

Wacky couch multiplayer brawler. Punch your opponents out-of-bounds or into hazards while grabbing powerups for an advantage! I designed and implemented the powerups, and contributed to the movement and combat design. I also did all the music and sfx. This project started as a 24hr game jam project with 2 others, but was further fleshed out after a strong positive reception.

Bit Cave

Map-centered survival exploration game. Search for your lost mementos scattered throughout a sprawling cave system. Make sure you don't freeze, though! Features procedurally-generated cave systems. I did all art and audio, and collaborated on code and design. 72hr game jam.

Baseborn

Multi-route action RPG. You wash up on shore after a shipwreck... Pick your class and go defeat the Dark Lord! For design, I did all level design and co-designed the 3 player classes. I also did all audio, most of the art, and some programming. This was my final project for my first game programming/design course, and what I consider my first "full" game.

Beautiful Monsters

Quick-playing 2-player card game about recruiting a team of monsters, dressing them up in accessories, and entering them into a beauty contest. Features a hybrid open/closed drafting system, multi-use cards, and variable scoring criteria. I handled nearly all the game design, card layout design, rulebook layout and writing, and many other publishing-related tasks. This game was sold at a local brick-and-mortar game shop in Burbank, CA (Geeky Teas & Games). It's also available online via DriveThruCards, or print-and-play via itch.io.

EMD

Co-operative deck-building board game about elemental mages-in-training. Players are given a set of Assignments they must collectively complete each semester, which requires proof of mastery in the various aspects of the school. The Summoning Circle is a long-term collective puzzle that summons powerful Familiars with passive benefits. The Reliquary forges Relics with once-per-semester abilities. The Halls hold mysterious rooms that players explore together. Players may also individually Memorize spells to ensure they always have access to their effects. The game is driven by 4 elements: Fire, Water, Wind, and Thunder. Every spell card has an element it generates when cast, and these generated elements are used to pay for actions (summoning, forging, exploring, memorizing). Each element is more powerful when used with certain actions, such as Wind allowing players to move twice as fast when exploring The Halls. As the game progresses, players add better spells to their deck while removing the basic ones. They may even stumble across some powerful Secret Spells that can play a pivotal role in their success!

CSR

Competitive, economic, investment, route-building board game. Players collectively build up a railway while establishing businesses along the route to capitalize on the unique opportunities presented by the nearby terrain. Lakes, Forests, and Mines (procedurally placed at setup) are natural sources of goods (fish, wood, ore). Players can establish Suppliers and/or Shops on the map. Suppliers gather goods from natural sources and sell them to the Shops. The Shops then sell those goods to passengers on the train that periodically makes trips along the route. However, which goods the passengers are interested in, and how much they are willing to pay, will be different each trip. Players may also invest in the other players' businesses, thereby improving that business' infrastructure in exchange for a cut of the profits. As certain shops and suppliers make money or fail to pay their upkeep, the overall value of their industry will increase or decrease. Strategic placement, savvy investment, and predicting the whims of your opponents is the key to success.

Dual Gauge - New Hampshire

This is an unofficial map for one of my favorite board games, Dual Gauge (designed by Amabel Holland, published by Hollandspiele). I designed and created everything myself, except for the historical map faded in the background and the logo in the bottom corner. The graphic design is meant to seamlessly replicate that of the official game.

Dual Gauge is a stock-holding, route-building, train game. The goal is to have the most valuable portfolio (value of your shares + cash on hand) at the end of the game. The key feature of my New Hampshire map is its modeling of the slow death of New England mills in the 19th and 20th centuries. Various cities are “mill cities” that provide considerably high revenue for companies that run routes through them. However, as the game progresses, the mill cities will be removed from the map (representing the numerous mill fires of the time) and the value of all mills will decrease. The game ends once the last mill city (Manchester) has been removed. The train companies, their starting locations, and their special abilities are based on the real-world companies of the same name, such as Grand Trunk, who were early adopters of special technology that allowed their trains to quickly switch gauges. The off-board locations (white hexes) are also based on major train routes of the time.