Neo Zhang
I'm Neo Zhang, a contract Game and Narrative Designer at SECRET DOOR GAMES, a game studio part of DREAMHAVEN.
Graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a B.S. degree in Computer Science and Game Design, and specialized in Combat design, Narrative design, Level/Map design, and Character design.
I am also a passionate filmmaker. You can view my work in the Film Portfolio section.
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Professional Career
(Contract) Game and Narrative Designer + Cinematic Director
Oct 2023 - Present
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Prototype, implement, and iterate on 5+ level encounters and 3 ability systems to create engaging new strategies.
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Own the creation of 25+ real-time cinematics, from ideation and storyboarding to execution in engine.
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Collaborate with writers to ensure narrative consistency, animator to review and pass animations, and artist for build VFX.
Volunteer Game Designer
Jul 2023 - Oct 2023
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Brainstorming and researching 20+ biome variations that align with the space and exploration theme.
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Designing 10+ jelly abilities that enhance players' experiences and are relevant to the player-jelly relationship.
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Participated in the improvement of cross-department communications and information pipeline.
Design Team Officer
Jul 2022 - Jul 2023
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Spearheaded workshops to teach crucial design concepts (i.e. level design, game loop, system, etc.)
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Supervised a 50+ member cross-functional mock studio.
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Hosted large scaled events, including game jams, gatherings, club meetings, and presentations.
Producer (Design Team)
Sep 2021 - Jul 2022
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Oversaw the design team in the development of a 3D horror game over 7 months.
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Collaborated with other producers to streamline inter-department communication and organization.
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Maintain flexibility when organizing sprints and milestones.
Game Designer and Programmer
Sep 2019 - Jul 2022