I am an experienced game and level designer based in Edinburgh. I work in the gaming industry (Rockstar Games) and as a freelancer and consultant for indie developers and studios.
If you are struggling or need guidance to flesh out your ideas, balance your game systems, build great levels or you need a mentor for your professional development…
…look no further.
I am here to help you to create deep and exciting game experiences or to empower you to achieve your dream career.
Games are complex
Videogames are a blend of multidisciplinary fields.
It’s not rare that people, especially in small teams, have to cover multiple roles. The designer is usually the programmer, writer, or artist.
As a result, many games showcase incredible art, story, and implementation but often times the gameplay lacks a cohesive structure and it is just a collection of cool ideas.
Without a dedicated experienced designer, it is hard to understand how to create and develop interconnected mechanics, systems, and levels to build memorable gameplay experiences.
What I offer
I have worked in the industry and with different indie developers and studios offering them a variety of services. Here are some of them:
- Open advising and consultancy via booked appointments (chat/voice call)
- Brainstorm, research, and plan.
- Tailored design requests (e.g. design a level, systems, or mechanics)
- Content review
- Helping to structure the overall design processes and workflow
- Clear and effective design documentation and tools (e.g. Trello, Google Workspace, Notion, etc.)
- Mentorship & Training
- Defining a cohesive game direction with you in line with the market
Services package
- Free chat to assess the project and the services needed.
- Scheduled text chats or voice calls for consultancy.
- Game documentation, analysis, spreadsheet, and articles
- Levels using your level editor or engine of choice.
- Rapid prototyping
- Live support via chat (Discord/Slack), Notion wikis, Google Docs, Presentation, and Sheets.
- I record the work and timings in production tools like Toggl, so you can keep track of the work I do.
- My rates start from 40$/hr depending on the project and responsibilities.
Testimonials
“Andrea has helped us as a mentor during one of the milestone of the code coven program. He was critical, thoughtful, well-spoken and patient.”
Team M.A.M.A – Trailer Tales, Cosde Coven Summer Program 2021
“Andrea lent his game/level design skills for our upcoming puzzle project, and let me start this by saying that he did a phenomenal job. Right from the beginning, he quickly grasped the core mechanics and the nuisances around it to deliver some high-quality and witty levels. Even though his primary duties involved designing levels, he wasn’t shy about sharing his input on game design whenever he sensed a flaw, and the team welcomed his input on improving the game. I can’t recommend Andrea enough and wish him good luck in all his future endeavours. We are surely going to collaborate with him again for future projects.”
Chirag Chopra – Game Designer • Producer • 40u40 – Lucid Labs
“Andrea and I have worked together on several game development projects, including the Global Game Jam. Working with Andrea was a pleasure, as he is intelligent, full of great ideas, and a complete professional. I’ve always been impressed with his deep understanding of game design and development, which he continuously develops. I would highly recommend Andrea to anyone and would enjoy working with him again in future.”
Keith Atherton – Full-stack Senior Software Engineer
“Andrea provided his game/level design skills to an ongoing project. He is fantastic to work with, very professional and he can take criticism. He has a broad set of skills that don’t commonly overlap amongst developers (software engineering/game design) however the job does overlap which is invaluable. I highly recommend Andrea to anyone who wants to ‘get serious about game design.”
Andrew Kerr – Game Programmer and Animator – Indie Developer
“Andrea has applied his game design experiences in the project I’m currently developing: Stranded Eternity. He has a critical eye for the big picture and scope of the project, yet also recognizes the small details that help a project stand out from the rest of the crowd. In addition to his design experience, he possesses a rare trait that is often overlooked, which is the ability to state clearly that something isn’t recommended for the project in the long term rather simply appeasing the client in the short term. I recommend Andrea as a game designer.”
1StepCloser – Indie Game Developer
Let’s work together
Are you ready to improve the design of your game? Or do you want to learn how to succeed, build a portfolio and grow as a Game Designer?
Let’s discuss a project, mentorship programs. ways to make your game deep and exciting, or flesh out an outstanding portfolio. Send me an email today.
Andrea Ortino 