Solo Developer, Level Designer and Artist

SpellHead is my dissertation project, from January to May 2026. It’s a puzzle game in which the player is a wizard with a spell for a head. You need to gather new spells and learn the secrets of the dungeon to get your crown. I wrote a research report to support the design methodologies behind the project, including level design features from puzzle game developers like Patrick Traynor and Jonathan Blow, as well as research on the benefits of creating learning environments using cognitive teaching methods for game onboarding.

SpellHead is by far the proudest I’ve been for a University project, user feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and given me useful data to continue development past this point on a spiritual sequel or continuation of the concept.

It’s success has awarded me second-place at the 2026 Game Republic Student Showcase, endorsed by industry professionals from Team 17. You can find a post about this on my linkedIn.

The slides below were made to evidence the design theories and intentions behind the game at showcase events. It acts as a walkthrough and shows a clear outline of the player journey.

Watch this space for a larger breakdown!