Joel Burgess
joel-at-joelburgess.com
Soft Rains, Studio Head
current
- Co-founded a team of veteran developers from major AAA and indie studios
- Responsible for overall company + project direction
Capybara Games, Studio Director
11/2019 - 2023
- Help define + implement internal studio vision, roadmap
- Pivoted Grindstone's live plan to achieve excellent retention and multi-year growth
- General Business Development with external partners
- Management of existing back catalog of CAPY games
- Provide creative leadership and collaboration with game teams
- Direct contributions when possible, eg: Grindstone level design
- Maintained a happy and healthy creative environment for cool devs!
Ubisoft Toronto, World Director
6/2016 - 11/2019
Watch Dogs Legion
- Direction for core setting fiction + narrative context
- Collaborate across multiple teams/studios on all aspects of world
- High-level planning for locations, gameplay distribution
- Responsible for presentation and collaboration with internal/external partners
Bethesda Game Studios, Senior Designer
6/2005 - 5/2016
Fallout 76
- Established world tone, setting, and overall goals
- Initial design of major gameplay systems, factions, locations
- Coordinate and align all dev teams on early vision
Fallout 4
- Organized and led level design team
- Various Systems and balance contribution
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Systems and Combat Design Contributions
- Dialogue, Book, and Quest Writing
- Level design and gameplay scripting
- Gameplay Design: Dragon, Spriggan, Wispmother
- Tools and Workflow Design
- Organized Documentation and Release of Creation Kit modding tool
- Collaborated w/Valve on Steam Workshop Integration
- Established & guided creative vision for level design
- Collaborated on world & quest design/implementation
- Hired & managed team of five level designers w/producers
- Shared systems & tools design duties w/design leads
- Co-Editor of Strategy Guide for base game & expansions
- Hands-on level design layout, scripting, writing
- Project co-lead from concept to ship
- Managed team of ~20 artists & designers on tight schedule
- Hands-on w/project. Implemented free-form quests, world design/building, scripting, directed/performed voice acting, etc.
- Collaborated on High-level design of military scenario
- Design of general space/gameplay flow and mechanics
- Flavor text and holotape writing
- Responsible for many of the game's 200+ dungeons
- Spear-headed effort to formalize level design process
- Contributed to story hooks and points of interest for random gameplay
- Co-Collaborator Design, writing, and scripting
- Shared level design duties with one other Level Designer
- Created entire DLC as a team of two
- Established lair layout and theme
- Shared in Level design and writing duties.
- Collaborated with designers on Quest Dungeons
- Design, writing, and implementation of freeform gameplay areas
Other Projects & Industry Advocacy
Ongoing, personal projects and commitments
Co-Founder & Organizer, GDC Level Design Summit
- 2010 - Present
Board of Directors, Interactive Ontario
- 2021 - Present
Industry Advisory Committee Member, Ontario Creates
- 2021 - Present
The Heart Set: A Card Game
- Designed original concept for tabletop game
- Prototype, Design & Iteration
- Organized artists & illustrators
QUEST: A role-playing game for everyone.
- Supplemental writing for early stages of TTRPG
Level Designer, Terminal Reality
4/2004 - 5/2005
- Contributed to overall Game Design during pre-production
- Wrote and began production on two "episodes", or levels
- Designed and produced two levels of final game
- Handled dialogue and cinematic scripting
Demonik (unreleased)
- Contributed Art Assets
Art Director & Designer, Dezign Corp.
2/2003 - 11/2003
Rob Williams - Project Lead
PlanetQuest (unreleased - cancelled)
- Managed tasks and budget for freelance artists
- Wrote extensive design documentation for original RPG concept
- Early systems prototyping w/proprietary tools
3D Artist, UCF GAMES Lab
2001 - 2004
Dr. John Weishampel - Project Supervisor
The VR Forest (location-based educational exhibit)
- Created and imported content into Torque Game Engine
- Collaborated on overall experience design
- Project was unveiled at Orlando Science Center in 2005
joel-at-joelburgess.com
Soft Rains, Studio Head
current
current
- Co-founded a team of veteran developers from major AAA and indie studios
- Responsible for overall company + project direction
Capybara Games, Studio Director
11/2019 - 2023
11/2019 - 2023
- Help define + implement internal studio vision, roadmap
- Pivoted Grindstone's live plan to achieve excellent retention and multi-year growth
- General Business Development with external partners
- Management of existing back catalog of CAPY games
- Provide creative leadership and collaboration with game teams
- Direct contributions when possible, eg: Grindstone level design
- Maintained a happy and healthy creative environment for cool devs!
Ubisoft Toronto, World Director
6/2016 - 11/2019
Watch Dogs Legion
6/2016 - 11/2019
Watch Dogs Legion
- Direction for core setting fiction + narrative context
- Collaborate across multiple teams/studios on all aspects of world
- High-level planning for locations, gameplay distribution
- Responsible for presentation and collaboration with internal/external partners
Bethesda Game Studios, Senior Designer
6/2005 - 5/2016
Fallout 76
6/2005 - 5/2016
Fallout 76
- Established world tone, setting, and overall goals
- Initial design of major gameplay systems, factions, locations
- Coordinate and align all dev teams on early vision
- Organized and led level design team
- Various Systems and balance contribution
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Systems and Combat Design Contributions
- Dialogue, Book, and Quest Writing
- Level design and gameplay scripting
- Gameplay Design: Dragon, Spriggan, Wispmother
- Tools and Workflow Design
- Organized Documentation and Release of Creation Kit modding tool
- Collaborated w/Valve on Steam Workshop Integration
- Established & guided creative vision for level design
- Collaborated on world & quest design/implementation
- Hired & managed team of five level designers w/producers
- Shared systems & tools design duties w/design leads
- Co-Editor of Strategy Guide for base game & expansions
- Hands-on level design layout, scripting, writing
- Project co-lead from concept to ship
- Managed team of ~20 artists & designers on tight schedule
- Hands-on w/project. Implemented free-form quests, world design/building, scripting, directed/performed voice acting, etc.
- Collaborated on High-level design of military scenario
- Design of general space/gameplay flow and mechanics
- Flavor text and holotape writing
- Responsible for many of the game's 200+ dungeons
- Spear-headed effort to formalize level design process
- Contributed to story hooks and points of interest for random gameplay
- Co-Collaborator Design, writing, and scripting
- Shared level design duties with one other Level Designer
- Created entire DLC as a team of two
- Established lair layout and theme
- Shared in Level design and writing duties.
- Collaborated with designers on Quest Dungeons
- Design, writing, and implementation of freeform gameplay areas
Other Projects & Industry Advocacy
Ongoing, personal projects and commitments
Co-Founder & Organizer, GDC Level Design Summit
Board of Directors, Interactive Ontario
Industry Advisory Committee Member, Ontario Creates
The Heart Set: A Card Game
Ongoing, personal projects and commitments
Co-Founder & Organizer, GDC Level Design Summit
- 2010 - Present
Board of Directors, Interactive Ontario
- 2021 - Present
Industry Advisory Committee Member, Ontario Creates
- 2021 - Present
The Heart Set: A Card Game
- Designed original concept for tabletop game
- Prototype, Design & Iteration
- Organized artists & illustrators
- Supplemental writing for early stages of TTRPG
Level Designer, Terminal Reality
4/2004 - 5/2005
- Contributed to overall Game Design during pre-production
- Wrote and began production on two "episodes", or levels
- Designed and produced two levels of final game
- Handled dialogue and cinematic scripting
Demonik (unreleased)
- Contributed Art Assets
Art Director & Designer, Dezign Corp.
2/2003 - 11/2003
Rob Williams - Project Lead
PlanetQuest (unreleased - cancelled)
- Managed tasks and budget for freelance artists
- Wrote extensive design documentation for original RPG concept
- Early systems prototyping w/proprietary tools
3D Artist, UCF GAMES Lab
2001 - 2004
Dr. John Weishampel - Project Supervisor
Dr. John Weishampel - Project Supervisor
The VR Forest (location-based educational exhibit)
- Created and imported content into Torque Game Engine
- Collaborated on overall experience design
- Project was unveiled at Orlando Science Center in 2005
Education:
B.A. Digital Media: Interactive Media
University of Central Florida
Dr. Robert Kenny - advisor
Graduated 2004
A.A. Music Theory & Performance
Indian River Community College
Casey Lunceford, Department Head
Graduated 2001
B.A. Digital Media: Interactive Media
University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
Dr. Robert Kenny - advisor
Graduated 2004
A.A. Music Theory & Performance
Indian River Community College
A.A. Music Theory & Performance
Indian River Community College
Casey Lunceford, Department Head
Graduated 2001
Miscellaneous:
Organizer/Presenter: GDC 2010-2020: Level Designer's Workshop
Instructor: GDC China 2012, 2014: Level Design Workshop/Tutorial
Panelist: SHUX 2018, QuakeCon 2010, 2012
Speaker: Pixelatl Festival, 2016
Chapter Author: Level Design: Processes & Experiences (edited by Chris Totten)
Co-Author: Level Design Book via Focal Press (Title & Release Date TBD)
2012 IGF Design Jury Member
2011-2019 IGF Judge
On-Campus presentations:
- Harvard Graduate School of Design
- Linköping University, Sweden
- FIEA (graduate school at University of Central Florida)
- George Mason University
- University of Baltimore, Shady Grove Campus
- The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University (SMU)
- GlitchCon at the University of Minnesota
The UCF Virtual Rainforest Team was:
- Featured at ESA conference, Savannah, GA 2003
- Featured at Institute for Simulation and Training, Orlando
- Featured at IAAPA convention 2002
Co-Organizer "Rock vs. Cancer" ACS benefit concert
References:
Reference Contacts are Available Upon Request
Organizer/Presenter: GDC 2010-2020: Level Designer's Workshop
2012 IGF Design Jury Member
On-Campus presentations:
- Harvard Graduate School of Design
- Linköping University, Sweden
- FIEA (graduate school at University of Central Florida)
- George Mason University
- University of Baltimore, Shady Grove Campus
- The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University (SMU)
- GlitchCon at the University of Minnesota
The UCF Virtual Rainforest Team was:
Instructor: GDC China 2012, 2014: Level Design Workshop/Tutorial
Panelist: SHUX 2018, QuakeCon 2010, 2012
Speaker: Pixelatl Festival, 2016
Chapter Author: Level Design: Processes & Experiences (edited by Chris Totten)
Co-Author: Level Design Book via Focal Press (Title & Release Date TBD)
Panelist: SHUX 2018, QuakeCon 2010, 2012
Speaker: Pixelatl Festival, 2016
Chapter Author: Level Design: Processes & Experiences (edited by Chris Totten)
Co-Author: Level Design Book via Focal Press (Title & Release Date TBD)
2012 IGF Design Jury Member
2011-2019 IGF Judge
On-Campus presentations:
- Harvard Graduate School of Design
- Linköping University, Sweden
- FIEA (graduate school at University of Central Florida)
- George Mason University
- University of Baltimore, Shady Grove Campus
- The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University (SMU)
- GlitchCon at the University of Minnesota
The UCF Virtual Rainforest Team was:
- Featured at ESA conference, Savannah, GA 2003
- Featured at Institute for Simulation and Training, Orlando
- Featured at IAAPA convention 2002
Co-Organizer "Rock vs. Cancer" ACS benefit concert
References:
Reference Contacts are Available Upon Request
