August Sönnergren - Game Design Portfolio

Past

Born january -83. In the early years I used to draw comics (and level design concepts) on pieces of paper with colourful pencils.

Growing up, I moved from comics to writing short stories. I played games on both Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) and PC and dreamed about designing my own games.

I have always created imaginary worlds and all that goes with it - maps, characters, art, short stories and even concepts for games set in those worlds.

I studied web design, learned some basic programming and spent three years as a Front End Developer. I got experience on collaborate with programmers, as well as working in a team towards deadlines.

I lead smaller projects, made design specifications for online communities, created the visual design and layouted complex web pages, always working towards the needs of the end user and the requirement of the product owner.

I'm a graduated Game Designer from Futuregames Academy, Berghs School of Communication in Stockholm, Sweden.

In addition to various cources in practical and theory game/level/interaction design I spent a 7 months placement (trainee/internship) as QA tester and game designer at Fatshark AB, working on Lead and Gold - Gangs of the Wild West and Bionic Commando:Rearmed 2.

Future

Even though I favour RTS and RPGs as a gamer, I don't limit myself to these genres as a designer. All game mechanics and game systems are interresting and all kind of games appeals to me. I consider myself a systems and low level game designer, adapting well to the framework of high level game design.

I have learned the basics of the UDK (Unreal Developpment Kit), Unity3D, and I am currently using the Starcraft II Galaxy Editor on a daily basis and create maps for official tournaments.

The latter months I have been working and studying mostly from home and I miss collaborating creatively in a team.

Contact

E-mail: august.sonnergren(at)futuregames.se
Tel: +46 (0)737609542
MSN Messenger: agge_s(at)hotmail.com
LinkedIn Profile

Playing

Starcraft II, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Path of Exile Beta, Magic the Gathering (analogue game)

Reading

Character Development and Storytelling for Games by Lee Sheldon, and re-reading A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

Employment

Talk to People AB
May 2011 - July 2011
Front end developer, Web Designer, Game Designer Responsible for front end-development and game features of an innovative community webpage. I collaborated closely with the back-end developer. We took the development from concept, through revaluation of old systems and specification for the use, layout, framework and interaction design up to the point of back-end implementation.

Membro AB
February 2006 - November 2008
Front end / back end developer of Online Communities and Content Management Systems

Experience:

Working in a small team with focus on delivering quality while still keeping deadlines.
Basic web programming in level with Javascript, HTML, CSS
Collaboration and fluid communication with other programmers
Lead smaller projects (2-3 ppl)
Creating design specifications for online communities
Creating the visual design and layout of complex web pages
Adapting to the needs of a product owner while keeping focus on the needs of the end user.

Freelance

eQidz
January - February 2011
Game Designer

Developped the game design of a EQ learning game for children on assignment for Rosie Linder. I wrote a full Game Design Document covering game mechanics and game design direction for the prototype and beyond. A strong method of use was Visual Design Documentation - conveying the design with illustrations to go with the text and flowcharts, using Photoshop a lot.

Internship

Fatshark
December 2009 - June 2010
Internship as QA tester / Game Designer

QA Experience

Several months of game testing on Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West, prior to it's release.
Put in charge for testing Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2 several months during mid-development.
Assisting Producer in keeping track of implementation and delivery schemes
Reporting bugs while keeping track of not-yet-implementeted features and content.
Playtesting levels, AI and player mechanics. Providing creative and constructive feedback.
Software used were Scrumworks, Mantis and DevTrack and also in-house engine tools.

Game Design Experience:

Creative work and documentation of pitch material written on-demand with tight deadlines.
Tweaking of game mechanichs and game balance.
Writing documentation and creating both high level and low level game mechanics for unannounched projects.
Collaborating with other game designers in creative and focused design meetings as well as on the field.

Education

Academic Courses
Interactive 3D, Unity 3D | Jan 2012 - current
Web Developmnet, HTML5, JavaScript | Oct 2011 - Jan 2012
Graphic Design for the Web | Oct 2011 - Jan 2012
3D modelling, Autodesk Maya | Feb - March 2011

Futuregames Aacademy
Game Design
2008 - 2010
A qualified vocational education at Berghs School of Communication for both graphic artists and game designers. Lectures and cources are held by representatives from the game's industry. Two years including a 6 month period attending internship/placement.

Nackademin
Web Design, Interactive Design, Web Programming
2004 - 2006
A qualified vocational education with cources in web design, interactive design and web programming.

Birkagårdens Folkhögskola
Art
2002 - 2003
One year with two full time courses in painting and sculpture.

Medlefors Folkhögskola
Creative Writing
2002
One term creative writing - distance cource, half time pace.

References

" August has been working with us with great success during the first half of 2011. As Front-end developer, August executed his role to great satisfaction and with great results. He has been working meticulously and been liked by colleagues and customers.

Talk to People recommends August to future Employees and are confident he will be a big asset regardless of workplace. In addition, we'd love to see August working with us again in the future "

Johan Stigels
VD at Talk to People AB
Tel: +46 (0)722509629

" During August's internship at Fatshark I had him on my team on several occasions. He really did some impressive pitch work, both on his own and in a team of designers. He is the kind of designer who always makes a thorough consequence analysis on every detail on beforehand. He is easy going and a good addition to any team "

Mårten Stormdal
Lead Game Designer at Fatshark
E-mail | LinkedIn Profile

" August is thorough, loyal, punctual and ambitious. He is well liked by his fellow employees and collaborates easily. He has been a great asset in the projects he has been participating in. August exercised his work tasks to more than complete satisfaction. I recommend him to future employers and wish him a good luck in his future career "

Martin Wahlund
CEO at Fatshark
E-mail | LinkedIn Profile | Tel: +46 (0)704152005

" August is a very sharp game designer with a talent for game balance and game systems. I've been August's teacher in a couple of projects and he has always shown much promise and a talent for following through. I'm convinced that August will be a valuable asset to any games company "

Åsa Roos
Producer at Avalanche Studios
E-mail | LinkedIn Profile | Tel: +46 (0)736416430

" August is a diligent student who caught my eye early during my work at Futuregames Academy, because he seemed more than comfortable engrossing himself in the kind of low-level, pen-and-paper-and-stats type design that most kids shy away from. I know he'll continue to develop his skills and look forward to seeing him grow as a professional "

Doru Apreotesei
Creative Supervisor at Blue Byte
E-mail | LinkedIn Profile | Tel: +46 (0)735006076

Anna Wendelin
Sr User Interface Designer at DICE
E-mail | LinkedIn Profile

Download Resume (pdf)

Minions

- a portable board game played with cards and dice

I have been working on this analogue game in my sparetime. It's in an alpha phase and even though it has some testing and tweaking to go through, it plays well. Although it's a boardgame in scope, it is highly portable, consisting of merely a deck of cards and some dice.

Rules - This docuement describes for an end user how to play the game.

Design Process - My thoughts on the design process, what design decisions I took and why. It is reccomended to read the Rules first.

Lore - An introduction to the lore aspect of the fantasy game world.

Art - A direction on the artwork of the cards. Descriping creatures and landscapes, this docuement is directed to any future artist on the project.

Rules (pdf)

Design Process (pdf)

Lore (pdf)

Art (pdf)

3D and Web Art

A full 3D scene and 2D art for the upcoming webpage for the card game. I made the 3D scene in Maya (basic modelling, texturing and rendering) and the web art using Photoshop.

Metropolis 2084

- a turn-based strategy and RPG multiplayer game set in a cyberpunk metropolis

On this project, at Futuregames Academy, I had the Lead Game Designer role. Using Scrum as development method we were to produce a trailer, a GDD and a presentation of an original IP. In four weeks I produced a GDD based on a game concept made prior to this project.

The game concept was a web browser-game in full 3D, tightly knit to an Online Community. The gameplay should be similar to the Heroes of Might and Magic titles and the setting a cyberpunk world with clear referensces to popular culture.

The Design Process -My thoughts on the design process, what design decisions I took and why.

Game Design Document - The core GDD. Covers introduction, game mechanics, the level design framework and the UI. Everyone on the team should read the first four chapters.

Game World and Media - About the setting, lore, story, art and sound

Online Community - About the features on the Online Community. Covers the design goals and gives some direction.

Poster art by Stefan Hansson

The Design Process (pdf)

Game Design Document (pdf)

Game World and Media (pdf)

Online Community (pdf)

Karlsson-on-the-roof

- a children's game made for Bajoum Interactive in Unity3D

I was one of the Game Designers on this project at Futuregames Academy. In seven weeks I was working on a wide range of tasks. The final game was chosen by the product owner, Linus Feldt at Bajoum Interactive, to take to further development.

Design concepts for the challenges in the game
Writing the Voice Acting Manuscript and direction for the voice actors
Scripting in Unity3D, creating the UI
Writing the Game Design Document, in collaboration with the Lead Game Designer

Poster art by Pär Andersson

Play the Game (hyperlink)

Game Design Document (pdf)

Voice Acting Manuscript (pdf)

Artwork Document (pdf)

StarCraft II Multiplayer (Melee) Maps

I use the Starcraft II Galaxy editor on a daily basis to make melee multiplayer maps (for the most part - the editor is also a great tool to test out other game concepts).

As a member of the map making team The Planetary Workshop (TPW) I am crafting high quality maps that are being used in tournaments with thousands of viewers.

As the meta game around Starcraft 2 changes, the standars of high quality maps change with it. Some of these maps are old, but I think it's important to make lasting, solid designs and keep them up to date even post release. "Quality over quantity" is my design motto.

TPW Overgrown

A 4 player map for 1v1. Spawn positions are restricted so that one player spawns at the left part of the map and the other at the right. The map is considered a better version of an official map (Shakuras Plateau) and has the unique setting of an overgrown ruined city. This is the second map I've made for TPW (The Planetary Workshop). The map made top 5 in Map of the Map of the Month #8 (map competition, tournament).

TPW Core Delta

A 4 player map for 1v1. Rotational symetry maps tends to be unfair for some players, depending on where players spawn in relation to one another. The concept of this map was to make rotational symetry as balanced as possible. The map was made for the map making team TPW (The Planetary Workshop) and was among the top 5 maps in Map of the Month #7.

Memorial

A map for 2 players. Concrete structures and barren land rise out of orange fog. This map made the top 5 in Map of the Month #3 and had pro players competing on it.

Other maps

These are examples of scene compositions made in the SC2 Galaxy editor. Some are from collaboration maps I've made with the map making team.