"Back in the 90s I'd decompile shareware hypercard games using ResEdit and put my own characters and art in them"
I'm Sam Strick, game designer.
Like many of us in the industry, my career path has been anything but linear—but it's always been centered on games and play. Over the years, I've moved from creating advergames during the bygone Flash era to working in interactive theater, board games, esports, playground design, indie games, AR/VR, and mobile!
I've often found myself at small companies where I'm a one-man creative army, taking on everything from vision to execution. More recently, I've had the privilege of leading some of the most talented teams I could imagine, working with some of the most recognizable IP in the world. The skills I've earned—game design, art, and code—have not only allowed me to wear multiple hats but have also shaped me into a better communicator and leader.
As a game designer, I'm a generalist.
I can architect complex systems, design them to interlock seamlessly, and create content that brings them to life. I'm just as comfortable in a spreadsheet balancing an economy as I am tweaking the second-to-second combat in an action game. My superpower is the ability to fluidly shift between these spaces, iterating, collaborating, and recalling the fine details of each version along the way.
As a lead and director, my focus is clarity, consistency, and alignment.
I excel at forming a concrete vision of a project and communicating it consistently across the team—not to micromanage, but to ensure alignment. My goal is to empower the team to shape and grow that vision while keeping the original intent and goals intact. During my time working on MASSIVE, I successfully brought this approach to life, guiding a talented prototyping team of a dozen contributors over a year and a half.
Here's what I believe:
Games are about fun, but more importantly, they're about crafting experiences that evoke emotion, much like any other creative medium. Too often, we only reference games when designing games, but the best ideas come from lived experiences. While working on MASSIVE, I drew inspiration from skate park culture, FPV drone piloting, hacker communities, third-places, and even Beyblades. I'm thiiis close to buying a baby ape.
Thanks for sticking with me this far! If you'd like more "professional" details, check out my linkedin. Or, better yet, reach out directly—I'm always up for a conversation. 🤘
linkedin
samuelstrick@gmail.com
seattle, wa
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design and Technology Parsons School of Design Top Honors, 2010
Popular Media Studies Program Temple University Summer Program Tokyo, Japan 2008
Award, Most Surprising: Television Kill Screen and OUYA CREATE 2013
Curator, Host, and Moderator of State of Games 92Y Tribeca A series about making games, with Rachel Chanoff, 2009
Placed in 2nd in Kata and 4th in Full Contact Semi Knockdown Kumite Yukan Karate Championship Montreal 2012