It all started with a computer game called Spitballz featuring my high school principal. You roamed around avoiding a seemingly infinite number of clone principals, firing spitballs in every direction. Make it far enough and you advanced to the boss level, featuring the hard to defeat principal in a tank. The principal found out when his kids showed him how to play. He loved it.

This first game was made in a program called GameMaker, but in college I quickly progressed to Flash for my new creations. As the popularity of Flash games and videos soared, I threw my hat into the ring with a debut game called The Brain Drain Game. Raw and unpolished, it somehow managed to engage players with its convention breaking, outside-the-box mentality. Featured on the front page of Kongregate, it attracted fans and detractors alike. Message boards shared tips for how to beat it, and a YouTube walkthrough video even exists today for the beginning levels.

Follow up games were completed in my spare time, in those magical hours while the rest of the world sleeps and creativity waivers between full on inspiration and blank thoughts. Fueled by energy drinks and a need to create, I put out a few more games over the years, including Tile Shift (my most proud) and Letter Launch (my most lucrative), as well as several games that were completed in single nights. Recently, I've begun focusing more on number puzzles with web and print as a medium.

The Brain Drain Game (2007)

Kongregate: 43,756 gameplays   |   MochiAds: 40,440 impressions
As of 2/13/2013

I went all out for my first flash game, challenging players to think outside of the metaphorical 550px x 400px box. Infuriating some, I wanted to make a challenging game that would be difficult to beat. Judging by user comments, I succeeded at least in that regard. Definitely raw and unpolished, it was thrown together while I should have been in class.

Actual Quote: "Screw it, stopped on #18. With that being said, I sincerely hope the maker of this game gets shot, goes into a coma for the rest of their life and dreams of all the things they dread to happen. His greatest fears mauling him and he will burn in the fire that his whole family is burning in."

Letter Launch (2010)

Kongregate: 1,857 gameplays   |   MochiAds: 252,959 impressions
As of 2/13/2013

   

In a game that tried to mix fun with an actual educational goal, Letter Launch encourages purposeful typing - rewarding good behaviors and key press accuracy. Surprisingly, this game is still kicking around and generating impressions every day. Staying true to form, this is not easy to beat either!

Tile Shift (2011)

MochiAds: 75,278 impressions
As of 2/13/2013

   

One of my favorite games to program, and one that I spent the most time on the small design and sound effect details. One day I might try to resurrect this as a mobile game.