GAME DESIGNER AND WRITER
...interested in all things gaming
I am passionate about developing games and creative writing, and I enjoy contributing my writing and technical skills when collaborating with others to breathe new life into interactive experiences. My mission is to develop video games and tell compelling stories through them.
| Antonio Ventresca |
In 2002, when I was just a few years old and still getting used to the world, I witnessed my first video game when my father booted up Halo: Combat Evolved on his new Xbox. When I was old enough to hold a controller and play for myself, I immediately knew what I wanted to do with my life: design, write, and build video games that I and others could play.
Those formative years started my journey into the world of game design and storytelling. Playing games soon gave way to imagining games. I started making my own stories involving the video games I owned, and I began creating playable levels in sandbox games. No longer was it the adventures of Master Chief, Mario, and Luigi; now it was the adventures of Steve and Greg in a Halo multiplayer map. I began brainstorming and building games nonstop. Then, one day, my dad brought up Dungeons and Dragons, a game that operates by making up stories and acting them out. My brother and I were instantly hooked. I began writing most of our adventures, and I got more and more friends involved and playing in person and online. My creative writing knew no bounds. One of my life goals is to someday publish these adventures and make video games based on them.
While in junior high school, I heard about summer camps that teach kids how to make video games. I talked to my parents, who agreed that if I saved money and did chores, they would work with me to send me to these camps. When I reached high school, I took elective courses focusing on computers, video games, and content creation. Outside my classroom work, I taught myself as much as possible about video game design and used sandbox video games, game engines, and other tools to build small adventures for my friends and I to play.
In 2019, I enrolled at Kent State University to formalize my education in video game design and writing. I have recently completed Bachelor of Science degree in Animation and Game Design, as well as a minor degree in Creative Writing. I continue to use my spare time to work on personal game projects and test new ideas, and I work tirelessly to further develop my current skills and learn new ones.
Level DesignQuest DesignWriting
Little Nemo and the Nightmare Fiends is an up and coming metroidvania game inspired by Little Nemo and other works of Winsor McCay. The player assumes the role of Little Nemo and his friends Flip, The Princess and Penelope as they adventure through slumberland to defeat the Nightmare Fiends. For this project I was hired on as an intern with the goal of providing level and map prototypes for the final area of the game. As well, I was also tasked with providing quest ideas, objectives, and rewards. These ranged from puzzles, fetch quests, boss fights, and more. This project is set to release sometime in 2023 and is currently still in development.
Download: Steam
Site: Little Nemo and the Nightmare Fiends
Game DesignLevel DesignBlueprintingStory ConceptsWriting
This Temple Run-like platformer gave me invaluable experience working on a large project with my academic peers. It was also one of the first times my team and I had to discuss and control scope. I contributed to this game by working on level design and blueprinting. I also aided with writing and story concepts, and I found that collaborating with my fellow writers made level design easier. Overall, this game taught me a lot about functioning in a team environment, including how to manage the workflows of a team and the value of close collaboration.
Download: Google Drive
Site: Warrior In A Shop
Quest System DesignGame DebuggingWriting
Black Forest Mart was my first time dabbling in an engine outside Unity and Unreal. GB Studio presented some interesting challenges, from hit boxes to its coding system for quests and events. My roles in the creation of this game were to lead the quest-design team, bug-fix all of the quests (and other areas), and develop story details. Heavily inspired by RPG Maker-style horror titles, my team and I styled Black Forest Mart to bring that same experience to a handheld engine. Working on this game was an amazing journey, one I would love to revisit and explore more someday.
Download: Black Forest Market
Level DesignGray BoxingWriting StoryEnvironment Art
Pharo's Tale is my Capstone Project at Kent State University. This game is a Spyro-inspired puzzle platformer. The player assumes the role of a dragon that is turned into a ferret by an evil racoon/wizard. The player must fight their way to exact revenge and return to normal. For this game, I wrote dialogue, designed levels and the environment art. This project has been Alpha released on itch.io, however it is still in development and updates will continue.
Download: Pharo's Tale
WritingStory
Band of Revolvers was made in the style of a Nintendo DS game. The game is an adventure RPG where the protagonist is seeking justice for his murdered family. My role in the game was to write the character dialogs, and the story concept while working closely with the game developers.
Download: Band of Revolvers
Game DesignWriting
Parent Panic was a test in tackling deep social topics in games. My team and I met the challenge of approaching and implementing a game dealing with the very serious topic of suicide. This task warranted extensive research and careful navigation to treat the issue with the proper sensitivity. My responsibilities included writing game content and assisting in the development of the overall game design. I discovered using the video game medium to raise awareness of the topic was difficult, but I was careful to treat the concept with the required care while also not spoiling the gut-punch ending. My team and I ultimately hope Parent Panic presents an interesting way to help those who are struggling. (Note: Please reach out to local support groups if you have suicidal thoughts.)
Download: Parent Panic
Level DesignBlueprinting Play ConceptsWriting Animation Audio Effects
Walrus a-Gogo marked my first time helping a studio develop a game. I spent two summers helping Walrus Game Studio with blueprinting, level design, and concepts for player actions. During that time, I wrote and did audio effects for two other Walrus Game Studio games. The experience of being in a junior position for the first time, having to meet real deadlines, and working on a team with senior staff members was invaluable. Developing Walrus a-Gogo was also my first time working with water in a 3-D engine, a task that presented many challenges and bugs as the rest of the team and I grew accustomed to its functionality. I look forward to seeing this game of dancing walruses get published on Steam, and I eagerly await the releases of the other projects I worked on at Walrus Game Studio.
Download: Steam - Coming Soon
Studio Site: Walrus - A - GoGo
Game DesignLevel Design Writing Scripting Audio Effects
This is Skeleton Game, a small platformer in which the player is a skeleton that slays the heroes around its home. Skeleton Game was a solo project meant to help familiarize me with the workings of Unity. (Learning Unity 2-D versus Unreal 3-D was an interesting experience.) I remain fond of this little game, as creating it taught me how to do many things in one project, including audio effects, background music, scripting, and 2-D level design.
Solo Project - Written in Unity: Unity
Blueprinting Animation Models Audio Effects Scripting
This slideshow showcases additional work I have done, such as small animation tests, game blueprinting, and self-made models. Thank you for taking the time to look through my portfolio. Feel free to contact me at your convenience. Have an amazing day!
| Tools: | |
| Maya | |
| Blender | |
| Unreal | |
| Unity | |
| Languages: C#, C++ |
