Hi, I'm Katya, game designer.​

Game design has always intrigued me, as before I even knew that term, I could spend hours analysing and discussing games. Player psychology and its applications towards design is a key focus of mine, as is gameplay-story integration for the creation of a seamless and immersive experience. Currently, I am reading Katherine Isbister’s How Games Move Us Emotion By Design with the aim of becoming a better narrative designer.

I’m a fan of RPG, Visual Novel and Strategy, with my favourite IP being Intelligent System’s Fire Emblem series. I enjoy it so much so, that I have cosplayed three characters from it and plan to make a fourth for May MCM 2024. I also enjoy Spike Chunsoft’s Zero Escape and AI: The Somnium Files series, and the projects Square Enix’s Tomoya Asano produces, such as Bravely Default and Triangle Strategy. Currently, I’m playing Persona 3 Reload.

Of Western titles, I am partial to several Paradox Interactive titles and Sid Meier’s Civilisation VI. I grew up on the likes of Fable and Dragon Age and in combination with that and being both a Dungeons and Dragons player and sometimes DM, more recently I’ve played Baldur’s Gate 3.

Outside of developing myself as a designer, I am currently on a software development bootcamp. Away from tech, I enjoy practicing music and studying languages. Having spent the past year living and working in Japan, I am now conversational in Japanese and intend to take the N4 JLPT exam at the end of this year. I was appointed as a Kobe PR Ambassador by Kobe City, and now a JET Kizuna Ambassador. Before moving, I was a member of two choirs and a concert band which I have re-joined now, and whilst abroad I was asked to sing in two concerts, for members of my new local community. I also adore making and wearing my own cosplay, and write as a hobby. Essentially, I am always looking for an outlet for my creativity.

Moving forward, I intend to develop my design skills by working on small, mobile-eqsue game and by entering game jams, alongside gaining AAA experience via my current position at SEGA. Recently, I took part in Pixelles’ Game Writing Program. Some of my work from that can be seen on my portfolio page.