Curriculum Vitae


Stephen David Wark: Game Designer & Documentation Specialist

CONTACT
stephen@chirographum.com

PDF Version
C.V. (PDF)

SUMMARY
Game designer, writer and documentation specialist with five years of experience in videogame production who has created game concepts, mechanics, stories, controls and end-user documentation for games ranging from casual puzzles to online multiplayer RPGs using both original and licensed I.P. on a variety of platforms.

FREELANCE WORK

Services

  • Create game concepts, and mechanics and U.I. according to client specifications.
  • Write and revise in-game text (e.g., game story, dialogue, tutorials, Help).
  • Write and revise end-user documentation (e.g., user guide, FAQ, walkthrough).
  • Write and revise publisher, licensor and carrier certification documents.

Clients & Projects

Airborne Entertainment

  • Initial design of multiplayer social networking mobile game (NDA).
  • Initial design of branded casino game (NDA).

Anomalik

  • Initial design and mechanics for rhythm/puzzle game (Age of Tesla).

CloudRaker

  • On-screen help for web and mobile-based social networking application (NDA).

EA Mobile Canada

  • Dialogue for mobile simulation game (SimCity Societies, SimCity Metropolis) and casual adventure game (Yahtzee Adventures, Clue).
  • Help, FAQ and User Guides for mobile games (Backgammon, Bejeweled, Boggle, Casino Deluxe, Mahjong, Scrabble, Sudoku, Tetris, Texas Hold’em, Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland).
  • Help, FAQ and User Guides for iPod games (Bejeweled, SimBowling, SimPool, Solitaire, Sudoku, Tetris).

Ludia

  • Initial game design, UI prototypes and in-game text for multi-platform games (The Price is Right, Hell’s Kitchen).
  • Investor and licensor presentations.

LVL*Studio

  • Story concept for an online teen-themed RPG (A3).
  • Game design for a dinosaur-themed RPG (Dinosaur Highway).
  • Game design for prehistoric hunter/gatherer-themed RPG (Sapiens).
  • Validated concept and design of alternate-reality game (Kikitronic).

Open Design

  • Layout design, typesetting and production of 100+ page RPG books (Castle Shadowcrag, Empire of the Ghouls, Six Arabian Nights, Blood of the Gorgon, KOBOLD Guide to Game Design vol. 1).
  • Graphic design of print and postcard advertisments for Kobold Quarterly.

Q8 Is Mobile

  • Complete story and game script for mobile fishing game (Gone Fish’n)
  • Revised competitive analysis and other publisher submissions.

Tormont Publications

  • Developed five children’s boardgames based on classic designs (Mission: Geography, Great Princess Getaway)

Tribal Nova

  • Concept, game design and scriptwriting for a linked series of educational Flash games based on children’s TV properties. (nda)

Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc.

  • Layout design, typesetting, production of Behind the Spells: Compendium

ON-SITE WORK

Artificial Mind & Movement (A2M)

Game Designer
November 2005 – August 2006

Co-Designer Projects:

  • Monster House DS – Story outline.
  • Monster House GBA – Character dialogue and event scripting.
  • Sims 2: Pets GBA – Story outline, character dialogue, event scripting, and all in-game text.

EA Mobile Canada
Game Designer
November 2002 – February 2005

Sole Designer Projects:

  • Boggle for mobile phones.
  • Hard Rock Casino for PC, Pocket PC and Palm.
  • Kasparov Chessmate for PC, Pocket PC and Palm.
  • MSN Zone Casino for Flash.
  • Scrabble for mobile phones.

Co-Designer Projects:

  • Casino Deluxe for mobile phones – Initial design and Help text.
  • Lemonade Tycoon 2: New York City Edition for PC and Web – Initial design, tutorial system and all in-game text.
  • Merriam-Webster Crossword Challenge for Palm – Help text.
  • MLB Slam! for Nokia N*Gage – Initial design and in-game text.
  • Nestimulo! for Web – Initial design and all in-game text.
  • WordCraft for Palm, PC, Web – initial design and mechanics (uncredited)
  • Yahtzee Deluxe for mobile phones – Control scheme and in-game text.

PRESENTATIONS

Design in Miniature: UI and Usability for Multiple Platforms (PDF)
Presented to the Montreal Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication on February 24, 2004.

AFFILIATIONS

International Game Developers Association (Montreal)
August 2005 to Present
IGDA Montreal

Society for Technical Communication (Montreal)

August 1999-August 2002
Programs Coordinator / Vice-President / President
STC-Montreal Website

EDUCATION

Master’s Degree

Concordia University, June 1999
English Literature with Comprehensive Examination option.

Bachelor’s Degree
Concordia University, June 1995
Honours in Creative Writing and English Literature

SOFTWARE

  • Doc-to-Help 6.5
  • FrameMaker 5.5/6.0/7.0
  • GIMP
  • InDesign CS2
  • Microsoft Office XP
  • Microsoft Visio XP
  • PaintShop Pro 7.0

REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST