Dylan Nagel

technical game designer

Hi! I’m Dylan, freelance technical game designer.

In my 20+ years in the industry, I’ve been fortunate enough to work on many amazing productions. Sometimes as a designer, sometimes as a programmer, often as both.

As a technical game designer, I love coming up with ideas, but also turning them into reality. Nothing beats being struck by inspiration, plugging in a controller and writing the first lines of code on a new project!

As a freelancer, I help studios and publishers to make great games.

I offer the following services:

Assessment

Need a fresh look at your production?

I can analyze your ideas, goals, design document, prototype, and game in their current states.

If your team isn’t performing as well as you’d like, I can talk to them and find out what needs to change.

All my reports are filled with actionable advice!

Design

Need a blueprint for your game, or for a specific feature?

I can create a design based on your ideas, or improve what you have already.

If your production needs more content, such as quests or scenarios, I can help with that as well.

For specific features, I can take ownership from start to finish, working with your team to create and deliver exciting gameplay and content.

Development

Need a proof of concept demo, or hands-on dev support?

I can create prototypes that allow you to test and refine your ideas.

If your Unity game needs an extra feature or mechanic, I can program it for you.

And if there’s content to implement, such as 3D models, animations, UI or audio, I’ll organize everything and get it into the game in no time at all!

Get in touch to supercharge your production!

Some of the amazing games I worked on:

Lake

Cinematography · Content Design · Game Design · Narrative Design · Production

Marooners

Cinematography · Content Design · Development · Game Design · Production

Lake – Season’s Greetings

Cinematography · Content Design · Narrative Design

RollerGirl

Development · Game Design · Narrative Design

DuckWorld Smart Adventures

Content Design · Game Design · Production

Unexplored 2

Content Design · Game Design

Fairway Tycoon (demo)

Cinematography · Development · Game Design

Master of Ravens (demo)

Cinematography · Development · Game Design

Dwarf Quest

Content Design · Development · Game Design · Narrative Design · Production

What clients say:

Dylan is the rare type of game developer that has a very broad understanding of games on the technological, creative, and critical levels. Working with him on Unexplored 2 was an absolute pleasure.

He picked up and was able to contribute to the complicated and opaque level generation process in virtually no time. He has a keen eye for detail and always puts the player’s experience first. He’s emphatic and reliable. An asset on any project.

Joris Dormans

CEO, Ludomotion

I worked with Dylan on Marooners and several smaller projects. He is a multi-talented professional with a diverse skill set, including design, development and production. In the dynamic and complex world of game development, his calm and stable personality stands out. He navigates through different aspects of a project with ease, bringing a sense of stability to the team.

He is a true professional with a passion for excellence in every aspect of his work.

Mike Hergaarden

CEO, M2H

Working with Dylan was a pleasant experience. He was consistently positive, thorough, and objective in his advisory and game design work. It was precisely this objective perspective that fostered trust and a strong collaboration.

Additionally, his approach greatly helped in building a good relationship with our app developer; we still benefit from that today.

Amber Stam

Cofounder, Jungle the Bungle

Dylan was one of the first people to help me navigate the games industry and the complex realities of game development. As a consultant on my first major project, an ambitious narrative-driven adventure game, he offered valuable guidance across game design, narrative design, project management, and production.

He has a rare ability to understand a project’s creative vision and contribute in ways that strengthen it without compromising its identity. Dylan combines strategic insight with practical, hands-on support, and is a kind, thoughtful collaborator with a genuine enthusiasm and love for the art and craft of games, and especially narrative-driven games.

Leandros Ntolas

CEO, Afternature Productions

Dylan brings a compelling mix of technical gamedev knowledge, and empathetic managerial support. He could transition between troubleshooting our team’s Sprint process, to advising on inter-personal issues, to helping me develop a commercial strategy. He was also a great sounding board: he helped me condense a vision for our game, and hone in on what made it unique.

His tone was always supportive and curious, which emboldened me to dream big.

Joshua Veit

CEO, Coppercoin

I had the pleasure of working with Dylan and can highly recommend his work as a freelance game designer and producer. He has a keen eye for detail and provides valuable insights during brainstorming sessions and meetings. He is always willing to come up with creative and innovative concepts and demonstrates an excellent balance between creativity and practical execution.

Furthermore, Dylan is very organized and provides effective support with planning and organization. His versatility and dedication make him a valuable addition to any creative project.

Jeffrey Lanters

CEO, Hulan

Need an experienced technical game designer on your team?

Get in touch now so I can help you to make great games!

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