I am really enjoying doing these Australian profiles. Rock on November Game Design Month! Now for something a little bit different.
Tell us who you are and what you have designed?
I’m Phillip Tunstall,
Graduated Swinburne University with a Batchelor of arts games and interactivity with a deans list award for high marks.
Currently doing a masters of multimedia whilst teaching myself code and 3D modelling.
Excellent! An electronic game designer. I know I tend to focus on tabletop games but I also am an electronic game designer.
What is it that makes you want to design games?
Because I love forcing people to think and seeing how they solve problems. Even how players navigate the game/social space.
One of my all time favourite games is a game that came out for the 3DO console called the impossible machine where you were given tasks to do and a whole heap of bric-a-brac to complete it. You had to build a Rube Goldberg machine in effect and it was brilliant.
What are the games that inspire you most?
The Amiga 500 had some of my favourite games growing up. So games of that era have heavily influenced my own style of games.
But I love to play simulation and strategy games. Like Elite Dangerous and Cities Skylines.
If only I had a second life I would be the King of Elite Dangerous.
What makes Australian games different from others?
I think Australian games don’t take themselves too seriously and still have that 90’s feel of utter joy.
You’re unlikely to find a German spreadsheet fest or American coffee stained shooter in an Australian studio.
Your more likely to find something unique and colourful.
Where can we get your games from?
By request. Or on a long abandoned websites. I’ve not published anything yet officially but I really want to.
If you want to try some of Phillip’s games, I have his contact details. Use the Contact Us page and let me know yours and I will send you the details. I know I am going to be asking to look at some.
Are you working on anything at the moment?
Currently working on a stockmarket card game where players actively manipulate the market for profit and crushing their competition.
Sounds interesting!
I’ve been wanting to make games since primary school but never had a chance to learn code till university. It didn’t stop me from making game maker games with brutal difficultly and lots of particle explosions, over the top bad guys who’ll blindly rush the player.
It is a great thing that through this medium I can encourage both those that have established themselves in the industry that they love and those that are up and coming. I teach kids to make computer games at the year 11 and 12 level in Tasmania and I strongly believe that all you need to be a game developer is a belief in yourself and the ability to make that first step. Give it your all and give it your best Mr. Tunstall!
Tomorrow we move on to Gareth Hodges who has some pretty cool credentials to look at!