Greetings! My name is Matthew Hoover, a UCSC honors graduate in Computer Science: Game Design
I am currently looking to enter the industry as a designer or programmer.
I have strong experience in programming with C#, C++, Python, and Java languages, as well as in the Unity, Godot, and Phaser game engines. My major is in programming and designing video games, which also included research and design for tabletop RPGs, card games, and board games. My personal design experience has taken me further beyond the computer, with tabletop RPG design and modules, as well as board and card game design.
My professional experience comes from my three summers in the Stanford Linear Accelerator program as an intern. This internship included Python programming each year, with additional work on a Github Actions to Docker continuous integration tool, a Raspberry Pi that controls an Arduino as a simulated test bed for a laser aligner, and functionality for controlling real motors from the experimentation test beds.
In my free time, I enjoy reading books and manga, playing video, board, card, and physical games, and cooking with subsequent eating.
Shoot Crates
Windows Puzzle Game – Unity C# – 2022
A block pushing puzzle game, made for a graduation game jam. This game is a Unity port and polish of the original puzzlescript version made for a game design class. Push blocks around in order to shoot and destroy the crates.
Solo project.
Morning Grind
Zen Game Jam Game – Unity (C#) – 2022
A zen cafe simulator game. Your new job at the cafe has only one problem: you have no idea what the regulars want! Each customer has a flavor preference combination of the five main flavors. Create a mug, see if they like it, and think about what they might enjoy more next time.
Team of 5. Worked as Unity programmer and systems designer. Main programming task was the cooking system, from implementing ingredients to cooking to presentation on the counter. Main systems task was for the cooking system such as number of ingredients, ingredient weight, and customer preference, as well as the cooking area pop up design with liquid equation.
Purgatower
Android RPG (Windows) – Unity C# – 2022
Undergraduate Capstone Project. A deceased knight stuck at the back of the line in purgatory must fight his way through a tower to skip the bureaucracy of the afterlife. The player controls the knight in a 2D dungeon crawler with puzzles and enemies before time runs out.
Built for Android, with a windows port.
Team of 11. Worked as level designer and programmer for the dungeon scenes. Worked with a producer, two other programmers, four artists, and a writer.
Space Coffee
Idle Progression Game – Javascript – 2021
An idle game based around making and selling coffee. Made in Javascript, with HTML and CSS for display and interactions.
Team of 6. Worked as systems designer for the core buy/sell loop and worker management, as well as the only programmer. Worked with a team of artists who made and implemented the parallax background, font, background, and progression popups.
Hex Maze
Video Game Adaption of Original Board Game – Unity (C#) – 2020
A three-to five-player board game using spinning tiles and walls to make your own path to the end while blocking others. Original board game idea by me, developed into a digital board game with a team.
Team of 6. Worked as programmer for wall/rotation logic and designed the tiles. Worked with artists who made the player themes and menu art, as well as another programmer who did the tile randomization and scene setup.
The Mystical Tower
Tabletop Roleplaying Game – 2022
You and your fellow mage apprentices have a simple life, doing chores around the tower and town for the full mages while learning what you can. It was especially busy recently, with the whole country’s mages coming together to interpret a dire prophecy of the world’s end. However, while the conference was in progress, a soft whump was heard around the town from the tower, and all the mages disappeared. Now, it is up to you to interpret the signs, learn the magic, and save the country from what may be impending doom.
A tabletop RPG where the players play as mage apprentices. After being stranded on their own, they must create new spells to stop a world-ending crisis in a magical world.
Solo project.
Sea, Sand, and Shore
2D Tower Defense Game – Phaser (HTML5) – 2021
An active tower defense game about defending a sandcastle restaurant from vengeful sea animals. Made in Phaser, a HTML5 game engine for 2D games.
Team of 3. Worked as programmer/designer/artist for the defensive structures and currency mechanics. Worked with two others, an artist and a programmer.
In-Fin-ite Runner
Infinite Runner Game – Phaser (HTML5) – 2021
An infinite runner where a fish must do basic math that advances in difficulty while dodging trash. Made in Phaser, a HTML5 game engine for 2D games.
Team of 3. Worked as programmer/designer for the math questions. Worked with another programmer and an artist.
Fruit Invaders
Video Game Reskin – Godot (Python) – 2020
A reskin assignment of Space Invaders, with a new mechanic of enemies needing to be attacked with the same color fruit. Made in Godot, which is a game engine that uses Python for its scripting.
Team of 2. Worked as programmer/designer. Worked with artist/designer.
Media Interests
My hobbies are broader than only video games. My favorite genres are medieval fantasy, eastern cultivation, and realistic fiction, which bleed into all of the media I enjoy.
Video Games:
AI: The Somnium Files, Bastion, Danganronpa, Dark Souls, Final Fantasy, Fire Emblem, Guild Wars 2, Jackbox Partypack, Legend of Zelda, Path of Exile, Persona, Ring Fit Adventure, Transistor, Zero Escape Series
Board Games:
Betrayal at House on the Hill, Dominion, Escape the Room, FUSE, Feudal, Loveletter, Magic Realm, Magic: The Gathering, Monoploy Deal, Sentinels of the Multiverse, Triopoly, Wavelength, Wingspan
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