Jack Edman

Game Developer
Producer | Designer

Welcome to my portfolio! Take a look around at some of the games I’ve had the pleasure of working on.

Game projects

The Brilliant Detective Milo

What began as a quarter-long project with the UCI video game development club (VGDC), eventually turned into a fully fledged, steam published, student game about a detective cat named “Milo.”

Role

As Lead Producer on this project, my job was to make sure we actually finished making a game. With Milo I was often “literally” herding cats.

Characters interacting in "The Brilliant Detective Milo"

Responsibilities

I led cross-functional teams of 35 designers, developers, producers, artists, and writers.
I implemented basic agile project management practices to streamline development, create a transparent view of project progress, and align developers across teams on the creative direction and overall goals for the game.

Suspect interrogation case from "The Brilliant Detective Milo"

Results

The development team for The Brilliant Detective Milo presented the game at UCI’s annual “Z3” conference in June 2024. Development has continued and we expect to have an October steam release.

Game Jams

I’ve had the pleasure of taking part in several game jams over the years. Most notably:

“Ludum Dare 51” in October 2022
“Game Off 2023” in November 2023
Check out my itch.io page if you are interested in playing either of these games!

Gif displaying the title screen, options menu, startup, and gameplay of a game called "Darkwater Dispatch"

Ludum Dare 51 | Theme: “every 10 seconds”
Darkwater Dispatch

Over 72 hours we designed and built a game about smuggling cargo in the darkness. The player is guided only by a sonar that reveals the surrounding area every ten seconds.

Gif displaying the game "Willow & The Armadillo"
The player can be seen running through a field eliminating robots

Game Off 2023 | Theme: “scale”
Willow & The Armadillo

Throughout the month of November, we developed a quirky game (complete with original voice acting) about a nature spirit by the name of Willow on a mission to rescue their friend Gurt the armadillo. To rescue Gurt, the player must scale a mountainside, defeating evil robots along the way.

Solo Dev Projects

Projects I’ve done all on my lonesome! Most of these are recreating recognizable mechanics from well-known games, or the games themselves. I do these for fun and to see if I can. Check them out below!