My journey as a game designer began when I was eight, crafting homegrown card games and experimenting with the rules—tweaking mechanics, testing edge cases, and obsessing over balance. I didn’t know it then, but that instinct to iterate, question, and refine was my first step into the world of game design. Years later, I realized that making video games wasn’t reserved for large studios or untouchable talents—it was something I could pursue, build toward, and eventually contribute to at a professional level.

For me, game design isn’t just about fun—it’s about impact. I believe great games are those that don’t just entertain, but challenge players to feel something meaningful. I focus primarily on combat design because I see it as the most powerful intersection of gameplay and story. Combat is where narrative tension becomes player expression—where the weight of a character’s journey can be felt through every animation frame, every dodge window, and every decision under pressure. A well-designed fight isn’t just a challenge—it’s a conversation between the player, the world, and the systems that bind them together.

My design philosophy revolves around intentionality. Every mechanic, every tuning pass, every encounter setup is an opportunity to shape the player’s emotional experience. Whether I’m building a reactive AI behavior tree, fine-tuning player abilities, or developing modular systems that scale across different encounters, my goal remains the same: to create gameplay that tells a story and stories that reward thoughtful play.

Above all, I design games to create moments that stay with players long after the credits roll—moments of awe, discovery, triumph, and reflection. If my work helps a player pause mid-fight to appreciate the world they’re in or makes them rethink how stories can be told through mechanics, then I’ve done my job.

- Cole Andrews, 2025