Hi there! I'm Tim Scheiman, a versatile game developer with over 15 years of experience across programming, design, production, and writing. I have a passion for crafting polished games and improving quality of life features that make gameplay smoother and more enjoyable. I enjoy both leading teams and integrating seamlessly into established ones, eager to bring value wherever needed. I’m passionate about gaming since the 80s, especially space 4x, farm life-sims, strategy, and narrative games. I love designing interactive fiction, working with AI, and building creative projects that combine technology and storytelling. When I'm not working, you might find me diving into puzzles, exploring mythology, or practicing Zen Buddhism.…

Tim Scheiman

PRO

Hi there! I'm Tim Scheiman, a versatile game developer with over 15 years of experience across programming, design, production, and writing. I have a passion for crafting polished games and improving quality of life features that make gameplay smoother and more enjoyable. I enjoy both leading teams and integrating seamlessly into established ones, eager to bring value wherever needed. I’m passionate about gaming since the 80s, especially space 4x, farm life-sims, strategy, and narrative games. I love designing interactive fiction, working with AI, and building creative projects that combine technology and storytelling. When I'm not working, you might find me diving into puzzles, exploring mythology, or practicing Zen Buddhism.…

Available to hire

Hi there! I’m Tim Scheiman, a versatile game developer with over 15 years of experience across programming, design, production, and writing. I have a passion for crafting polished games and improving quality of life features that make gameplay smoother and more enjoyable. I enjoy both leading teams and integrating seamlessly into established ones, eager to bring value wherever needed.

I’m passionate about gaming since the 80s, especially space 4x, farm life-sims, strategy, and narrative games. I love designing interactive fiction, working with AI, and building creative projects that combine technology and storytelling. When I’m not working, you might find me diving into puzzles, exploring mythology, or practicing Zen Buddhism.

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Language

Work Experience

Director of the Writers' Room at YSI (Your Story Interactive)
January 1, 2020 - April 30, 2021
Hired and directed a team of 5 writers for a new interactive fiction mobile game. Oversaw scheduling in line with stakeholder deadlines. Coordinated with Studio Director, CEO, and art department to manage dependencies. Created and maintained documentation on guidelines, voice, and .ink scripting. Trained writers on the .ink scripting language, branching dialogue, and variable-tracking techniques.
Producer, Programmer, Designer, Writer at Ghost Ship Studios, Inc.
July 1, 2009 - December 31, 2012
Led a team of contractors and employees to create and release 'Nightmare Adventures: The Witch's Prison' and its sequel 'The Turning Thorn'. Executed production plans for three releases, handling asset scheduling, budgeting, design, programming, and writing. Achieved #1 spots on BigFish Games' charts and received Audience Choice Award. Wrote extensive game content (88k and 120k words) and tested limitations of Torque2D engine and torquescript language.
Game Programmer at Entertaining Games
August 1, 2007 - April 30, 2008
Contributed to interface and gameplay programming for an online miniatures battle game prototype for Wizards of the Coast. Worked on a Wii console arcade-action prototype using Gamebryo engine.
Lead Programmer at TLC Industries
February 1, 2005 - July 31, 2007
Served as lead programmer and contributed to design for arcade billiards games Powershot Pool and FlashPool, later transitioning to BilliardsLive browser online version. Integrated billiards physics into Ogre3D engine and developed control mechanisms with arcade roller ball input.
Freelance Game Designer, Writer, Localization Editor, Programmer at Various Projects
May 5, 2005 - June 5, 2024
Creditable roles spanning a range of roles from writer to programmer, game designer to consultant. I've helped ship 16 games now I think, with all but 7(ish?) of them falling into this freelancer category. Worked on the writing or localization (English-English) for Face of Mankind, Bolt Riley, Tales: C.U.R.E., Faerie Solitaire, Blobyrinth... and more! Programmed flight path logic for on-rails shooter prototype using Python. Coded match-3, bubble-chaining, and sidescrolling platformer games for iOS and Android using Phaser/Node.js. Developed a bingo game for touch screens on buses.
Localization Editor at YSI (Your Story Interactive)
October 31, 2018 - May 30, 2022
Edited English translations for Russian writers ensuring native-level fluency. Maintained high standards in quality assurance and localization.

Education

Associates of Science in Game Development and Design at Full Sail University
February 2, 2004 - July 4, 2005
Valedictorian - Course Director's Award in Artificial Intelligence - Course Director's Award in Console Game Programming
Associates of Science in Physics minus bio151 and introduction to computing. (heh) at Joliet Junior College
January 1, 2003 - December 31, 2004

Qualifications

#1 Top Grossing in iOS Store, Bigfish Games Audience Choice Award
October 23, 2024 - October 23, 2024
Designer, Writer

Industry Experience

Gaming, Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet
    paper Nightmare Adventures: The Witch's Prison, and The Turning Thorn

    The Witch’s Prison was the first title, followed by a sequel The Turning Thorn.

    Casual Puzzle Adventure games for PC, Mac, iOS, Android – Lovecraftian horror in theme, but with a snarky and humorous protagonist! These games were focused on story, narrative, and writing. Went to #1 top grossing app on the iOS app store, #1 on Bigfish Games top 10 listings, and won their Audience Choice Award.

    The first game established what almost amounted to a new genre for an audience of players awash in “Hidden Object Games”. We had no such scenes, full of nonsense piles of garbage that wouldn’t ever be found there, in a real story. No antique bugles on the beach. No singular playing cards scattered around in a cave. No bird in a cage in the locker room of a football stadium. We served up puzzle adventure purely, with everything making a bit more sense. There were a lot of puzzles that might not have really been realistic though…

    Our protagonist was full of her own thoughts about tha and everything else. In games we call them, “barks” – but anything you clicked on would conjuire up a line of text from her. And then another. Two was the core minimum lines for ANY visible “thing” on the screen. And again for using any item from the inventory on any of them. And again for using inventory items on other inventory items. The game was well-loved for some of the snarky lines you would get from her. Snarky and realistic, sometimes hilarious. If you try to use a lightning bug in a jar on the gravestones, you deserve to be rewarded, though that is the wrong place for it.

    Game 1 had 88,000-ish words in total, and was translated to German, French, and Japanese, and went to retail in the UK and later the US.

    Game 2 they asked us to not do that again, and we ended up with ~120k words. So… it was not translated a all because it was too much to pay the translators for. The localization editor was enthralled and loved us though.