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Hello! I'm Aarden. I'm a MSc-trained researcher and game designer with 6+ years turning complex systems into playable prototypes, clear analysis, and training that lands—through playtesting, iteration, and smart level and systems tuning. What I Love to Do: - Game Design: Unity and C# for 2D, 3D, and VR experiences, XR Interaction Toolkit patterns, quest, mechanics, and narrative design, playtesting and iteration with version control in Git - Research and Analytics: study design, data collection and cleaning, exploratory and statistical analysis in Power BI and Excel, clear reporting for technical and non-technical audiences - Learning Theory: course and workshop design including gamification elements, LMS delivery in Moodle and D2L, science communication with concise briefs, slide decks, and infographics - Content and Documentation: readable design docs and specs, how-to guides, lightweight diagrams, collaborative reviews - Collaboration and project coordination: cross-disciplinary teamwork, timelines and risks tracked in Jira and Trello, tidy handoffs and follow-through I enjoy working in a variety of areas and utilizing my skills in game design, research, data organization, and programming. I leave you with a favourite quote of mine - through collaboration arises creativity!…Hello! I'm Aarden. I'm a MSc-trained researcher and game designer with 6+ years turning complex systems into playable prototypes, clear analysis, and training that lands—through playtesting, iteration, and smart level and systems tuning. What I Love to Do: - Game Design: Unity and C# for 2D, 3D, and VR experiences, XR Interaction Toolkit patterns, quest, mechanics, and narrative design, playtesting and iteration with version control in Git - Research and Analytics: study design, data collection and cleaning, exploratory and statistical analysis in Power BI and Excel, clear reporting for technical and non-technical audiences - Learning Theory: course and workshop design including gamification elements, LMS delivery in Moodle and D2L, science communication with concise briefs, slide decks, and infographics - Content and Documentation: readable design docs and specs, how-to guides, lightweight diagrams, collaborative reviews - Collaboration and project coordination: cross-disciplinary teamwork, timelines and risks tracked in Jira and Trello, tidy handoffs and follow-through I enjoy working in a variety of areas and utilizing my skills in game design, research, data organization, and programming. I leave you with a favourite quote of mine - through collaboration arises creativity!

Aarden Muller-Hartle

Game Designer, Game Developer, Data Analyst

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Hello! I'm Aarden. I'm a MSc-trained researcher and game designer with 6+ years turning complex systems into playable prototypes, clear analysis, and training that lands—through playtesting, iteration, and smart level and systems tuning. What I Love to Do: - Game Design: Unity and C# for 2D, 3D, and VR experiences, XR Interaction Toolkit patterns, quest, mechanics, and narrative design, playtesting and iteration with version control in Git - Research and Analytics: study design, data collection and cleaning, exploratory and statistical analysis in Power BI and Excel, clear reporting for technical and non-technical audiences - Learning Theory: course and workshop design including gamification elements, LMS delivery in Moodle and D2L, science communication with concise briefs, slide decks, and infographics - Content and Documentation: readable design docs and specs, how-to guides, lightweight diagrams, collaborative reviews - Collaboration and project coordination: cross-disciplinary teamwork, timelines and risks tracked in Jira and Trello, tidy handoffs and follow-through I enjoy working in a variety of areas and utilizing my skills in game design, research, data organization, and programming. I leave you with a favourite quote of mine - through collaboration arises creativity!…Hello! I'm Aarden. I'm a MSc-trained researcher and game designer with 6+ years turning complex systems into playable prototypes, clear analysis, and training that lands—through playtesting, iteration, and smart level and systems tuning. What I Love to Do: - Game Design: Unity and C# for 2D, 3D, and VR experiences, XR Interaction Toolkit patterns, quest, mechanics, and narrative design, playtesting and iteration with version control in Git - Research and Analytics: study design, data collection and cleaning, exploratory and statistical analysis in Power BI and Excel, clear reporting for technical and non-technical audiences - Learning Theory: course and workshop design including gamification elements, LMS delivery in Moodle and D2L, science communication with concise briefs, slide decks, and infographics - Content and Documentation: readable design docs and specs, how-to guides, lightweight diagrams, collaborative reviews - Collaboration and project coordination: cross-disciplinary teamwork, timelines and risks tracked in Jira and Trello, tidy handoffs and follow-through I enjoy working in a variety of areas and utilizing my skills in game design, research, data organization, and programming. I leave you with a favourite quote of mine - through collaboration arises creativity!

Available to hire

Hello! I’m Aarden. I’m a MSc-trained researcher and game designer with 6+ years turning complex systems into playable prototypes, clear analysis, and training that lands—through playtesting, iteration, and smart level and systems tuning.

What I Love to Do:

Game Design: Unity and C# for 2D, 3D, and VR experiences, XR Interaction Toolkit patterns, quest, mechanics, and narrative design, playtesting and iteration with version control in Git
Research and Analytics: study design, data collection and cleaning, exploratory and statistical analysis in Power BI and Excel, clear reporting for technical and non-technical audiences
Learning Theory: course and workshop design including gamification elements, LMS delivery in Moodle and D2L, science communication with concise briefs, slide decks, and infographics
Content and Documentation: readable design docs and specs, how-to guides, lightweight diagrams, collaborative reviews
Collaboration and project coordination: cross-disciplinary teamwork, timelines and risks tracked in Jira and Trello, tidy handoffs and follow-through

I enjoy working in a variety of areas and utilizing my skills in game design, research, data organization, and programming.

I leave you with a favourite quote of mine - through collaboration arises creativity!

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Language

English

Fluent

Work Experience

Lead Game Designer at Fluxscopic Ltd.

August 1, 2025 - October 3, 2025

Built and integrated multi-step quests and puzzles in Unity/C# using Timeline, Cinemachine 3, triggers, ScriptableObjects, and simple state machines. Wrote lean design specs, flows, and acceptance criteria that guided art, engineering and production. Facilitated design reviews, presented options with pros and cons, and recorded decisions to keep multi-disciplinary teammates aligned. Partnered with producers on scope and risks; wrote clear Jira tickets, and used version control to manage changes with GitHub branches.

Assistant Professor - Game Design at Cambrian College

August 1, 2025 - October 3, 2025

Designed and taught quest/narrative design course, Stories, Quests, and Missions for 3+ years including other topics in Game Design, Level Design, Game Psychology, and VR Games. Ran greyboxing labs, pacing exercises, and environmental storytelling assignments that produced playable levels and short narrative scenes. Led capstone-style production classes, guiding students on sprint planning, writing clear specs and acceptance criteria, running playtests, and iterating on difficulty and reward pacing. Educated students on game economy fundamentals for collection loops, rarity tables, duplicate handling, and milestone rewards.

Lead Game Designer at Fluxscopic Ltd.

August 1, 2025 - October 3, 2025

Led a design pod within a 5+ person cross-functional team and drove feature iteration in a fast-paced, agile, fully remote cycle. Owned core combat and puzzle mechanics; authored concise design specs, user flows, and acceptance criteria. Built greybox prototypes for 3+ levels and iterated through 5+ versions based on structured playtests. Organized sprint rituals, prioritized Hira backlogs, and verified fixes to keep iteration traceable. Applied qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate changes and guided the next iteration loop. Designed a UX-informed hint hierarchy to clarify puzzle direction, improving solve rates and qualitative enjoyment.

Assistant Professor, Game Design & Statistics at Cambrian College

August 1, 2025 - October 3, 2025

Taught AR/VR in Unity, Level Design, Narrative Design, and Game Psychology; designed and delivered XR-focused labs; built Unity XR Toolkit demos for Meta Quest; created vertical slices prioritizing replayability, player flow, readability, and assessed difficulty curves. Ran 50+ playtest sessions; translated qualitative feedback into improved outcomes and iterative design cycles.