I'm a dedicated game designer and artist with two decades of experience crafting engaging experiences across PC, console, and mobile. I’m a writer of both creative, narrative works and documentation. Avid fan of deckbuilding games and CCGs.

Carl Ahlund

I'm a dedicated game designer and artist with two decades of experience crafting engaging experiences across PC, console, and mobile. I’m a writer of both creative, narrative works and documentation. Avid fan of deckbuilding games and CCGs.

Available to hire

I’m a dedicated game designer and artist with two decades of experience crafting engaging experiences across PC, console, and mobile. I’m a writer of both creative, narrative works and documentation. Avid fan of deckbuilding games and CCGs.

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Experience Level

Expert
Expert
Expert
Intermediate
Intermediate

Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Lead Designer at Hometopia Inc.
September 1, 2022 - November 12, 2025
Led full development, design and commercial launch of the venture-backed, life sim PC game Hometopia. Successfully launched in early access on Steam. Collaborated with engineers to refactor or rewrite code to support new systems and mechanics. Coordinated with artists to repair the art pipeline and optimize assets. Interfaced with a major retail incubator on brand activation.
Lead Designer at Otherside Entertainment
September 1, 2022 - September 1, 2022
Led design of major systems and managed a wider team of designers. Worked with engineers to implement and iterate on systems and mechanics in Unreal Engine. Led prototypes to pitch to publishers, contributing to multiple offers and signed deals.
Lead Designer at Otherside Entertainment
September 1, 2022 - September 1, 2022
Lead Designer, D&D Heist Game. Design of core systems; interfaced with Wizards of the Coast. Implemented and iterated on systems, mechanics and tooling in Unreal Engine. Created missions with replayability and coherence within a larger narrative framework.
Lead Designer at Otherside Entertainment
September 1, 2022 - September 1, 2022
Lead Designer, Thick As Thieves. Design of major systems; worked with engineers in Unity and Unreal Engine. Prototyped core mechanics emphasizing immersive simulation, co-op tactics, kinetic stealth, and energetic parkour-style movement.
Lead Designer at Otherside Entertainment
September 1, 2022 - September 1, 2022
Lead Designer, System Shock VR Project. UI/UX design, major game systems, narrative design and level design. Built a VR immersive sim that could connect and interact with other players. Implemented mechanics optimized for Vive and Oculus via Unity.
Lead Designer at Otherside Entertainment
September 1, 2022 - September 1, 2022
Lead Designer, Mobile VR title: Underworld Overlord. Design of major systems and coordination with level and narrative designers. Leveraged Google Daydream mobile VR to create an immersive tower defense experience; built in Unity for a midcore audience.
Creative Lead, Designer at App Minis / Monad Games
August 1, 2016 - August 1, 2016
Co-founded independent mobile game studio with over 25M downloads and Top 10 Grossing life sim and social games. Responsible for design and art production of signature titles; budgeting, resource planning and staffing. Notable titles include Design This Home, Design This Castle, and Rhythm Spirit.
Environment Modeler at Electronic Arts
July 1, 2008 - July 1, 2008
Environment modeler and texture artist for EA SPORTS GameShow, NASCAR 08, Superman Returns. Collaborated with art director, development director and core team to deliver assets across production timelines.
Lead 3D Artist, New Media Designer at University of Georgia, Fine Arts Department
January 1, 2004 - January 1, 2004
Modeler, animator and texture artist for Virtual Vaudeville project. Studied historical content to model photo-realistic, low-poly and high-poly characters. Managed junior artists to meet project specifications.

Education

AB Studio Art & BFA Digital Media at University of Georgia
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025

Qualifications

Proven leadership in guiding design teams to create innovative and memorable game experiences
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025
Expert in designing complex game systems with a focus on impactful player engagement
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025
Strong cross-disciplinary collaborator
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025
Experienced in seamlessly integrating art, narrative, and tech into gameplay experiences
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025
Dynamic, adaptable leader accustomed to working within a variety of team structures
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025
Thorough knowledge of all aspects of the game development cycle
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025
Well-versed in both the creative and technical aspects of game design
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025
Develops clear, concise GDDs
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025
Deep experience in writing specs and development tasks
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025
Art skills leveraged to create detailed mockups for dev team
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025
Extensive experience in balancing and editing game data
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025
Proficient with Unreal Engine and fluent with Blueprint
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025
UI/UX design
January 11, 2030 - November 12, 2025

Industry Experience

Gaming, Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet