CV
Academic
Master's degree in Mathematics
MMath with study abroad
1st Class
University of Warwick, 2006-2010
Interactive Performances
2016 - The Incredible Playable Show
(write-up)
2018 - The Scrambled Eggman Show
(write-up)
2022 - Artholomew Video's Stream Challenge
2022 - The Crowd Creativity Show
Interactive Installations
2018 - The Book Ritual
(write-up)
2015 - Codex Bash
(connected writing)
2014 - Tap Happy Sabotage
(connected writing)
2014 - Dash & Bash
(connected writing)
Commercially Released Games
2013 - Slamjet Stadium (iPad)
2012 - Greedy Bankers: Bailout! (iPhone)
2011 - Greedy Bankers vs The World (iPad)
2011 - Greedy Bankers (iPhone)
Contract Projects
2013 to present - Sparx Limited
120 days per year. Designing and developing mobile and cloud-based web games to teach times tables to primary and secondary school students.
The times tables games are in active use by over 1000 schools in the UK.
Project involves the design and creation of both the games and the reward ecosystem that motivate continued engagement, alongside the design of digital teaching methods based on the company's pedagogical research.
Development process is iterative, based on continued feedback both from analytics and live visits to participating schools.
Alistair also designs and develops phonics learning tools as part of the research-and-development team.
2014 - BBC
A 3-month project to redesign and redevelop an abandoned Unity web game project and connect it to the BBC's in-development networked leaderboards system.
Technical Expertise
Examples of use of each toolset given below
Unity
Creation of portfolio games from 2013 onwards.
Creation of B2C Times Tables app for Sparx Ltd in 2021.
Creation of automatic UI for cross-game interaction during stage shows
Bridging application to allow Twitch integration and network multiplayer with emulators
Resonsive UI for interactive Twitch streams
C#
Creation of Unity games since 2013
Creation of XNA games since 2007
Creation of animation and event-management frameworks for portfolio Unity projects
Implementation of game-switching functionality in the open-source BizHawk emulator
JavaScript
Creation of web-based games for Sparx Ltd. since 2015.
Creation of internal game development framework for Sparx Ltd.
Creation of times tables learning algorithm for Sparx Ltd.
Development of student-facing front-end for Sparx Ltd., using React and React-Redux frameworks.
Development of audience interaction UI and network communication for the Crowd Creativity Show.
Objective-C
Creation of commercially released iOS games from 2010-2013
Creation of early Sparx Ltd Times Tables games from 2013-2016
Creation of internal game development framework to connect with Sparx Ltd networks and data systems
C
Extension of GenesisPlusGX open-source emulator to implement game-switching and data-corruption effects in Sega Mega Drive games.
Go
Implementation of cloud-based save data for times tables games and learning algorithm progress at Sparx Ltd
Implementation of networked leaderboards (school-wide, class-wide and world-wide) in Sparx Ltd times tables games
Arduino
Creation of portfolio game hardware including Codex Bash, The Book Ritual, Dash & Bash and custom controllers for The Incredible Playable Show and The Scrambled Eggman Show
Creation of wireless-networked controllers for unreleased alternative-controller game
Creation of wireless-networked LED matrix panels for live stage shows
Python
Creation of Discord bots and Twitch chatbots for interactive livestreams.
Implementation of networked play for two-player times tables game for Sparx Ltd
Implementation of persistent progress data for times tables games on Sparx Ltd network
PIXI.JS
Implementation of graphics into Times Tables games for Sparx Ltd
Extending functionality by creating Unity-like entity-behaviour model
Awards
2022 - IndieCade - Performance Award (Artholomew Video's Stream Challenge)
2022 - Play Hamburg - Most Creative Game Award (Artholomew Video's Stream Challenge)
2017 - IndieCade - Jury Choice Award (The Incredible Playable Show)
2016 - GameCity Nottingham - Spirit of the Festival (The Incredible Playable Show)
2015 - IndieCade - Media Choice Award (Codex Bash)
Nominations
2022 - A MAZE - Human Human Machine Award (Artholomew Video's Stream Challenge)
2019 - GDC - Alt.Ctrl.GDC Award (The Book Ritual)
2019 - A MAZE - Honourable Mention (The Book Ritual)
2018 - Play Hamburg - Most Creative Game (The Book Ritual)
2015 - A MAZE - Human Human Machine Award (Codex Bash)
Notable Exhibitions
2022 - PLAY22 Hamburg (The Ultimate Tournament interactive stage performance)
2022 - A MAZE (The Crowd Creativity Show interactive stage performance)
2021 - This Kind of Thing, BFI Southbank (Breaking Sonic - interactive stage performance)
2021 - A MAZE (Speed Painting interactive livestream)
2021 - FreePlay (The Book Ritual interactive livestream)
2020 - Now Play This (Pawns streamed performance)
2019 - A MAZE (The Book Ritual)
2018 - Overkill Festival (The Scrambled Eggman Show)
2018 - EGX Leftfield Collection (The Book Ritual)
2018 - IndieCade Europe (The Incredible Playable Show)
2017 - Tokyo Games Show Indie Selection (Codex Bash)
2016 - Now Play This (Codex Bash)
2015 to 2020 - Game Science Center Berlin (Tap Happy Sabotage)
2015 to 2018 - National Videogame Arcade (Dash & Bash)
2014 - EGX Leftfield Collection (Tap Happy Sabotage)
2014 - GameCity Nottingham (Dash & Bash)
2011 - EGX Leftfield Collection (Greedy Bankers vs The World)
Public Speaking
A MAZE 2016, Berlin
Inspiring Inventive Play with Social Installations
20 - 23 Apr 2016
GDC Europe 2015, Cologne
Design Lessons from Multiplayer Installations
3 Aug 2015
JOIN Local Multiplayer Festival, Berlin
Party Games for Physical Spaces
1 Aug 2015
Indie Game Collective, London
Host: Microtalks
Learning from Positive Feedback
6 March 2015
Develop Conference 2014, Brighton
Thinking Bigger: Developing for Large-Scale Touchscreens
8 July 2014
Indie Games Collective Conference, London
Working with Large Touchscreens
21 March 2014
ExPlay 2013, Bath
Human vs CPU:
Unconventional Ways to Challenge Players
31 Oct 2013
GDC Europe 2013, Cologne
Getting Physical with Tablet Multiplayer
20 Aug 2013
Develop Conference 2013, Brighton
Getting Physical with Tablet Multiplayer
9 July 2013
GameHorizon 2013, Newcastle
Re-imagining Multiplayer on Tablet
9 May 2013
Develop Conference Brighton
Indie Dev Day Talk
Indie Exposure: Tackling the Challenges
12 July 2012