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Game environment with neon city streets and atmospheric fog
Retro arcade game screen with pixel art characters
Pencil sketch of game mechanics diagram on graph paper
Portfolio 2026

ALEX
MERCER

Game Designer▸ Scroll to explore
Esports arena with glowing screens and competitive players
Close-up of hand-drawn level map with annotations
Isometric game world with fantasy castle and floating islands
Dark dungeon game scene with torchlight and stone walls
Prototype wireframe sketches spread on a wooden desk
fig. 2.4
Space exploration game with planets and spaceship flying through asteroid field
Scroll
01 / 2021

Echoes of the Rift

Narrative RPG · Student Project

A 48-hour game jam entry that won Best Narrative. Built a dynamic dialogue system where player choices echoed 3 acts later.

Branching DialogueConsequence Mapping
Hand-drawn narrative flow diagram with branching paths and decision nodes on graph paper
sketch
Dark fantasy game scene with glowing rift portal and silhouetted hero standing at crossroads
Best Narrative Game Jam2021
Narrative Systems Design✦
02 / 2022

Fractured Orbit

Space Strategy · Indie

Led economy redesign mid-production. Reduced early-game churn by 34% through resource flow rebalancing and tension pacing.

Economy DesignProgression CurvesPlaytesting
Economy flow diagram sketched in pencil showing resource nodes and conversion rates
sketch
Space strategy game with orbital mechanics, glowing planets and fleet formations against starfield
IGF Student Finalist2022
Economy & Progression Balancing✦
03 / 2022

Hollow Meridian

Action Platformer · Studio Credit

Designed 14 of 22 shipped levels at Prism Interactive. Implemented a "breadcrumb lighting" system that reduced hint usage by 51%.

Level DesignEncounter PacingPlayer Guidance
Dark atmospheric platformer with neon-lit corridors, jumping character silhouette and depth fog
PAX Rising Selection2022
Best Level Design Award2023
Level Flow Architecture✦
04 / 2023

Verdant Protocol

Tactical Survival · AA Studio

Designed the core survival loop for a team of 40. The crafting tree shipped with 180 nodes — 0 were cut in post-launch patches.

Survival SystemsEmergent GameplayDifficulty Tuning
Crafting system dependency tree sketched on whiteboard with color-coded node connections
sketch
Lush overgrown tactical survival game environment with ruined buildings covered in jungle vegetation
DICE Award Nominee2024
GDC Best Design Talk2024
Systems & Survival Loop Design✦
05 / 2024

Nocturne

Narrative Horror · Independent Release

Solo-designed and shipped in 11 months. Featured in 6 festivals. The save system was reviewed in 3 academic papers on player anxiety.

Solo DesignHorror PacingProcedural Dread
Atmospheric horror game hallway with flickering candles, shadow figures and worn Victorian wallpaper
IndieCade Official2024
Fantastic Arcade2024
A·MAZE Berlin2025
Solo Design & Direction✦
Blurred preview of an unannounced game environment with mysterious glowing structures
██ REDACTED ██Untitled Project — 2026
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