Hi! I'm Jacob and I'm a level designer based in Minnesota, USA! I'm looking for opportunities to join a studio team and create awesome levels! The first video game I remember playing was Super Mario Brothers on the NES with my father; I have been playing games of all sorts ever since. Some of my favorite video games have included Halo, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, Donkey Kong Country, Minecraft, F-Zero, and Fortnite; I love playing sandbox games, multiplayer battles, going on epic digital adventures, and anything to do with extreme sports. I also enjoy board games and engaging in outdoor recreation with friends and colleagues. 

Level design is an artistic outlet of mine and one that keeps me highly engaged with its technical challenges and rewards. Before games, I dabbled in digital art and studied a variety of social sciences. I became fascinated by how people learn, why people behave how they do, how that changes in social settings, and how to modify a person's behavior to achieve an outcome. It is my combined love for games, psychology, technical problem-solving, and artistic creativity that led me to level design.

Through my study of level design, I became fascinated by the idea of designing play-spaces to trigger emotional changes, awareness, learning, and player behavior. Every level I create has been designed through the lens of educational psychology and human behavior to maximize engagement, fun, and memories. 

I have always been systems-minded, putting ideas and concepts into hierarchies, charts, diagrams, and other visual structures. I often see things as logical systems, based on creative design, following a set of rules and functions based on those rules. I see games and humans (players) as compilations of these structures, all working in tandem, to meet planned outcomes or create emergent experiences. With this in mind, I always approach level design with proper planning, including planning for the unknown, and I leave room for creative flexibility for when its needed.​​​

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When I am not playing or making games, I enjoy exploring new places and snapping photos out in nature; I have travelled through all but 8 states. I also like to relax by listening to music while playing along on my drum kit or by engaging in other artistic pursuits such as painting.  I am a big nerd when it comes to earth science, archaeology, or anything that is ancient, supernatural, or extraterrestrial. In addition to these hobbies and interests, I like to get involved in my local community and help other people in need;  in the past, this has looked like working with college students to overcome obstacles and achieve their educational, career, or personal goals, teaching level design to others, volunteering at a food bank or other non-profit, or raising funds and awareness for a cause. These real world experiences and interests help to shape the gameplay and environments that I design for a wide variety of players.