My story

My name is Jonathan Snook, a computer science and game design student at DigiPen Institute of Technology from the greater Seattle area.

Video games have been a part of my life ever since I was little. Whether it be playing Super Monkey Ball on my family’s GameCube, booting up Halo: Reach with my buddies on Xbox LIVE, or spending late nights queuing up League of Legends with my 5-stack, I always had a game to play in every stage of my life.

The games I’ve grown up with told stories that hit me harder than any other medium could. Moments would replay in my head for weeks on end as I would obsess over the gameplay, story, and multiplayer experiences I’ve never had from any other group activity.

Now, I strive to learn from those who came before me and create unforgettable gaming experiences and inspire the next generations of gamers to follow their passion, just as my inspirations did for me.

My skills

Computer Science

  • C++

  • C#

  • C

  • Custom ECS structure game engines

  • Unity 6

  • Unreal Engine 5

  • Kinematic physics implementation

  • NPC behavior logic

  • Back-end systems design

  • Procedurally generated content

Game Design

  • Technical Design

  • Systems Design

  • UI & UX

  • Level Design

General

  • Collaboration between departments

  • Problem solving

  • Leader

  • Self-sufficient

Celeste

When I’m creating the player movement controller for a 2D platformer, this is the game I always try to emulate.

The player feels light when dashing through the air, but there’s enough weight for jumps to not feel floaty. There’s enough air resistance against the player to ensure they don’t feel like they’re in space. However, the air friction is lower than the ground friction, leading to fast-paced movement while airborne.

Alongside the movement and basic player mechanics, the additional mechanics added as you progress the game perfectly compliment each other. They’re all simple, such as replenishing a dash, but combined can make extremely difficult platforming puzzles.

Gameplay inspirations

Balatro

This game is a true masterpiece of UI & UX.

Each action the player takes has beautifully designed visual and audio feedback, as well as clear signifiers that the player can do the action.

Every scene change has a transition that fits the style of the game and reflects what the player is transitioning to. For example, when the player beats a Blind, the counter for the money the player earned for the round pops up like a cash register, making a classic "“Ca-ching” sound when the player collects their cash.

The most addictive part of Balatro’s design for me is the UX of watching a number go up. Every card counted, every multiplier added, every Joker proc, each have unique SFX and VFX, letting a steady stream of dopamine hit my brain.

Elden Ring

When looking to make a stylized combat game in 3D space, Elden Ring and other From Software games are what I study.

The game is notorious for being difficult, but a skilled player who’s studied the attack patterns of all the enemies and bosses can beat the game without getting hit a single time.

This effect is due to the combat being tied to the animations of the enemies. Each attack pattern is a string of animations, and each animation has specific windows for where the player can get a couple hits in. Hitboxes are attached to the weapons or sockets of the enemies, allowing the player to dodge attacks based off intuition and reaction.

This combat system allows for a wide-variety of difficulty to be expressed. In the same framework, a basic melee enemy can run at you and swing their broken sword at you, and Radahn can come barreling towards you from the sky in a giant meteor.