About Me
I am Yevgeny, a Game Developer with 6 years of experience, specializing in Narrative Design and Game Writing. Previously, a Screenwriter.
Additionally, I've got some experience in Level Design. I learned several disciplines to effectively communicate with development teams and adapt to the rapidly changing realities of the gaming industry. As of today, I have 2 shipped games.
My story and goals
For me, video games are more than just experiences. They are worlds, universes, different realities. Since I remember playing games, I have always been looking for fantasy worlds I could explore, learn, and talk about. The more I grew up, the more I wanted to create such worlds of my own. Not just create, but also let players create their own stories.
I started small - I wrote short stories, developed small games, wrote fan fiction, and created maps in Warcraft3, Age of Empires 2, and Starcraft 2 map editors. Next, I went to cinematography, worked as a Screenwriter, and wrote and directed 2 short films, one of which has been selected by the International NNF Festival.
Later, I delved into game development. Since there were no available game writing opportunities, I started working as a Unity Developer and a Tech Artist on several games for various platforms. But I've never forgotten my passion for writing narratives and worldbuilding. In addition to my day job, I started working as a part-time Game Writer and Narrative Designer for various indie studios. I helped in shaping their fantasy worlds, populating them with characters, quests, and story arcs. Eventually, I managed to turn writing and narrative design into a profession.
Simultaneously, I started Solar Sails, my own space pirates adventure game. At first, we were a small team, where my role included development and tech art. Later on, as our wonderful team grew larger, I became its Game Designer and Narrative Designer. Today, I am responsible for populating the world of Solar Sails with content - races, factions, places, characters, and stories.
While the game itself is important as an experience, I'm also looking forward to creating a universe, where all our future games would coexist and be connected.
Favorite Games and Game Series
RTS - Starcraft • Warcraft • Age of Empires • Command and Conquer • Red Alert • Generals • Dune • War of the Ring
RPG - Dragon Age • Baldur’s Gate • Divinity Original Sin • Skyrim • Heroes • Disco Elysium • Greedfall • Greedfall
Action RPG - Diablo • The Witcher • Dark Souls • Darksiders • God of War • Horizon • Hades • Fallout
Action - Max Payne • The Last of Us • Uncharted • RDR • Legacy of Kain • Assassin Creed • Quake • Unreal Tournament
Platformer/Puzzle - Trine • Lost Vikings • Crash Bandicoot • Rayman • Captain Claw • Portal • Inside • Bride
Story/Adventure - What Remains of Edith Finch • Life is Strange • Outer Wilds • Monkey Island • Lost in Play
Mobile - Warhammer: Tacticus • Rivengard • Castlestorm • Plants vs. Zombies • Reigns • Castle Crush
Favorite Films and Literature
I like movies and series that go deep into the depth of human nature and deal with moral ambiguity. They could range from unique takes on superhero movies, like Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight or Joker by Todd Philips, series like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad, to surrealistic films that explore dark themes like in Bardo by Alejandro Innaritu. I also like strong and emotional anime series and films, like Princess Mononoke, Berserk, Shaman King, and One Piece.
I like reading, from classic literature by Jules Verne and Alexandre Dumas, to more modern literature by Paulo Coelho, Frank Herbert, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Terry Pratchett. I also enjoy books written for video game franchises, especially for the Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo, and Dragon Age universes.
Other Interests
I consider myself a history geek. Sometimes, out of pure interest, I can find myself reading the history of ancient civilizations. Most of the time it would be about regions and cultures outside of the mainstream historical canon. We know so much about the history of Ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt, India, China, etc. But what do we know about southeastern Asia, Eurasian Steppes, pre-colonial Australia and the Americas, Ancient Slavic Tribes, or Central and Southern African civilizations? I like reading about those. I like seeing more and more representation of those cultures in the modern media, though I wish there was more of it. And I am really grateful for series like Age of Empires for going in that direction. Frankly, when I was a kid, the Age of Empires series was what drove me to learn about history.
