game design | ziz simoens

An experienced game designer always looking for interesting questions to solve and unusual ideas to explore

My focus is on the player experience from 3C's design and character movement for consoles to immersive experience design and how the player interacts within a built environment

I've worked in VR, console, location-based games, interactive theatre, mobile platformers, audio-only games, hardware-based installations, as well as some mediums I can't name and others that don't have names yet

Most recent experience is with Rare on Everwild. Companies I've worked with in the past include Niantic, Punchdrunk, Disney, Warner Bros, Universal, and McDonalds

gameography

pc/console games

Everwild, Rare
As Dusk Falls, Int/Night (as producer)
The Magnificent Truffle Pigs, Thunkd (as producer)

mobile games

Hygiene Quest, PRELOADED
Minions, McDonald's Happy Meal App, PRELOADED
Space Jam 2, McDonald's Happy Meal App, PRELOADED

browser games

HOW NOT TO SUCK AT MONEY, PRELOADED

vr games

unannounced project, PRELOADED

xr games

museum games

mobile phone games played on location in museums

Cambridge Codebreakers: Operation Survival, Fire Hazard Games
Raiders of The Lost Archives: The Extraordinary Voyage, Fire Hazard Games
Raiders of the Lost Archive: Quest for the Family Jewels, Fire Hazard Games
Cambridge Codebreakers: The Last Secret, Fire Hazard Games
Raiders of the Lost Archive: Lost in Translation, Fire Hazard Games
Raiders of the Lost Archive: The Sunken Teaset, Fire Hazard Games
Raiders of the Lost Archive: Curatorial Cold Case, Fire Hazard Games

location-based games

mobile phone games played on location in city streets and parks

Eighty Days: A Real-World Adventure, Fire Hazard Games
Le Carre’s The Circus, Fire Hazard Games
Hunted Experience, Fire Hazard Games
Sorcerers Over Southwark: Wands at the Ready, Fire Hazard Games
Sorcerers Over Southwark: Defend the City, Fire Hazard Games
Shadow Over Southwark, Fire Hazard Games
Citydash, Fire Hazard Games

audio games

audio-only experiences, alexa skills and others

The Program, SF Neo-Futurists
Preppers, Casson & Friends
chill tweets to nest to, birb squad

rave games

interactive theatre games played in indoor festivals

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Rumpus Productions
Fools, Ghouls and Jewels!, Rumpus Productions
Shipwrecked!, Rumpus Productions
Glow!, Rumpus Productions
Pick Your Own Misadventure, Rumpus Productions

talks

conventions, radio, talks, and lectures

Tentacle Zone, Layering Realities - A Guide, September 2021
EGX, Game Design: Things You Should Know, September 2020
Northern Ireland Screen, Embedding R&D, July 2020
University of Cambridge Museums Live Stream, Animal Crossing Museum Tour, June 2020
Game Dev London, How to design games for public spaces, May 2020
Splash Academy, The many talks I could give, March 2020
BBC Radio London, Saturday Review, January 2020
BBC Radio Cambridge, Interview on Operation Survival, September 2018
BBC Radio London, Interview on Hunted Experience, April 2018
Game Happens, Embracing chaos: Experiences in Live Games, June 2017
Video Brains, Definitely not just a talk about ballet, April 2017
Video Brains, From museums to raves: site-specific live games, April 2017
Feral Vector, Larp, opera, and game design, May 2016
LLC:UAL guest lecturer

other projects

lrps, ttrpgs, and so on

Empire, Profound Decisions Fest LRP

these flimsy rituals, actual play podcast

testimonials

Sam

Higgins

Rare Ltd

I’ve worked with Ziz for the past few years at Rare and she is an incredible designer. Whether that’s design thinking, prototyping, building out examples or even putting on the mocap suit to capture some moves, she can do it all. Ziz is also a great feature leader and a driving force, always on the go, making things happen, pushing things forward and bringing the whole team on that journey. As a Producer she made my life so much easier, leading calls, playtesting, delivering info and data to the team - I couldn’t have asked for any more from her.

ziz makes games