Christopher Nicholls
EXPERTISE
BIO
Hi, I'm Chris and I'm a Creative Technology PhD student. I've always enjoyed playing games, and now that I am able to create games, it is a dream come true. I've been interested in the development process for many years, and watching designers talk about their projects during and after development excites me. I am eager to see where the industry is heading and how it has already evolved. I believe that games have not only influenced my career choice but have had a truly positive impact on my day-to-day life. Being able to give back to an industry that has supported me growing up would be uplifting. Being a creative thinker has helped to solve many development issues and allows me to consider the consumer. I am always searching for new solutions and techniques to expand my knowledge.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Artist and Animator
Freelance
March 2018 - Present
Working with clients, including content creators from Twitch and YouTube, I design pixel art graphics and animation that is tailored specifically to their needs and aesthetics. This work includes avatars, emotes, and channel graphics.
Guest Speaker
Leeds Beckett University
June 2022 - Present
I have given presentations to Games Design and Creative Technology students, providing insights into the development of my research projects and sharing my knowledge on the tools and skills required to create working game prototypes. Additionally, I assisted by sharing my experience of the courses and gave detail on research methods.
Contributor
Game Rant
April 2025 - Present
I write relevant gaming articles based on news and reader interests, making sure they are current with modern and upcoming trends.
Texture Artist
Freelance
November 2018 - May 2019
I worked as one of the artists on a team for a video game mod. I was tasked with unwrapping and texturing 3D models, ensuring that the style of the textures is in line with the aesthetics of the rest of the team.
EDUCATION
Doctor of Philosophy | PhD
Leeds Beckett University, Present
Creative Technology
Master of Science | MSc
Leeds Beckett University, November 2022
Creative Technology
Bachelor of Science | BSc
Leeds Beckett University, July 2021
Games Design
PORTFOLIO PROJECTS
Hell Razor
Hell Razor is a fast-paced action game where you must survive waves of enemies using a gun that fires saws. I made this game for the Disc Room Game Jam, the first game jam I participated in. The player's gun fires saws which can ricochet off the walls, damage enemies, and damage themselves. A saw also circles the outer walls constantly, encouraging players to keep moving. There are 5 different enemy types which begin to appear as the player's score increases, each with varied abilities to keep the player on their toes.
View Project10/24/2020 -10/31/2020
Beat Arena
Beat Arena is a multiplayer rhythm fighting game inspired by Crypt of the Necrodancer and TowerFall. Players must attack to the beat, shooting projectiles or using melee attacks. There are currently 2 characters available, each having different abilities. A small selection of stages can also be chosen from with unique gimmicks, including one-way platforms, low gravity, and level wrapping. This game was a university project, and in working towards the deadline, I was presented with unique challenges to fix. One of these was related to the BPM manager, which initially became desynced overtime, but was resolved by managing generated note distance rather than relying solely on time.
View Project4/1/2021 -6/30/2021
Scribble Wizard
Scribble Wizard is an arena-based FPS. The player can switch between 3 different abilities by drawing specific patterns on the screen. Each of these abilities reacts to enemies in different ways, such as enemy weaknesses, stopping enemy movement, and pushing enemies away. The drawing ability used is an implemented version of the $P Point-Cloud Recognizer made to fit the engine. This project was made for a Masters university module.
View Project1/7/2022 -4/1/2022
Roll On Dinner Time
Roll On Dinner Time is a puzzle game where players control a conspicuously dice-shaped sausage roll, needing to match the number on the top of the dice to the burners on each oven before reaching the plate at the end. I made this for GMTK Game Jam 2022's "Roll of the Dice" theme.
View Project7/10/2022 -7/17/2022
Tasty and Crazy Orders
Tasty and Crazy Orders is a Crazy Taxi-inspired food delivery game. Players must drive around collecting ingredients, prepare a taco matching the customer's order, and delivering as many as possible before the time runs out. This was made for Ludum Dare 53's "Delivery" theme.
View Project5/17/2023 -5/19/2023
Verified Game Developer
3-5 years of experience
Preferred commitment: Hourly
Languages
Skills
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