I am a game design and cultural heritage expert, with additional skills in game art, UX and storytelling. I started work in video games at Sony Computer Entertainment’s London Studio before making a career-defining detour into figurative oil painting. The unusual mix of game art and classical art eventually inspired me to author internationally recognised books, which explore the overlap between classical art (gestaltung) and video games. Both books adapt traditional art, design and storytelling practices to game and interaction design—staying faithful to crafting methods of the past, while adding a deep understanding of the player’s structural role in the experience. My latest work builds on the first two books by focusing on game design—the mechanics and structures of how games work—and answering the following questions:• What if empathy, not conflict, was the organising principle of game design?• What expressive qualities do video games have that we inherit and surpass from traditional arts?• How can game design convey intangible culture and tradition?• In the age of A.I., video games and the metaverse, how can we playfully reconnect with the tactile world around us?• What role does paper prototyping and “body-storming” play in the development process for digital games?• How do game mechanics affect the player’s body and emotions for artistic effect, and how can we use this knowledge for self-expression and digital empathy?To these aims, my method touches on the topics of sensory design, digital empathy, HCI, and embodiment, and avoids typical conflict-based game mechanics.My work has been described as gaming’s equivalent to Joseph Campbell’s universal storytelling structure, and Robert McKee’s screenwriting classic 'Story.' My first two books are endorsed by the likes of award winning Hollywood director Marc Forster, and 'Assassin’s Creed' founding member Stéphane Assadourian. I have had the pleasure of presenting at the Smithsonian Museum’s landmark 'The Art of Video Games' exhibition, Disney Research, SXSW and Google, to name a few.