OlliOlli2

I was the Lead Game Designer on OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood – a side-scrolling, 2D skateboarding auto-run platformer which launched to huge critical success on PS4 and PS Vita in March 2015 as a free game included with PS+

MY ROLE

Creative Direction – Held the vision of the game, providing direction on theme, setting, visual style, new features and game structure.

Game Design – Introduced and balanced several new game‐changing mechanics to make the sequel a bigger, better game than its predecessor without losing what made the original game great! These mechanics included: Manuals, Ramps, Reverts, Grind Switching, Revert-Manuals, and Split Routes.

Level Design – Meticulously crafted 100 levels which introduce and reinforce new gameplay concepts as players progress.

Balancing – Balanced difficulty through a process of observed play‐testing and iteration.

Local Multiplayer – Designed a suite of local multiplayer modes which utilise split‐screen on PS4 and wireless connectivity on PSVita.

Documentation – Created and maintained centralised game design wiki.

User Experience – UX design across all game modes.

RECEPTION

OlliOlli2 was well received by game critics and holds an 86% rating on Metacritic and was the 2nd Highest Rated Vita Game of 2015 and the 20th Highest Rated PS4 Game of 2015

“A glorious stronghold of scintillating craftsmanship and ingenious design. A dazzling blast of near-perfection.”

– GamesTM, 2015

“It has a feel that no other game really captures, and a flow that’s hypnotic within mere seconds of starting up a new track. Every single drop of OlliOlli 2’s aesthetic and every single one of its mechanics is built around accentuating that experience, and it never stops working, from your first push-off to your final, exhilarating landing.”

– Polygon, 2015

GAME OF THE YEAR

In addition to wonderful reviews, OlliOlli2 ended up on numerous end-of-year lists including:

WRAP IT UP

Making OlliOlli2 was hard. Our tiny team was underexperienced and compensated by over-working ourselves. It was the crucible in which my skills were forged. I’m an infinitely better game designer because of the experience. For that, I’m thankful.