DragonSoul
A mobile RPG that makes fun of gaming tropes - filled with satire, twisted characters, and robust game loops.
Promotional video for DragonSoul - an RPG I worked on at PerBlue and GREE.
LASTING INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS
I first worked on DragonSoul as Senior Producer at PerBlue Inc. - a small independent studio located in Madison Wisconsin. While developing the game I performed a range of tasks from the game design, product management, and project management disciplines.
Later, I left to pursue independent consulting - during that time I provided content design and creative direction services for DragonSoul.
In 2016 DragonSoul was sold to GREE who brought me on full-time to work on the game as the Senior Game Designer before being promoted to Lead Game Designer for the project - designing all features, content, and economies for the game. Most recently I trained two teams at GREE Tokyo so that they can run the game going forward.
ENCHANTING
I designed DragonSoul's enchanting system which serves as a soft currency sink and a monetization opportunity.
The complex UX was difficult to fit onto a phone as it required hero selection, detailed before and after stats, two item selection menus, and two spending options.
Features
MYSTIC CLOSET (HERO SKINS)
The skin system and its content - the wide-ranging re-imaginings of the game's heroes was one of my passion projects at PerBlue.
The wild, epic, and humorous skins became essential to our live ops and to expressing the unique spirit of DragonSoul.
Heroes, Items, and Story
DragonSoul's most popular game mode is the campaign, a single-player story mode with episodes of content called chapters. Each chapter raised the players' level cap, introduced new heroes (and enemies), expanded the story, and provided powerful new gear to loot, craft, and equip. DragonSoul's tone was "bad-ass with a humorous juxtaposition." By creating a diverse cast of heroes with incredible art but eccentric personalities, then giving them gear that made fun of RPG tropes, DragonSoul became a meaningful entry into the stuffy space of mobile RPGS.
I designed 32 playable characters and 6 non-player characters. I also designed 7 chapters of story, more than 100 items and missions, and dozens of character skins.
More information coming soon.