Michael Highland

  • BUCK

    I currently work at BUCK as a Creative Director for games.

  • Bad Robot Games

    I worked with Bad Robot Games as a Design Director, taking an experimental multiplayer narrative concept from initial pitch to fully-featured demo.

  • The Game Band

    I worked with The Game Band as a Technical Designer on their first game, Where Cards Fall. I helped refine interaction design across multiple platforms and prototyped bespoke interactable objects.

    • Where Cards Fall — A cross-platform puzzle game about reconstructing memories out of playing cards.
    • Unity Awards Best Mobile Game 2019
    • Top Apple Arcade Game of 2019
    • App Store
    • Launch Trailer

  • thatgamecompany

    I moved to Los Angeles to join thatgamecompany. I worked on Sky: Children of the Light, a multiplayer social adventure game. As a Feel Engineer, I worked on controls, level design, progression, and lead playtesting. I later served as Lead Designer and was responsible for directing multiplayer systems designed to evoke emotional and social engagement.

    • Sky: Children of the Light
    • 100 million installs (as of July 2021)
    • Apple iPhone Game of the Year 2019
    • Game Awares Nominee for Best Mobile Game 2019
    • Launch Trailer
    • App Store

  • Futureproof

    I collaborated with David Siegel on Futureproof, a research project to develop tools and resources to foster greater awareness, intentionality, and well-being around technology.

    • Awareness — A break timer we designed to provide greater awareness of time spent working without disruption.
    • Top paid Health and Fitness app (Mac) June 2011
    • Download Page
    • Git Repo (Open Source)

  • Port127

    I formed an indie game studio in Philadelphia called Port 127. We provided game design services while developing original IP.

  • Miscellany

© Michael Highland 2020

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