Reuben Brenner-
Adams

Game developer
reubenbrenneradams AT gmail.com

Reuben Brenner-Adams | Portfolio
 

I'm Reuben Brenner-Adams, a Game Developer at Originator, creators of award-winning learning games such as PAW Patrol Academy, the Endless Learning series, and MathTango. I'm focused on changing the landscape of games for education through innovative design and player-centric implementation. I'm also a voting member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a voting member of the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, and a member of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the International Game Developers Association. Take a look at my resumé.

As a game developer, I've gained skills in many different areas. Here are some of my specialties:

  • Unity
  • C#
  • Game Design
  • Sound Design

Selected Projects

 
 
  • PAW Patrol Academy Screenshot 1
  • PAW Patrol Academy Screenshot 2
  • PAW Patrol Academy Screenshot 3
  • PAW Patrol Academy Screenshot 4
  • PAW Patrol Academy Screenshot 5

PAW Patrol Academy

Overview:

PAW Patrol Academy is the only preschool learning app for the hit Nickelodeon show PAW Patrol, one of the most popular kids franchises in the world. It features smart, fun, preschool lessons and games for toddlers, plus real missions and episode clips.

My Contribution:

  • C#/Unity3D developer
  • Game designer
Timeframe: Released September 2023
See It Live
 
  • MathTango Screenshot 1
  • MathTango Screenshot 2

MathTango

Overview:

MathTango is a groundbreaking app that makes learning addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division truly fun for kids aged 5-10! Kids will progress through dozens of math lessons as they earn monsters, complete missions, build out their own unique worlds, and discover even more fun and surprises along the way.

My Contribution:

  • C#/Unity3D developer
Timeframe: Originally released in 2017, last updated April 2024
See It Live
 
  • Endless Learning Academy Screenshot 1
  • Endless Learning Academy Screenshot 2
  • Endless Learning Academy Screenshot 3

Endless Learning Academy

Overview:

Provide comprehensive early learning preparation for your child with this delightfully interactive educational app from Originator – Endless Learning Academy! Kids will learn across a broad and growing curriculum all while having FUN with the help of the adorable Endless monsters!

My Contribution:

  • C#/Unity2D developer
Timeframe: Originally released in 2015, last updated April 2024
See It Live
 
  • Pick Your Plate! Title Screen
  • Pick Your Plate! World Map
  • Pick Your Plate! Game Screen
  • Pick Your Plate! Food Item Popup

Pick Your Plate! A Global Guide to Nutrition

Overview:

Pick Your Plate! A Global Guide to Nutrition is an educational nutrition game that will help teach students about building healthy meals while using nutritional guidelines from countries around the world!

My Contribution:

  • C#/Unity2D developer
  • Game designer
  • Sound designer
Timeframe: Released November 2019
See It Live
 
  • Roterra Promo
  • Roterra Forest Screenshot
  • Roterra Cave Screenshot
  • Roterra Castle Screenshot

Roterra

Overview:

Angelica, the rightful Queen of Roterra, has lost her kingdom to her older brother, Orlando, who has become addicted to the magical powers bestowed to those who wear the crown. She now finds herself deep in the forest, alone, doing everything within her reach to return home! With traitorous knights hot on her heels, Angelica must face challenging puzzles and other hazards to make a safe return and reclaim her kingdom—one puzzle at a time. Available on iOS.

My Contribution:

  • Level designer
  • C#/Unity3D developer
Timeframe: Released January 2019
Roterra Promo Page
 
  • Tami's Tower Title Screen
  • Tami's Tower Screenshot

Tami's Tower: Let's Think About Engineering

Overview:

From the Smithsonian Science Education Center, Tami’s Tower: Let’s Think About Engineering is an educational engineering design game that teaches students how to design a solution to a problem using basic engineering design principles. Available in English and Spanish on iOS, Android, and web.

My Contribution:

  • C#/Unity2D developer
  • Game designer
  • Sound designer
Timeframe: Released December 2018
See It Live
 
  • Lost & Found: Order in the Court Action Shot
  • Lost & Found: Order in the Court Action Shot
  • Lost & Found: Order in the Court Action Shot
  • Lost & Found: Order in the Court Action Shot

Lost & Found: Order in the Court

Overview:

Lost & Found: Order in the Court is the second game in the Lost & Found series. Order in the Court, an analog storytelling party game, explores how a code of law called Mishneh Torah addresses lost and found possessions.

My Contribution:

  • Game designer
  • Ludo-legal designer
Timeframe: Released October 2017
Buy Lost & Found: Order in the Court
 
  • Aquation Title Screen
  • Aquation Screenshot
  • Aquation Screenshot
  • Aquation Prototype

Aquation

Overview:

Aquation: The Freshwater Access Game is a digital strategy game designed to teach 5th-graders the basics of global water trade and the strategies that might be employed to make sure that all regions have enough fresh water for personal, agricultural, and commercial use. The game was developed for use in Next Generation Science Standards curriculum.

My Contribution:

  • Lead game designer
  • Lead game developer
  • Prototyper
Timeframe: Released September 2017
See It Live
 
  • Gloom Box Title Screen
  • Gloom Box Protagonist, Muse
  • Gloom Box Screenshot
  • Gloom Box Screenshot

Gloom Box

Overview:

Gloom Box is my Master's capstone project, a 2D musical puzzle-platformer. The game follows Muse as she explores a colorful and musical world. A sentient boombox named Gloom enables Muse to play cassette tapes that she finds scattered throughout the world in order to influence her surroundings. Each cassette tape contains a different genre of music, which corresponds to a unique ability.

My Contribution:

  • Production lead
  • C#/Unity2D developer
  • Game designer
Timeframe: Released May 2017
Download Gloom Box
 
  • Pixalto Menu
  • Shooting an Alerted Hostile NPC
  • Befriending a Non-Hostile NPC
  • Exploding NPC
  • End of Level Text

Pixalto

Overview:

Pixalto is a 2D pixel-platformer created in C# and Unity2D that abstracts everyday interpersonal interactions and the challenges we face in dealing with them. You must navigate the many hostile and friendly characters in the world around you, shaping your actions to match the terrain and the movements of enemies.

My Contribution:

  • Lead C# developer
  • Lead Unity2D developer
  • Game designer
Timeframe: November 2015 - May 2016
Pixalto Pre-Alpha Teaser
 
  • Dischord with Visible Text
  • Dischord without Visible Text

Dischord

Overview:

Dischord is an interactive digital artwork created in Javascript and using Tune.js and Tuna.js. The goal of Dischord is to generate near-completely random sequences of chords using algorithms adapted from a paper by Stephen Wolfram, while generating accompanying visuals in real time. Dischord generates patterns that cannot be reproduced without the seed and rules, except by NP processes. Additionally, Dischord gives the user control over scale, frequency, and timings of generated audio.

My Contribution:

  • Lead JavaScript developer
  • Lead designer
Timeframe: March - May 2016
See It Live
 
  • Logo Screen
  • Title Screen
  • Screenshot
  • Screenshot
  • Screenshot

Red Giant

Overview:

Red Giant is a space-themed shoot-'em-up game created in Unity3D and using C#. The theme of the game is growth; throughout the experience, the player's ship will grow from a pod into the Red Giant. Eventually, the player will be able to take on—and defeat—planet-sized enemies.

My Contribution:

  • C# developer
  • Unity3D developer
Timeframe: January - April 2015
Pre-Alpha Trailer
 
PAW Patrol Academy PAW Patrol Academy
MathTango MathTango
Endless Learning Academy Endless Learning Academy
Pick Your Plate! Pick Your Plate!
Roterra Roterra
Tami's Tower Tami's Tower
Lost & Found: Order in the Court Lost & Found: Order in the Court
Aquation Aquation
Gloom Box Gloom Box
Pixalto Pixalto
Dischord Dischord
Red Giant Red Giant

Work Experience

Originator Logo

Game Design & Development Engineer

Employer:

Originator; Remote

Roles:

  • Unity game programming
  • Game design
  • Sound design

Overview:

As a game design & development engineer at Originator, I use my game design and development skills to support the conception, creation, and ongoing development of award-winning games for learning like PAW Patrol Academy, MathTango, and Endless Learning Academy.

Timeframe: December 2021 - present
Smithsonian Science Education Center Logo

Interactive Developer

Employer:

Smithsonian Institution; Washington, DC

Roles:

  • Game design
  • C# development
  • Unity development and scripting
  • Sound design

Overview:

As an Interactive Developer at the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC), I designed and developed educational games, interactives, simulations, and other digital media for K-8 Next Generation Science Standards curricula. As part of the SSEC's Digital Media Team, I worked closely with curriculum developers to ensure that my games satisfy learning objectives for their pedagogical units.

Timeframe: May 2018 - November 2021
Smithsonian Science Education Center

Junior Developer

Employer:

Dig-It! Games; Bethesda, MD

Roles:

  • C# development
  • Unity development and scripting
  • Game design
  • Sound design

Overview:

As a Junior Developer at Dig-It! Games, I assisted with the design and development of educational and commercial video games for mobile and web platforms. Projects spanned a variety of genres, including puzzle, casual, and educational. I also worked on sound design for all the studio's games.

Timeframe: June 2017 - April 2018
Rochester Institute of Technology Center for Media, Arts, Games, Interaction, and Creativity Logo

Student Researcher

Employer:

Rochester Institute of Technology Center for Media, Arts, Games, Interaction, and Creativity; Rochester, NY

Roles:

  • Project management
  • Organization and communication
  • Video production
Our Project

Overview:

As a Student Researcher at RIT's Center for MAGIC, I oversaw the production of a video tutorial and trailer for a digital card game based on the 12th-century writings of Maimonides, a Jewish philosopher and legal scholar. I also worked with the Unreal Engine 4 development team in a similar capacity. My duties included task management, scheduling, and personnel management.

Timeframe: January 2016 - May 2017
Rochester Institute of Technology Logo

Teacher's Assistant

Employer:

Rochester Institute of Technology; Rochester, NY

Roles:

  • Grading
  • Rubric creation
  • Organization and communication

Overview:

As a Teacher's Assistant for IGME-230, Web Design and Implementation, I was responsible for evaluation and grading of all student assignments and exams. I check content, style, format, and W3C validity of HTML and CSS.

Timeframe: August - December 2016
Smithsonian Science Education Center Logo

Digital Media Intern

Employer:

Smithsonian Institution; Washington, DC

Roles:

  • Game design
  • C# development
  • Unity development and scripting
  • Prototyping

Overview:

As a Digital Media Intern at the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC), I conceptualized, designed, prototyped, and created educational games for K-8 Next Generation Science Standards curricula. As the SSEC's sole game designer and developer, I worked closely with curriculum developers to ensure that my games satisfied learning objectives for their pedagogical units. I presented my work to a number of audiences, including potential investors, primary and secondary school teachers from around the country, and the Smithsonian Gaming group.

Timeframe: June - August 2016
Rochester Institute of Technology Center for Media, Arts, Games, Interaction, and Creativity Logo

Student Researcher

Employer:

Rochester Institute of Technology Center for Media, Arts, Games, Interaction, and Creativity; Rochester, NY

Roles:

  • Unreal Engine 4 development
  • Academic presentation
  • Public relations
Our Project

Overview:

As a Student Researcher at RIT's Center for MAGIC, I was an Unreal Engine 4 programmer and PR manager for an educational exploration game based on the Charlotte Perkins Gilman early feminist short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper." In coordination with this project, I gave a presentation entitled "Primary Source Material as a Learning Mechanic in Serious Games" at the 2016 Hudson Valley Undergraduate Games Conference in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Timeframe: December 2015 - May 2016
Nemesys Games Logo

Programming Intern

Employer:

Nemesys Games; Budapest, Hungary

Roles:

  • C# development
  • Unity development and scripting

Overview:

As a Programming Intern at Nemesys Games, I designed and implemented new features and fixed bugs in ongoing and newly-started games projects in C# and using Unity3D. I also presented my progress to the whole studio in weekly stand-up meetings. Tasks I completed include: refactoring the in-game ship modification and upgrade system, creating a unified input handler and event system for keyboard, mouse, and Xbox controller input, creating multiple player and enemy weapons, and writing a script for moving magnetization of powerups.

Timeframe: January - May 2015
Ithaca College Logo

Research Intern

Employer:

Ithaca College, Department of Computer Science; Ithaca, NY

Roles:

  • C# development
  • Unity development and scripting
  • Game design
Development Blog

Overview:

As a Research Intern in the Ithaca College Department of Computer Science, I was in charge of designing and implementing a physical therapy game in C# using Unity3D, Microsoft Kinect, and the Zigfu Interface. The idea of the ongoing research project is to increase quality of exercises done by physical therapy patients outside the therapist's office by creating an entertaining posture evaluation environment in the home.

Timeframe: June - August 2014

Contact

reubenbrenneradams AT gmail.com
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