About Me
I am an experienced game designer living in the Pacific Northwest, having worked on multiple AAA, mobile, and desktop games as a designer.
I use video games as an expressive creative medium. In addition to game design, I also know several programming languages, 3D modeling, 3D animation, illustration, and writing.For information on my professional work, see my LinkedIn profile
More games can be found at my itch.io page
I can be reached at burke.leo@gmail.com
System Designer - Halo Infinite
As a System Designer on Halo Infinite, I created new Vehicles, Weapons, and Gameplay Mechanics for use in Halo's new campaign and multiplayer modes as a part of 343's Sandbox team. To do this I used 343's internal development tools, LUA scripting, and an intense weekly playtesting process.
As a part of development, most vehicles had to be rebuilt into Halo's new engine, which I was tasked with. Some of my best work includes creation of multiple new vehicles, and making them work in both a single player and multiplayer capacity. I also made previously ignored vehicles viable and fun again in multiplayer again via tuning and iteration.
Game Designer - Forza Motorsports 6 DLC
At Turn 10, I helped ship DLC for Forza Motorsports 6.
As a part of the track design team, I created AI splines for both of the new DLC tracks: VIR and Homestead Raceway.
Each track has multiple layouts, each requiring several splines for each configuration. Authoring these required in-depth research and hours of fine tuning.
Additionally, I authored internal tools to aid designers in content creation, and pitched future game content.
Game Designer - Deer Hunter 2014
During 2014, I was a mission designer working on Deer Hunter 2014, a F2P shooting game for iOS and Android.
As a part of the live content team, I designed and shipped regular content updates for the game.
To read more, click the link below
The Tower Inverted
The Tower Inverted was meant as a FPS level building exercise where I had specific visual targets in mind, or ideas I wanted to build into a level, and spent a day or so prototyping them. I wanted to emphasize surreal landscapes and visuals, experimenting with Unity image effects and using them unconventionally to get unique images. My goal for the project were to create a set of weird FPS levels that I could iterate on quickly, and experiment on many different ideas. For this game I did all of the level creation, including 3D art, using Unity and Blender 3D. Sounds were gathered from freesound.org
Kill Screen Daily
"Although The Tower Inverted is, at its core, a stroll through the landscape, it is not a walking simulator. Its purpose is more specific. The game, to borrow a term from Le Corbusier, is an architectural. It is a carefully designed trip through a sequence of spaces, each level building to a specific conclusion." - David Ruden
Free Game Planet
"It’s a unique and very stylish experience – an interactive piece of art filled with beautiful landscapes and spectacular sights." - Calum Fraser
Press E To
Press E To is a very short game meant to explore game narrative presentation, game writing, and personal feelings. Press E To was made in response to a few things. Earlier that year my grandfather had passed and, months later, I was still in the mourning process. The yearly Call of Duty featured a funeral scene that was widely criticized for being atonal, so I decided to approach that moment of the game for a position of sincerity and personal experience. For this game I did all of the writing, sound design, 3D art, animation, programming, and level creation.
Rock Paper Shotgun
"Leo Burke has created a sad and wonderful little game trying to recreate actual feelings of mourning. " - Alice O'Connor
Kotaku
"Would you believe me if I said Press E To is actually kind of powerful" - Nathan Grayson
Kill Screen Daily
"What Burke addresses in Press E To is Advanced Warfare's frigid approach to eliciting an emotional connection between a videogame character and a player. " - Chris Priestman
776 - 778 - 780
776-778-780 Is a series of small, surrealist games built in the Unity engine.
I wanted to create an unconventional way to present an unconventional game narrative. I also wanted to make a game with jet-bikes.
For this game I did all of the writing, sound design, 3D art, animation, programming, and level creation.
Created for the Makega.me series game pagent
Kill Screen Daily
"Other low-poly artists feature the aesthetic’s seams, but here Burke gleefully rips them apart in front of our eyes." - Tim Schneider
Warp Door
"Why play it? Imagine if a videogame was found on an old cassette tape. That cassette has taken some bashes and scuffs during its life, possibly housed a demon once or twice, too." - Chris Priestman
PC Gamer
"{...] a game – well, three games really – of such brooding weirdness that I immediately wanted to know more about this strange anthropomorphic world" - Tom Sykes
Also Featured:
Scarred
Emotional catharsis via game design
Game built for 2013 Molyjam exploring emotional narrative within the context of a game
Kill Screen Daily
"Picture Tomb Raider reimagined by Holden Caulfield." - Tim Schneider
Featured:
Sufficiently Human Podcast
FreeIndieGam.es
Kill Screen Daily
Multiverse Tourist
The universe will come to an end if you don't stop it in the most roundabout way possible
Created for the Summer 2014 Ludum Dare game Jam, the theme was "Connected Worlds
Featured: Anait Games
Dog In A Mech
Made for the walking dead game jam, this is a game about what happens when you decide to make a radically different way to control a mechanized walking tank and then spend 2 weeks goofing off in unity3D.
Judge's Comments
"The experience was, frankly, hilarious."
AWARDS: Honorable Mention
Other Games
My other games, featuring some unfinished projects as well as some older projects, can be viewed here