Greetings, traveller. I'm Dani!
I'm a nonbinary (he/they pronouns) Filipino-Canadian game writer/narrative designer from Canada, currently looking to establish myself in the games industry.Personally, I'm a huge fan of sci-fi/fantasy, and putting queer twists on existing tropes. I love telling stories about hope, identity, and redemption, putting traditionally underrepresented people at the center.I find that my strengths are in my problem solving skills, my ability to work under pressure in fast-paced environments, and my love of collaboration between people of different disciplines.My undergraduate degree is in biology, and though I decided not to pursue it as a career, my background in lab-based sciences makes means I excel in team-based settings and analytical thinking.I also have a background in all aspects of theatre, from acting to vocal directing and everything in-between. I thrive in collaborative, creative settings, with large groups of people working towards a common end goal.
Portfolio & Writing Samples
Games
Jest Survive
5-10 minutes
Created for Global Game Jam 2024, with the theme of "make me laugh". In Jest Survive, you're the unlucky new court jester, taking over after the last one was killed. Jest Survive was created over two days - I wrote about half of the 124 jokes, the How To Play page, and the dialogue after the first round.
Impact
5-10 minutes
Created for inkJam 2023, with the theme of "in the blink of an eye". Impact follows a down-on-his-luck divorcee who relives crucial memories in his dying moments. Impact was created over two days - I wrote the first memory scene, edited all the other scenes, and implemented raw script into ink.
Impact placed third overall in the jam, and second for narrative and theme.
Scripts
Overthrone
5 pages
Excerpt from Overthrone, a third-person low fantasy action-adventure game about the unlikely friendship - and maybe more? - between a princess and a street urchin, and their journey towards overthrowing the monarchy. Excerpt was developed and workshopped over 2 weeks, with the final script being used for mocap.
Phantoms
17 pages
Excerpt from Phantoms, a first-person sci-fi/fantasy action-adventure game about a thief-for-hire who has to confront the ghosts of their past after gaining powers from a job gone wrong.
Script was developed and workshopped over 3 weeks, alongside a design document.
It's A Twin Thing
15 pages
Excerpt from It's A Twin Thing, a teen comedy film about two polar opposite fraternal twins that are forced to see life from the other's perspective - literally - when they mysteriously trade bodies. Full feature script was developed in a month, with three workshops.
In Distress
6 pages
Excerpt from the pilot of In Distress, an hour-long dramedy about a superhero podcaster who puts herself in danger to catch the attention of the local super. Full pilot script was written in a week.
Barks
Phantoms
Bark sheet from Phantoms, featuring possible interactions between the player character, Lex, and their upbeat tinkerer ally, Glitch.
Design
The Halls of History
A short Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition module where the party must traverse an enchanted - or maybe cursed is the better word - museum. Fit for a party of 3rd level adventurers.
Phantoms
An example of branching dialogue from Phantoms, featuring a conversation between Lex and Glitch. Originally developed in Twine, adapted for a pdf.