Kyle Abeyta

Game Designer
(Narrative / Gameplay)


Portfolio

Main Titles

Narrative Design

Systems Design (Gameplay)


Work in Unity Engine


Miscellaneous Work


Contact

Phone Number

(424) 298-1059

View My Resume

Genre: Survival Horror

Primary Role: Creative Director & Producer

Additional Roles: Narrative Designer, Systems Designer, QA Tester

Team: Derpy Doggo Digital (Academic Project – DigiPen Institute of Technology)

Engine: Unreal Engine 5.4.3

Description: Mori is a young girl who is trapped inside her own nightmare. She must find a way to escape the dream, all while evading a creature that stalks within the darkness.


My Responsibilities:
• Oversee production of the team.
• Mitigate any communications issues between team members.
• Establish a schedule of tasks for both me and every department.
• Document every design aspect that is both easily accessible for all developers and understandable to read for everyone.
• Work with narrative designers to merge the plot and worldbuilding into pop-up text and collectible items.
• Performed consistent QA testing to assess the game's current quality.
Process and Workflow:
• Scheduling – worked with Co-Producer to establish and update a schedule based on both the deadline and the needs of the team.
• Communication – Daily meetups with the team allowed for progress updates and provided an opportunity for any team members to express grievances about my leadership or potential issues.• Documentation – worked with Design Lead to categorize each specific field of design into an easily accessible sub-document (System Design Document, Level Design Document, UX Design Document, etc.). We continually updated it to ensure clarity in line with the game's current vision.• Narrative – Worked with Art Director and Narrative Designers to help translate the ideas of both the story and the world into a coherent narrative.• Playtesting – I conducted 1-2 playtesting sessions per week to ensure that the 'horror' aspect of the survival horror game was being conveyed appropriately through both the User Experience and through gameplay.Challenges and Solutions:
Halfway through development, we needed to switch from a camera system similar in style to the original Resident Evil with tank controls and rework every control to a more traditional over-the-shoulder position. To ensure the team's needs were met, I conducted an additional four playtesting sessions each week for four consecutive weeks. Since much of how the game delivered its scares was based on the position of the camera and the controls, I needed to gauge what participants considered scary with the newly implemented control schematics. A User Research report was written and delivered to both the Lead Engineer and the Design Lead to disclose my findings.
Outcomes:
While the outcome of the game's mechanics wasn't precisely what I had hoped for, considering I had advocated for the original controls from the beginning, I made sure to set aside any bias to ensure the team could deliver the new control schematics before any future deadlines. It was a humbling moment to see the team still take pride in the game they crafted, despite the significant differences from the original vision. The fact that they accomplished it in less than a few weeks is nothing short of phenomenal.


Contact

Phone Number

(424) 298-1059

View My Resume

Genre: Strategy

Primary Role: Design Lead

Additional Roles: Systems Designer, UX Designer, QA Tester

Team: Dopamine Releasing Software Production Corporation (Academic Project – DigiPen Institute of Technology)

Engine: Custom engine

Description: A turn-based tactical strategy game for 1-2 players. Each player traverses the map with an army of wizards, picking up magic-infused tokens to cast powerful spells to defeat their opponent.


My Responsibilities:Process and Workflow:Challenges and Solutions:Outcomes:


Contact

Phone Number

(424) 298-1059

View My Resume

Genre: Top Down Shooter

Primary Role: Design Lead

Additional Roles: Narrative Designer, Gameplay Designer, Composer

Team: Penguin Productions (Academic Project – DigiPen Institute of Technology)

Engine: Unity Engine

Description: A top-down shooter where a single shot can destroy your ship. Navigate through an alien mothership and save humanity from a hostile invasion.


My Responsibilities:Process and Workflow:Challenges and Solutions:Outcomes:


Contact

Phone Number

(424) 298-1059

View My Resume

Genre: Spy Thriller

Primary Role: Author

Team: None (Academic Project – DigiPen Institute of Technology)

Description: Set in an alternate history of the 1950s where every fantasy creature ever imagined was summoned onto Earth forty years ago. Players take on the role of an Agent for one of the many superpowers of the world, including the United States, the Soviet Union, and the new nation of fantasy creatures called Fantasia.


My Responsibilities:Process and Workflow:Challenges and Solutions:Outcomes:


Contact

Phone Number

(424) 298-1059

View My Resume

Genre: Comedy / Horror

Primary Role: Narrative Designer

Team: None (Academic Project – DigiPen Institute of Technology)

Description: TBA


My Responsibilities:Process and Workflow:Challenges and Solutions:Outcomes:


Contact

Phone Number

(424) 298-1059

View My Resume

Genre: Tabletop Roleplaying Game

Primary Role: Narrative Designer

Team: None (Academic Project – DigiPen Institute of Technology)

Description: TBA


My Responsibilities:Process and Workflow:Challenges and Solutions:Outcomes:


Contact

Phone Number

(424) 298-1059

View My Resume

Genre: Tabletop Roleplaying Game

Primary Role: Design Lead

Additional Roles: Narrative Designer, Gameplay Designer, UX Designer

Team: None (Academic Project – DigiPen Institute of Technology)

Description: Set in an alternate history of the 1950s where every fantasy creature ever imagined was summoned onto Earth forty years ago. Players take on the role of an Agent for one of the many superpowers of the world, including the United States, the Soviet Union, and the new nation of fantasy creatures called Fantasia.


My Responsibilities:Process and Workflow:Challenges and Solutions:Outcomes:


Contact

Phone Number

(424) 298-1059

View My Resume

Genre: Tabletop Business Management

Primary Role: Design Lead

Additional Roles: System Designer

Team: None (Academic Project – DigiPen Institute of Technology)

Description: A business management game where players run a fantasy tavern during a time of war against the Dark Lord. Players compete to score the highest score while trying to navigate the events that fantasy war may bring to their business.


My Responsibilities:Process and Workflow:Challenges and Solutions:Outcomes:


Contact

Phone Number

(424) 298-1059

View My Resume

Genre: TBA

Primary Role: TBA

Additional Roles: TBA

Team: None (Academic Project – DigiPen Institute of Technology)

Description: TBA


My Responsibilities:Process and Workflow:Challenges and Solutions:Outcomes:


Contact

Phone Number

(424) 298-1059

View My Resume

About Me

“Even if it defies conventional wisdom, no matter how absurd, the lengths to which I shall go in the pursuit of the ideals I believe in are nothing short of astonishing.”
– That weird-looking guy right above the quote… wait a minute.


How's it going? I'm Kyle Abeyta — a game designer with a focus on both narrative design and systems design, primarily with gameplay. Currently, I'm a senior at DigiPen Institute of Technology pursuing my Bachelor of Arts in Game Design. My background spans from QA testing to creative direction, with hands-on experience in roles such as producer, design lead, and narrative designer.I've led teams, prototyped games, balanced systems, and written stories that (hopefully) stick with players. I'm fluent in engines like Unity and Unreal, as well as working in custom engines. Currently, I am proficient only in C#, but I plan to also dabble in C++. I am also familiar with development tools such as Perforce, Twine, Maya, Blender, and others — but above all, I'm a collaborative professional. I believe in clear communication, inclusive design, and making sure everyone on the team has a voice.At my core, my philosophy is that fun and engagement aren't just design goals — they're the pillars of good game design. I'm driven by the desire to build trust with players, forge connections with fellow developers, and sharpen the skills that will one day help me build an indie studio from the ground up — a place where both my dreams and others' can come to life.Some quick hits: I was born and raised in the city of Torrance, located within the greater Los Angeles area. Since the age of ten, I have been flying back and forth between California and Colorado until my high school graduation. Now, my voice and accent sound like a horrific combination of a typical mountaineering man and a surfer dude. The games that inspire me the most are BioShock, Shadow of the Colossus, and both the Dragon Age series and the Mass Effect series. However, I will say that my favorite games are Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, Journey, and Persona 5 Royal. I'll crack a joke even if it costs me my dignity. I've been DMing for TTRPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder for over a decade, and you can usually find me composing music with MuseScore and Logic Pro.If you'd like to collaborate, discuss ideas, or share a joke, please don't hesitate to reach out!


Contact

Phone Number

(424) 298-1059

View My Resume