A game designer interested in games, storytelling, music, UI/UX and digital culture. I build interactive experiences with atmosphere, meaning and a strong visual identity - projects that feel personal, strange, and that have a story.
Personal projects and school work - built from concept to playable prototype. See the full set in the portfolio.
Soft skills lead my work; hard skills support them. Both are aimed at turning ideas into experiences.
My name is Allard van Bockel, and I am a Creative Media & Game Technologies student at Hanze. I see myself as a game designer especially interested in the space between games, technology, storytelling, music, UI/UX and digital culture. I am not only interested in making “games” in the traditional sense, but in creating interactive experiences that have atmosphere, meaning, identity, and a world behind them.
A lot of my ideas start as concepts: systems, worlds, apps, social spaces, or experiences that I imagine in detail before turning them into something real. Projects like DigiDorms and Illusions of Progress show the kind of work I am drawn to; worldbuilding, social interaction, visual style, and meaningful design.
I often think in systems: how a user moves through an experience, how mechanics support a theme, how visuals and sound create emotion, and how small design choices change the feeling of a project. I also enjoy taking initiative in group projects, communicating ideas, and helping shape a clear direction.
My hard skills are still developing, but I learn by making, experimenting, testing, breaking things, and rebuilding them until they work. In my free time I create constantly: game ideas, music concepts, visual styles, worldbuilding and digital platforms.
My personal values are creativity, authenticity, freedom, fairness, and making things that actually mean something. I don't want to create empty products that only exist to make money, I want to build experiences that give people a feeling, a place to express themselves, or a new way to look at the world. I care about creative freedom, ethical design, and making digital spaces that feel human.
In the future, I want to grow into a creative director or independent creator who can lead strong artistic projects from concept to execution. Combining games, music, storytelling, design and community into something unique.
““I see this portfolio as a snapshot of what I can make now, and where I want to grow next.”
I'm looking for a Game Designer internship where I can bring strong concepts, systems thinking and creative direction into real projects. If my work feels like a fit, I'd love to talk.