Stephen Childree

Developer, Editor, and Composer

I'm a professional developer, composer, and editor with several years of experience in each field.

If you're interested in working with me, click here to send me a message.

Games

I've been a game developer for 8 years. I've shipped 2 games solo and have worked on several others, too. I'm primarily a programmer, but I'm a generalist at heart with experience in (and love for) every aspect of game development.

Astral Ascension

A choice-driven, space sci-fi visual novel featuring full voice-over and an intricate relationship system!

More info  

Neon Ride

Retro-inspired 3D runner-platformer with an 80s futuristic setting and soundtrack.

More info  

BattleStorm

Top-down shoot-em-up inspired by 90s classics like Raptor. Features 5 environments with 25 levels and tons of powerups.

More info  

Super Cuber

Minimalistic, traditional platformer with tight, responsive controls. Includes a powerful level editor and Steam Workshop integration.

More info  

Web

I specialize in making fully responsive small business and portfolio websites, but I am capable of taking on larger projects as well. I have a strong passion for the small details that many developers ignore, and I pride myself on maintaining a clean, consistent style throughout the entire website.

Icy Studios

Website description

Details  

Neon Ride

Website description

Details  

Sean Roper

A professional portfolio I designed and developed for a videographer, with a focus on a simple single page design.

Details  

Portfolio

A professional portfolio I designed and developed for myself with an emphasis on a clean, functional, and seamless experience.

Details  

Cyklon Games

Single-page, responsive website I created for a Bulgarian indie game studio, with sections for their team members and an application form.

Details  

Music

I've been making music for more than 5 years. I mainly like to make upbeat, arcade-style electronic tracks, but I have worked on other genres like metal, EDM, and pop. I have composed and produced original soundtracks for two of my games: Neon Ride and BattleStorm.

Neon Ride Soundtrack

A love letter to retro arcade games, this soundtrack aims to capture the classic synthwave sound with urgent, uptempo tracks.

Playlist  

BattleStorm Soundtrack

A dark, but upbeat soundtrack. Each track was designed to reach its peak as an onslaught of enemies rains down at the end of each level.

Playlist  

Arcade Tracks

A collection of simple arcade tracks which I made in 2016 to showcase my musical style. They're meant to be short and simple with little polish.

Playlist  

Editing

I've worked as an editor for both freelance clients as well as high-profile companies like Xsolla. In my editing, I always strive to achieve the highest standard of quality while ensuring that the original writer's voice and writing style is maintained.

(Excerpt) How Do I Find a Publisher?

An excerpt from an article which I edited and proofread for Xsolla's Game Development blog.

Read  

(Excerpt) Game Development Myths

An excerpt from an article which I edited and proofread for Xsolla's Game Development blog.

Read  

(Excerpt) Get It Right From the Start

An excerpt from an article which I edited and proofread for Xsolla's Game Development blog.

Read  

Contact

If you're interested in working with me, or just want to talk, send me a message with the form below!

Neon Ride

Developer Icy Studios

Platform Windows

Release 2023

Role(s) Lead Developer, Composer

Notable Duties

Description

Neon Ride is a retro-inspired 3D platformer all about going fast while avoiding obstacles on roads set in retro-futuristic worlds

It features 36 levels across 9 distinct environments, an immersive, original synthwave soundtrack, and Steam Trading Cards, Achievements, and Leaderboards integration.

It also features a robust level editor with complete Steam Workshop integration, so you can easily challenge your friends (and the world!) to the brutal levels you create.

The goal was to make a game inspired by old-school runners like Skyroads and upgrade that concept for the modern player with intuitive controls, awesome visuals, competition, and endless replayability with custom levels.

Super Cuber

Developer Icy Studios

Platform Windows

Release 2017

Role(s) Sole Developer

Notable Duties

Description

Super Cuber is a minimalistic, traditional platformer with an emphasis on speedrunning and competition, as well as user-made levels.

It features 60 built-in levels, a powerful level editor which all built-in levels were made with, Steam Workshop integration as well as Steam Trading Cards, Achievements, and Leaderboards.

The goal was to create a platformer all about simplicity, with tight controls, and a powerful level editor with Steam Workshop integration.

BattleStorm

Developer Icy Studios

Platform Windows

Release 2016

Role(s) Programmer, Artist, Designer, and Composer

Notable Duties

Description

BattleStorm is a top-down, arcade-style shoot-em-up game developed for Microsoft Windows.

It features 25 levels across 5 distinct environments, tons of powerups and enemy varieties, boss fights, an immersive, original soundtrack, and Steam Trading Cards, Achievements, and Leaderboards integration.

Astral Ascension

Developer PixelFade

Platform Windows, Mobile

Release 2023

Role(s) Programmer

Notable Duties

Description

A choice heavy, sci-fi visual novel set in space! With hundreds of decisions leading to branching paths, a uniquely personalized story will unfold. Your decisions and behavior organically shape your relationships and what party members feel about you over time. A romantic bond may even be forged with three possible characters!

Astral Ascension features an English voice cast for not only your main party, but also all side and extra characters. Every line of dialogue is fully voiced!

The game also features Live2D technology to bring characters to life! Experience unrivaled immersion with facial expressions and body language all animated seamlessly.

Cyklon Games

When 2020

Role(s) Web Developer, Designer

I was contracted to design and develop a website for an up-and-coming indie studio, Cyklon Games. They wanted a single-page, responsive website with a neutral color scheme, with all their important information front and center. This included a landing area with a brief, snappy introduction and a call to action for recruitment. There is also a team members section, a simple area for their game projects, and an application form which even includes a dropdown list with all the positions they are currently looking for.

I completed the design and development of this site in about a week.

Unfortunately, the studio disbanded, so the website is no longer live. However, there is a link above to a Live version of it on my website.

Portfolio

When 2021

Role(s) Web Developer, Designer

I needed a portfolio with a clean, modern design, but one that was capable of showcasing my multiple skillsets without being too complex or messy. I settled on this design because it's clean, easily made responsive, and fun to browse with its smooth, seamless experience, offering many opportunities for me to incorporate smooth CSS transitions and animations.

A key feature I needed was the ability to have individual pages for each project, while still maintaining a seamless, functional user experience. I think the end result works well.

I spent significant time on some arguably trivial details, such as getting the address bar to update to the correct "page" you're viewing so the back and forward buttons will always work, as is a common problem with single-page designs. I also spent a considerable amount of time making sure that the main content container always updates to the correct size & padding values under a number of conditions, most of all when the window is resized, so it would be impossible to break.

I completed the design and development in less than a month.

(Excerpt) How Do I Find a Publisher?

Client Xsolla

Published 2021

Role(s) Editor

How Do I Find a Publisher?

First, you must ask yourself why you need a publisher. To find the right answer, audit your studio to learn about these important factors:

  • Your weaknesses. Do you have sufficient manpower? Do you understand how to scale the project, or will it be tricky for you to do? Are you confident in the quality of your product, or will you need external expertise on that?

  • Whether you need extra funding. Even best-selling games only start to bring revenue to the studio a few months after release.

  • How well your marketing is going. Perhaps you only need help with promos and can handle the rest yourself?

Of course, assistance would be helpful in all of the aspects above. But this little audit helps better realize which areas your future publisher must have expertise in, so you can filter out less suitable candidates and avoid wasting time negotiating with publishers that cannot offer what you need. Remember that time is of the essence; it is not an asset to let go of.

Now you can start your search. Below, we’ve outlined how to find a publisher from scratch, using nothing more than Google and the knowledge of what you need.

(Excerpt) Game Development Myths

Client Xsolla

Published 2021

Role(s) Editor

Myth 1: An Original Idea Is All You Need to Succeed

This is one of the most common (and dangerous) game development myths. Gaming news sites claim that the market is tired of similar games, and players often say in forums and social networks that they are bored and want something new. In turn, enthusiastic developers invent ultra-original, ambitious projects that no one really needs.

As it turns out, people are not huge fans of originality. We are fairly consistent in our tastes and habits and rarely spend our time trying new things. For most people, games are a way to relax and have a good time, and they don't want to waste their time mastering a non-standard interface or a complicated new way to control a mecha.

The originality of an idea or its presentation is not the only thing that determines the game's future success. Before you start developing the game, you should find out what is currently popular in the market, and make a note of any new trends. Instead of painful attempts to reinvent the wheel, you will likely be better off providing people with something familiar but with a few improvements.

In addition, originality always brings additional complexity and adds to the cost. By promising a "fully-fledged bulldozer simulator," you doom yourself to long hours of work trying to accurately recreate the machine's physics. Are you sure that you have the time to do this?

An idea that meets market requirements and is implemented according to your knowledge and capabilities might not be that exciting, but it increases your chances to complete the project and make it popular.

(Excerpt) Get It Right From the Start

Client Xsolla

Published 2020

Role(s) Editor

Get It Right From the Start

Unlike Steam, the Epic Games Store does not allow you to simply register and publish your game. The platform owner continues to select projects manually based on factors that are not disclosed to the general public. In theory, everyone has a chance. To increase your chances, check whether your game meets the following requirements:

1. Your project has a community — fans who are waiting for your game and follow its development.

We are not talking about millions of subscribers or thousands of likes for each Facebook post, but a lively, growing, and engaged community is a big advantage since someone is already interested in your project. It would be great if you can attract the attention of the gaming press or influencers. This indicates that the project is not only interesting to players, but also that the developer understands the importance of marketing.

2. Your project supports several languages.

Not everyone in the world speaks English, and many even refuse to play if their native language is not available. Thus, the more localization options you can provide at the start, the more attractive the game becomes in the eyes of decision makers. At the very least, provide text localization and subtitles if you can’t afford voice dialogs. Keep in mind, many active participants of your community will be happy to help with localization, especially if you are ready to share fame and add their names to the list of the game’s developers.

3. Your project has original gameplay and/or visual styles.

Dead Cells or Transistor are good examples of this. Independent developers are expected to innovate rather than repeat others’ work. If your game provides the players with a unique gaming experience or pushes the boundaries of familiar genres, your chances to get published will increase. The visual style is also important — some players bet on hand-drawn locations, while others invest in the general style of the game. Either way, an outstanding picture will always be appreciated.

4. Your project uses a well-known franchise.

This is rare in the indie developer world, but sometimes it happens. Any known IP (or a continuation of a well-known game series) will put you ahead of unknown titles. A famous name leads to more sales, and the ultimate goal of any platform is to maximize profits.

5. Your team has its own website with a portfolio of released games (or at least a portfolio of projects in which your team members were involved).

The myth that indie developers huddle in the basement and make games in their spare time is long gone. You must show that you have a team that is capable not only of generating brilliant ideas, but also meeting deadlines, ensuring quality, and being responsible. The platform owner is interested in guaranteeing the quality and timely release of the project. Put simply, you must earn the right to say “the game will be done when it’s done.”

Is your project guaranteed to get the green light if you meet the above-mentioned requirements? No, but your chances for a successful outcome will greatly increase.