Lofty Jungle

Hi, I'm lofty jungle!

I am a TTRPG designer, professional software engineer, and technical communicator. I build bridges between complex systems and human experiences through approachable, perspective-shifting play.

My game studio is focused on demystifying complex systems and perspectives—translating them into approachable, whimsical, and memorable games that leave players with a new way to see the world.

The Goal: Clear Communication through Play

I believe a good game, like good software, is a successful act of communication. In my day job as an engineer and my creative work as a designer, I’m driven by the challenge of expanding the map and building features that customers actually want to use. I like taking black box logic or misunderstood perspectives and translating them into something people can actually get their hands on.

Whether I’m shrinking cosmic horror down to a mouse-sized scale or using a tumbling block tower mechanic to explain the tension of a pet shelter, my goal is to turn the unfamiliar into something relatable.

• Mission: To design games that act as a bridge between different worlds, using tight systems to communicate big truths through the joy of playing.
• Vision: To build a portfolio of games that stick with you, expanding your world by making the complex feel familiar and the other feel understandable.

Lofty Jungle Game Studio Pillars 

How do I judge what project should be next when I want to fill a weekend afternoon with game design fun? When something isn't working in a game, what do I use to pare down unnecessary complications? That all comes down to the pillars of the studio:

• Strong Story Signals: The mechanics should never muffle the message. I aim for rules that feel like a natural extension of the story, not a distraction from it.
• Systemic Empathy: I use rules to help players inhabit roles they might struggle to imagine (e.g. engineers in space on a rescue mission) using the game systems as surrogates for lived experience.
• Radical Approachability: No system is too complicated to understand. I work to strip away the gatekeeping and any overdone crunch to provide a clear, welcoming lens into every world I build.
• The Aha! Moment: I prioritize that specific moment in the game's story progression where a player suddenly understands a concept, a person, or a system differently than they did before the session started.

What to Expect Here

I am an Explorer at heart. My games are for people who like to wander the edges, poke at the mechanics, and find the what-if moments. You’ll usually find:

• Thematic Swaps: Familiar game engines given a boost with unexpected fuel.
• Streamlined Design: Focused, minimum viable product experiences that don't always shy away from raw emotion.
• Lingering Thoughts: A new way to look at the world long after you've put the dice away.

Stuff I Enjoy

I'm down for open-world video games like the Zelda and Horizon series, to tabletop games like T.I.M.E. Stories, Earthborne Rangers, and the Pandemic system. I love anything that makes me laugh, cry, or dream about those moments when hard choices were all that was left on the map. I revel in the TTRPG horror of a Mothership one-shot, the epic fantasy adventuring of Mausritter and Mork Borg, and the cute moments in Apawthecaria, Wanderhome, or Heckin' Good Doggos.

Fiction, non-fiction, games, or manga—a good story is a good story. That’s the kind of experience I strive to build. Happy gaming, wherever your adventures take you!