MARIA SHURUPOVA
Game Design with Purpose
I am a game designer who believes in the power of games to bring positive change. My passion lies in creating immersive systems and meaningful experiences infused with empathy. Currently based in the US and open to opportunities anywhere around the world.
A passion project planned for release in Spring 2024, created fully independently from the concept to art assets and scripting Unity C#. My challenge was to make a fun gameplay loop, improve my balance and economy skills, and write an engaging short narrative conveying a serious mental health concept.
Doppel Diner is a 2D cooking and management simulator about a diner that orbits the open space. Based on the planet rotations, the inside environment changes, creating three different gameplay challenges that metaphorically correspond with the emotional states of Bipolar Disorder.
2022-2024
My role was to create systems and features, make scripts in Unity C# with XR Interaction Toolkit, and build methodologies documentation. I worked in a small team with a common goal to make a game prototype for Vive 1 and Oculus Quest 2 from scratch.
"Multicultural Aleppo" is a playful learning experience highlighting Aleppo's culture and arts through narrative and interaction. The player takes the role of a young child tasked with assisting the puppeteer in putting on a traditional coffeehouse puppet show in 1928. To progress through the narrative, they engage in crafts while interacting with fictional characters.
Project leadership:
Ken Thompson, University of Connecticut
JUNE-AUG 2023
My role was to come up with game concepts and turn them into playable prototypes on Android. I also partially created content, such as scripts, artwork, and animations within existing style guides.
"Play with Zuri" is a collection of 3 mini-games for femme-identifying persons of color with a history of foster care placement. The games touch on topics of sexual and reproductive health through a trauma-informed prism while being fun and replayable.
Project leadership:
Christina Ross, PhD, RN Assistant Professor of Nursing
Ting Zhou, Assistant Professor in Residence, DMD.
JUNE-AUG 2022
MELT (2021)
Melting through the thick layers of ice with a power gun, investigate the mysteriously abandoned Antarctic research station. Be cautious though, as the excessive heat can vanish vital clues and influence the outcome!
Angel is an ordinary office worker in Heaven. He dreams about a perfect day so badly that he hires you to help him avoid failures. If something is not as planned, you should start over! Collaborator: severin.
Play in an apartment that belonged to generations of one family. Rotate the rooms and choose an appropriate position for each of their historic heirlooms in order to preserve memories. Collaborator: memorein
With the mascot of HSE Green, a student environmental organization, learn how to collect waste separately at the university. Finish a small storyline by earning points and maintaining enough hearts!
An anthology of gaming expressions reflecting on the COVID-19 experiences. Explore topics such as digital overload, self-isolation, coexistence, and social responsibility. Collaborator: severin.
Embark on an epic journey through four different worlds to assemble twelve instruments of the zodiac and repair the moon! Collaborators: Jiakun Dancy Li, Kiana Geno Schmoll, Liang Zhang.