NICK TRIPP
Games Student | Unreal Engine | Game & Level Design
​My name is Nick Tripp, and I am a junior in the Games program at the University of Utah, majoring in game design and level design. My coursework has given me hands-on experience with gameplay systems, level structure, and player-focused design, including working in Unreal Engine to create gyms and build interactive experiences. I’m eager to transition from academic projects to professional development and am ready to apply my skills in a collaborative, production-focused environment.
Skills
White Boxing
Blueprint
Iteration
Version Control
Communication
Animation
Retopology
​ UV Unwrapping
Baking
Texturing
​ Creating Materials
Rigging
Rendering
​Asset Optimization
Software/Engines
Unreal Engine 5 & 6
GameMaker
Perforce /GitHub
Adobe Substance 3D Painter
Maya 2025 & 2026
ZBrush
Unity
Adobe Photoshop
Projects
NEURO-OVERCLOCKED
Level Design & Story Creation
Neuro-Overclocked was designed to simulate life with ADHD, giving players firsthand experience of the focus challenges and struggles people with ADHD face daily. Our team developed the game from the ground up, collaborating to create a complete player experience. I was solely responsible for the level design and story creation.
A Shrimple Enough Mission
GUI and Level Design
A Shrimple Enough Mission is a colorful underwater beat ’em up that follows a brave shrimp fighting to escape the Dead Reef and return home. Players battle through waves of krill, crabs, and starfish while navigating a vibrant, hostile ocean environment on their path to freedom. I designed the levels to maintain constant action, keeping gameplay balanced, engaging, and fun.
D.I.Y. - Don’t Interact Yet
Level Design and Sprites
D.I.Y. - Don’t Interact Yet is a survival game set on a broken-down ship, where players strive to survive as long as possible. As the level designer and VFX artist, I created clear, engaging tasks to prepare players for challenges and developed multiple spaceship concepts to finalize an intuitive level layout that feels natural as the game progresses.
I also designed visual effects that reflect player performance, with the spaceship showing signs of breaking through smoke and faulty circuitry when tasks are failed, enhancing immersion and reinforcing gameplay consequences.
WHEN THE STARS ALIGN
Full Development
When the Stars Align is a single-player, space-themed card battle game designed for a course at the University of Utah. I created the game’s core mechanics, ruleset, and overall experience from concept to final iteration.
The game combines strategic card combat with dice-driven actions and planet modifiers, encouraging players to balance risk, planning, and adaptability. A strong emphasis was placed on thematic cohesion, with characters, enemies, and planet effects designed to reinforce the science-fiction setting.
Through extensive playtesting and iteration, I refined balance, simplified rules, and improved clarity and player choice. This project reflects my approach to systems design, iteration, and creating engaging gameplay that is both strategic and accessible.
Resume
