David Gabriel Abraham is a game designer, writer, and programmer with over a decade of experience in the field of educational games.
Featured Projects
View a selection of projects below, each of which I’ve worked on as Lead Programmer and/or Game Designer. Click the “Learn More” button near each for more information about the project, my role, and my takeaways.
DietitianVR
A VR Simulation for prospective dietitians built for the Meta Quest.
Make dialogue choices using your virtual tablet and interact with unique VR patients in a variety of ways. Learn ways to diffuse the situation when dealing with angry or non-compliant patients. Review important information related to specific medical conditions and proper procedure.
I was Lead Programmer for this simulation and collaboratively designed the simulation with a team of experts.
Game Over Gopher
In this award-winning tower defense game, defend your prized carrot from space gophers by placing tower units on a coordinate grid.
Game Over Gopher is part of the Math Snacks suite of games, and has been played millions of times. It addresses topics such as plotting coordinate pairs and identifying quadrants, while touching on more advanced concepts related to graphing.
I was Lead Programmer for the original Flash version of the game, and also part of the design team since the game’s early inception.
GATE
Shadows are corrupting the land. Restore the balance of nature using number operations and place value. Gate guides students in lowering intimidation about large numbers and decimals.
Although I was not involved in the production of the original Flash game, I built the WebGL remake in Unity and C#, and added many new gameplay and accessibility features.
Outbreak Squad
Use your team of heroes to research, heal, protect and educate the populace. Designed to help kids in grades 5 and above learn about foodborne illnesses and how they can be prevented.
A food safety game with JRPG-style battles created in Unity. I was the Lead Programmer and helped design some of the mechanics and abilities.
Curse Reverse
Another entry in the NSF-funded Math Snacks suite of games. In Curse Reverse, move platforms by changing variables and expressions in order to return the stolen treasures and reverse the curse.
Curse Reverse is a platforming algebra and pre-algebra game built in JavaScript for the web. I was the Lead Programmer and designed many of the game’s features and mechanics.
G.O.R.
My capstone project as a graduate student at Northeastern University. It is a feature-rich, open world, 3D role-playing-game that proved to be quite the learning experience.
Unlike future projects, I did much of the art and animation in addition to the programming and design.
Key Skills
1.
Game Design
I have years of experience designing games and game mechanics across multiple genres. I realize that games don’t just need to be fun, but must adhere to performance specifications, remain in scope, and be completed before deadlines.
2.
Programming
I have a firm understanding of multiple object-oriented languages and software packages, including Unity/C#, Swift, and JavaScript.
I also have experience programming both prototypes and complete games in a variety of object-oriented languages for distribution on web browsers, iOS, android and VR.
3.
Art Asset Creation and Collaboration
Years of experience creating art, prototyping, and working with artists collaboratively means I design and build games and software with visual elements in mind!
I feel I have a thorough understanding of what goes into creating game art assets and the ability to chip in where needed.
4.
Storytelling and Writing
While all of the above are very important when it comes to creating games and experiences, a good story and immersive theme lies at the heart of any truly great game. My focus for the last few years has been to go back to the basics, writing compelling stories and realistic characters in hopes of applying what I’ve learned to my future game creations.
Speaking of storytelling, click the banner below to learn more about my upcoming novel Oniris!
More About Me
Well, what can I say? I’ve always enjoyed playing video games and decided to pursue making them as a career. I began by doing art and animation while studying in New Mexico. From there, I decided to learn some programming, mostly by making Flash games. I was able to expand on that knowledge while pursuing a master’s degree at Northeastern University, where I studied Game Design. Shortly after, I was hired at New Mexico State University, where I helped design and program educational games for over ten years.
During my free time I enjoy writing, painting, playing games, or enjoying the great outdoors while hiking or kayaking with my wife and puppy.