Maxwell Martin

I'm a Systems & Combat Designer with a passion for crafting deep, engaging gameplay experiences. With experience in AAA development and board game design, I specialize in ability systems, combat mechanics, and progression design, bringing characters and their powers to life in Unreal Engine.

About Me

I'm a Systems & Combat Designer with 3.5 years of experience creating characters and abilities that keep players engaged and coming back for more. The heart of game design, for me, is crafting mechanics and moments that become lasting memories—the kind of experiences that stick with players long after they’ve put down the controller.Growing up, video games were more than just a hobby; they became a corner-stone of my life, shaping the way I see creativity, storytelling, and interaction. Now, I have the privilege of designing those experiences for others. Whether it’s fine-tuning an ability’s feel, designing a deep progression system, or building combat mechanics that encourage player expression, I aim to create gameplay that resonates, challenges, and excites.Thanks for reading! I can't wait for you to see what I've done!

Power Well

Designed alongside my two brothers and wife, Power Well is a fast-paced 2-player dueling game that blends the tactical depth of a strategy game that plays like a hero-battler meets Bejeweled. Players draw marbles from the Power Well to fuel their abilities, outmaneuver their opponent, and secure victory.My Contributions:
-Designed multiple character kits, each with bespoke abilities and unique playstyles.-Developed core game mechanics, ensuring a balance of strategy and kinetic puzzle-solving.-Conducted weekly playtests on Tabletop Simulator to fine-tune character balance and ensure fair, competitive gameplay.-Collaborated with a concept artist to bring character designs to life.(Above are images of some of the characters I have designed alongside our artist)After showcasing at three conventions, we’re gearing up for a Kickstarter launch this year, and I can’t wait to bring this game to life for players everywhere.

PostCard - Combat Designer

Unannounced Open-World RPG-Shooter (Original AAA IP)

At Postcard Game Studio, I worked as a Combat Designer, focusing on character abilities, weapon tuning, and interactive gameplay elements. My role involved designing and implementing combat mechanics that shaped how players engaged with the world.Key Contributions:
-Implemented 4 playable characters, each with 3 unique abilities, using Unreal Engine’s Ability System.-Designed 30 future character kits, ensuring team composition and role synergy were core to the experience.-Created Blueprint templates for abilities, streamlining iteration and development.-Successfully pitched and prototyped a new single-ability combat system, influencing the game’s overall design shift.-Developed interactive objects using Blueprints to enhance environmental engagement.-Assisted multiple design teams (Systems, Quest, World, Combat) in learning Unreal Engine workflows.-Contributed outside my core role by helping with VFX implementation for abilities and supporting UI development for abilities and navigation.My time at Postcard allowed me to refine my ability to design impactful character kits, balance combat mechanics, and collaborate across disciplines, all while ensuring that every ability and interaction felt intuitive, engaging, and fun.

Alula - Game Designer

A tablet-based teaching method for dyslexic children

As a contract Game Designer at Redbird Learning, I contributed to modernizing the Alula Method, a teaching system designed to help dyslexic children learn through physical movement and muscle memory. My focus was on designing engaging mini-games that translated arm motions into joystick movements, creating an interactive and intuitive way for children to connect with letters.Key Contributions:
-Designed and implemented educational mini-games that align with the Alula Method’s motion-based learning approach.-Researched the Alula Method and other best practices to create a game experience that reinforces letter recognition through motion.-Developed puzzles that mirror letter shapes, helping players build muscle memory while learning.-Programmed mini-games directly in the engine, ensuring smooth functionality and intuitive controls.-Conducted usability testing to refine mechanics and improve accessibility for young learners.-Integrated art and UI assets, collaborating with the development and art teams for proper implementation.-Performed extensive QA across multiple platforms, identifying and resolving bugs with the development team.-Gathered hands-on feedback from children, iterating on designs to improve engagement and effectiveness.-Designed a new progression system, transitioning from a circular map to a region-based, left-to-right structure for better user experience.-Implemented a star-based progression system, rewarding performance and encouraging replayability by unlocking collectible stickers.By focusing on accessibility, engagement, and intuitive mechanics, I helped shape Alula Island into an interactive learning tool that effectively supports dyslexic students in their educational journey.

References

Hear from industry professionals I've had the privilege to work with!All of these references can be found on my LinkedIn!

Cory HasselBach

Design Director - PostCard/Anchor Point

While still in the early stages of his career in the games industry, Max has boundless enthusiasm, an infectious optimism and a remarkably strong design intuition.I first worked with Max at an ill-fated start up studio, but when I found my footing at a new position, I immediately reached out in an effort to bring him onboard, I believed in his potential so much. I'm a firm believer that while experience and time in the games industry can bring you invaluable insight and experience, sometimes you can get amazing results when you encourage raw talent when it's burgeoning and filled with passion and excitement.Max has been invaluable to my design team each time I have worked with him. We joke that he is my "hired gun" - he has very strong Unreal Blueprint skills for his design level, and he can rapidly prototype features. He is a great sounding board for ideas, and has an excellent design acumen overall. In particular, he is quite adept when it comes to designing abilities, heroes, hero kits and other things of that nature.He is an avid gamer, and stays in front of industry trends, not just in the AAA space, but in the indie and board game space as well. His understanding of game mechanics and how they intertwine and work together is already very impressive, and I look forward to seeing how it continues to grow over the course of his career.I would hire Max onto my team anywhere I went. His eagerness to learn and grow, the talent he would bring, and his passion for games in general would be a boon to any team that would have him.

Lizzie Seigel

Quest Lead - PostCard

Max is an incredible designer and an absolutely pleasure to work with. Brainstorming with him in meetings and just at our desks is always a fruitful experience and a highlight of my day. He also has incredible technical prowess and learned Unreal 5 unbelievably fast and excelled at it. Especially on this small team, he graciously steps outside of his wheelhouse to support and implement features that are outside of his discipline.