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About me.

Hi! I’m Donovon, a queer tabletop game developer, designer, and scholar based in Columbus, Ohio. I have a tremendous passion for play, games, and the role these things play in today’s culture.

As a developer and designer, I am drawn to games that generate evocative stories, create novel experiences, and showcase the diversity of the human experience. As a player, I lean more toward immersive and narrative driven play, but am always eager for something new. 

As a scholar, I am interested in UX in analog games, emergent behavior, avatar psychology, and the role of analog play and games in human growth and development. I am also interested in what carries over from inside a game to outside of a game, or what happens with games that are pervasive and designed to not have a particular 'end'.

I have formerly worked as a music therapist at a children’s hospital, where I strived to help younger humans cope with the traumatic effects of being hospitalized as a child. I hold a master’s degree in music therapy with a background in guitar performance and neuroscience. I specialize in working with individuals with Williams Syndrome. 
I currently work as a business analyst in healthcare IT.

Outside of games/music, I love cats, yoga, poetry, the enneagram, questions, and meaningful conversations. I’m ever a fan of CBS’s Survivor! I've spent a lot of time pursuing various circus arts, such as juggling, cyr wheel, and aerial silks. Lately, I have been enamored with UX design and its analog applications.

I’m available for freelance game design/development projects and project management opportunities.

My pronouns are they/them.

What I’ve been up to lately (Winter 2024):

  • Playing: Spirit Island, Artisans of Splendent Vale, Oxenfree II

  • Reading: The Wheel of Time

  • Watching: Survivor (always Survivor ;), Big Brother (older seasons)

  • Listening: Lo-Fi, Lawrence