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Jake Eppard - Game Writer and Designer
"If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."
-Toni Morrison
-Toni Morrison
Jake Grey Eppard (pronouns he/him) is a student currently pursuing a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Computer Game Design at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and is set to graduate in the Spring of 2025. Jake was born and raised in the Virginian suburbs of Washington DC; he currently resides in Fairfax County, Virginia. That said, he has expressed a distinct willingness to move elsewhere in the not-unlikely event that career opportunities present themselves outside of the DC area.
Jake considers creative writing to be his primary skill set. He prides himself on his diction, use of character voice, worldbuilding skill, and attention to detail in terms of grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. His favorite genre by far is science fiction, especially military science fiction. He considers Star Wars, Halo, The Expanse, Battlestar Galactica, Stellaris, and other such properties to be among his primary influences. He one day hopes to pen his own long-form stories set within a setting that he has been crafting for some time; examples of short stories within this setting can be seen below.
Jake also has experience as a level designer, and one day hopes to lead the creation of his own games. His favorite genre is the shooter, but he also very much enjoys open-world action-adventure titles. His favorite game engine to work with and the one that he has the most experience using is Unreal Engine 5, though he also has some experience with Unity.
In this blending of old and new graphical styles and in a sci-fi re-imagining of ancient myth, you play as the Egyptian war goddess Sekhmet in a crusade against the forces of the chaos god Apophis. This was a group project and a final project for a game design class; my contributions were creative direction, mechanics design, story writing, level design (designed MAP02 and MAP03, punched up MAP01), a little voice acting and sound design, and most programming. Full credits available on the Itch.io page.
Game genre: First-Person Shooter ("Boomer Shooter").
Engine: Unreal Engine 5.
For one of my class's final projects, I was tasked with recreating a game mechanic of my choosing in an engine of my choosing. I chose Titanfall 2's wallrun and double-jump. I later refined the project on my own into a more coherent platforming gauntlet.
Game genre: First-Person Shooter ("Movement Shooter").
Engine: Unreal Engine 5.
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In this seemingly ordinary demo, what appears like any other sci fi horror game quickly descends into the meta and liminal as you are suddenly shown, well, behind the scenes. Art assets are from the Unreal Engine 5 Starter Content Collection and various Marketplace collections. Full credits available on the Itch.io page.
Game genre: First-Person Shooter.
Engine: Unreal Engine 5.
In this initial chapter of what I hope to develop into a three-novel series, our protagonist - a sniper and canine alien - is tasked with providing overwatch for an operation on a dreary world. The operation goes awry as a deadly warrior is called in to root him out; said warrior, however, did not count on his foe being more than a match for his own elite skill. This, of course, catches the attention of special forces recruiters, and is the first step towards the young man's grand destiny.
Narrative type: Novel chapter (4,536 words).
Genre: Military Science Fiction/Science Fantasy.
A wandering sword for hire with a special affinity for and way with dragons is called upon by a local Lord not far from the home he was exiled from long ago. His effort to rescue what he is told is a noblewoman results in an unexpected reunion, as well as a far greater (if admittedly stranger) reward than our protagonist could have possibly imagined.
Narrative type: Short story (2,169 words).
Genre: Medieval Fantasy.
In this prose transcription of a conceptual video game cutscene, our super soldier player character sits atop the introductory dungeon she has just conquered and looks out on the world before her. Pondering the daunting task of escaping from the hostile planet she is trapped on, she knows she must fight her way out and resolves herself to see it through.
Narrative type: Short story (643 words)
Genre: Science Fiction.
A young, naive soldier with a tragic past embarks on the ultimate trial by fire: an aerial assault against a dug-in enemy force. While the mission does not go well for him in the short term and results in great tragedy, there are silver linings. What happens on that beach may, in the long term, grant the young man the chance to finally confront his demons, turn his life around for the better, and take the first steps towards doing what, deep down, he has always wanted to.
Narrative type: Short story (5,047 words).
Genre: Military Science Fiction/Science Fantasy.
In this script for a conceptual video game cutscene, our player character, having overcome many deadly challenges and defeated the final boss, reflects on her perilous journey atop the final dungeon - that being a towering, hyper-advanced alien facility in the middle of the ocean. As she is extracted by dropship and returns to her normal life, she attempts to reconcile with the attachment that she had developed to the place. Her AI companion, having grown platonically invested in her to a degree well beyond his normal parameters, also ponders his possible fates.
Narrative type: Screenplay (1,451 words).
Genre: Science Fiction.
In this prose rendition of a conceptual video game cutscene, our player character first encounters the man that will become the game's final boss. The two warriors - one a paragon and the other pure evil - verbally spar with and cold-read each other before the battle begins: a battle that the player cannot win. Unfortunately, our confident protagonist has vastly underestimated the capabilities of his foe and overestimated his own (albeit formidable) abilities. This piece features branching dialogue options. Note: this image was created by the user macarious on DeviantArt and appears to exist within the Creative Commons license, but it will more than likely be replaced by something more accurate to the letter of the story eventually.
Narrative type: Dialogue Sample (1,317 words).
Genre: Science Fantasy.
I have been a member of George Mason University's Game Analysis and Design Interest Group (GADIG) for some time. The goal of this student organization is to develop game production skills by collaboratively creating a small game over the course of a given semester, thereby simulating a somewhat realistic development environment.
My primary team has been their Design Team. With them, I have done enemy design, gameplay design, level design, and QA testing. Here are some of the projects that I have worked on as a member of GADIG:
GAME 410 is a George Mason University Computer Game Design class that is not dissimilar in format to GADIG. In it, the class is tasked with creating a game over the course of one semester; we assign tasks, create content, and set deadlines with only minimal input from the professor outside of the initial prompt, technical assistance when needed, and the class's basic structure. Like with GADIG, the goal of this class is to replicate as closely as possible a real professional environment.
I was responsible for the visual design and mechanics of the final boss, as well as the construction of its arena. In doing so, I collaborated with and oversaw programmers and artists who then brought my ideas for the boss to life. The Itch.io link to download the game can be found here:
