Hello, everyone! My name is Jason Allen and I am a recent graduate of Miami University with a degree in Games + Simulation and a minor in Computer Science. Now, I am working towards an MFA in Interactive Media at USC!
I am a professional narrative and game designer, writer, storyteller, and esports broadcaster. I have been creating games for as long as I can remember, starting with print and play card games and Minecraft world maps. I’ve continued to release print-and-play, GB Studio, Twine, and other games, all of which can be read about here on my website!
At my core, I am a storyteller who wishes to create impact with his work.
My narrative work emphasizes an importance on telling real, authentic stories, often revolving around the LGBTQ+ community. To me, narrative design is more than just writing words on a piece of paper—it’s about uncovering parts of your identity and helping others to do the same. As such, relatability is a primary factor of a majority of my work. My focus on LGBTQ+ and aromantic storytelling helps normalize authentic experiences in popular media, rather than reiterating common stereotypes that are easily viewable today. I hope to write the stories that I wish I could have read growing up. Nothing motivates me more than the understanding that what I write can impact the lives of others.
I additionally specialize in writing dialogue and barks that utilize poetic elements to enhance emotion. I have always been in love with writing and reading poetry, so I make sure to add that influence to my work. Alliteration, metaphors, and imagery are some of my favorite poetic devices to use in dialogue. For example, the GB Studio game "Pastoral (Act 1)" features dialogue inspired by the beauty of nature to convey the idea that the aromantic identity is not as lonely as it may seem. Additionally, the TTRPG "In Search Of" uses a freedom of language inspired by James Baldwin to convey emotion through purposeful diction.
from "Pastoral (Act 3)
from "In Search Of"
I am also an expert at esports broadcasting, specifically shoutcasting. I have worked on the Miami Varsity Esports broadcast team since my freshman year, specializing in play by play commentary for League of Legends and Hearthstone. I think of shoutcasting as a form of storytelling: word choice and imagery are incredibly important so as to help viewers understand what they are watching. Additionally, shoutcasting is about relatability and creating a bond with you and your audience. Just like mainstream sports, esports is all about a storyline, which is furthered by shoutcasters like myself, whose job is to essentially tell a story to the audience in live time.
I’ve had the pleasure to be encouraged by my professors at Miami University to explore the depths of my created universes through project creation. The Pastoral universe started from struggles with a new identity discovery that I would later find out would be called aromantic. As I wrote characters for my new universe, I continued to explore my identity, coming to terms and accepting it as valid. Using this discovery, I wrote the main plot line for "Pastoral," which eventually would become the Act 1 of the GB Studio game. In many ways I am like the main character, Dror, and all of his friends. Dror embodies the experiences of discovering you are aromantic, all while dealing with past emotions towards people of the same sex. In other ways, many characters are people who I wish I could meet to help guide my journey through life, such as Dror's mentor, Ansel.
In the TTRPG "In Search Of," I was able to fuel the grief I felt towards the passing of my grandmother into a project that felt particularly special to me. As personal experiences often power the passion behind my work, "In Search Of" explores a world void of any life, besides mysterious whispers from an alternate realm that guide the main character. This specifically embodies the mindset I had when grieving the loss of my grandmother—that her spirit would come to me in the environment that surrounds me. Additionally, finding inspiration through James Baldwin's classic writing taught me valuable lessons about writing beyond the conventions of traditional English in order to invoke extreme emotions.
I am looking to share my writing work in the hopes of working at a medium-sized indie studio where I can work on a team to create real impact in the games industry. Working with a team of like minded individuals is the type of environment that I would prefer to be in, as it allows for much more authentic storytelling through sharing individual experiences.
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen! I hope you'll take some more time to explore some of my amazing projects on this website.