John D. Moore
Curriculum Vitae (Game Design)
Portfolio: Whatnot Studios
Twitter: @jdm0079
Profile
Independent, hobbyist game developer who makes creative, mechanically inventive, bizarre, and personal video games in a variety of genres, styles, and scales. Typically works as a solo developer, handling everything from programming and animation to level design and sound effects. Interested in new approaches to traditional video game mechanics and narrative storytelling. Passionate about accessible tools for creative production at all levels and critical engagement with creative works of all times, cultures, and scales. Open to collaborations and contract work. Since 1997, have self-published over ninety games.
Exhibitions and Showcases
November 2021: Interactive Archive Exhibit: Salt Lake Stories. The City Library. Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Monthlong display of Salt Lake Stories alongside historical archival material.
November 2018–2019: Various events in Maryland and Pennsylvania with the Underground Arcade Collective (f.k.a. Baltimore Game Collective).
July 2018: SAAM Arcade 2018. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Washington, D.C.
- Indie games showcase. Exhibited Explobers (2017).
March 2018: Glorious Trainwrecks X Babycastles. Babycastles. New York, New York.
- Group show. Games exhibited: Koi Puncher (2012), Watch Ducks Legacy (2010, 2017), Ungrateful Birds (2017)
Representative Works
Temple of the Wumpus, 2018.
Koi Puncher MMXVIII, 2018.
Explobers, 2017.
Caverns of Khron, 2012.
Education
Summer 2017: University of Oregon. Eugene, Oregon. MA in East Asian Languages & Literatures.
- Thesis title: Inside the Boy Inside the Robot: Mobile Suit Gundam and Interiority.
Spring 2014: University of Utah. Salt Lake City, Utah. BA in Japanese Language and Literature; Asian Studies.
Video Game Writing Published Online
October 2018: “Closer Look: Jack O’ Lantern,” Museum of ZZT.
June 2018 to present: Writer and webmaster of Jots on Dots: Thoughts on Digital Games, a review and essay blog focused on small independent games.
August 2016: Review of State of Play, Contemporary Japanese Literature. Edited by Kathryn Hemmann.
2014: Personal interview cited at length in ZZT by Anna Anthropy, published by Boss Fight Books.
Organization
October 2018 to present: Member of the Underground Arcade Collective (formerly known as the Baltimore Game Collective), a three-person organization focused on creativity and education through digital game-making.
June 2018: Wumpus Jam. Host of month-long game jam at itch.io
Spring 2015 to Spring 2017: Transdisciplinary Asian Film Series at the University of Oregon. Co-founder and lead organizer.
Spring 2016: 2016 Asian Studies Northwest Graduate Conference. Organizing committee member.
Other Creative Work
2014-2015. Producer, videographer, and editor for The Toscano Dialogues, a video and audio podcast about religion featuring Paul and Margaret Toscano.
2009. Director, co-writer (with Enoch Allred), co-producer of Legends of Minigolf: The Flamingo’s Challenge, a feature-length film comedy. Produced by Shannon Fugal.
2004 to 2008. Director, writer, editor, videographer, and actor for various productions for Bombdotcom Productions.
Web Experience
Current webmaster and web designer of websites for Whatnot Studios (2017-), John D. Moore (2002-), Jots on Dots: Thoughts on Digital Games (2018-), Bombdotcom Productions (2004-), and Legends of Minigolf: The Flamingo’s Challenge (2008-).
Past webmaster and web designer of The Movie Baron (2004-2005).
Work Experience
2019 to present. Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, Maryland. Publicist.
2017 to present. Freelance proofreader. Including role as regular proofreader for The U.S.-Japan Women’s Journal since Fall 2017.
2017 to 2019. Milton S. Eisenhower Library at Johns Hopkins University. Baltimore, Maryland. Library specialist.
2014 to 2017. University of Oregon. Eugene, Oregon. Graduate Teaching Fellow.
2013. Leaf Cup. Tokyo, Japan. Chat host, private English instructor, substitute group lesson teacher.
2006 to 2012. The Law Office of Paul Toscano, P.C. Salt Lake City, Utah. Legal assistant.