Hey there, I’m Connor, part-time game creator

I believe that games are best experienced with others. Whether it’s playing or creating, my goal is to bring people together through video games.

Growing up with games

I grew up playing games with my family and friends. Whether it was sitting around the dining room table playing “The Game of Life” or playing 1v1 matches of Bust-A-Move 99, I enjoyed being with the people I care about most and sharing a laugh with them.

As I got older, my dad introduced me to “RPG Toolkit 2” and I was hooked. Even though I didn’t know how to script abilities or create anything complex, I was able to figure out how to unlock a door with a key (really advanced stuff). Being able to come up with ideas for puzzles and the kind of story I wanted to tell was an amazing feeling. Even though I didn’t release anything, my mind was always thinking about minigames and experiences to share with people. In my mind, I had already decided that I would find a way to become a video game creator.

Part-Time Dev

It’s not a surprise to anyone that getting into the game industry is really competitive. Coming out of college with a degree in Computer Science, I got a typical job at a tech company. After 5 years as an individual contributor, I switched into management leading the team I had been with. One of my favorite parts about the switch in roles was getting more time to work with people and talk with them about where they wanted to go with their careers. While it was still up to them to put in the work, it was fun getting to know my team in a new way and coaching them through different opportunities to help them grow.

But the further I got from writing code day to day, the more I felt like something was missing. This is when I got into taking game dev courses and eventually learning Blender and 3D modeling. I started with Game Maker Studio 2 and eventually switched over to Godot (with a very brief interlude to learn about Unreal Engine). As I started to participate in game jams with friends and work on different projects and tools, all those feelings from my childhood making games came back and I knew that this was what filled me up with joy.

Sunday Brunch Studios, LLC

When I was picking the name for my studio, I wanted to pick something that was somewhere between having a meaning and not meaning anything at all. Sunday Brunch Studios is a reminder to me of the feelings that I have playing games with my friends and family. I hope some day that I’ll be able to come back to this page and add another chapter about becoming a Full Time Game Creator, but until then I’ll be splitting time between my tech job and making games.

My hope in sharing my journey is that I’ll be able to inspire others to join the community of game creators. There’s so much we all bring to the table and it’s important to see all the different ways that are possible to find success. Thank you for being part of my journey and I look forward to talking to you again soon.