Hear from some of the Game Changers team

Russell failed all his GCSEs, but is a self-taught design, technology, AI and Fraud prevention specialist that has helped banks and governments across three continents fight organised crime fraud and cyber attacks and has developed mobile apps rated #1 in the Apple App Store. Russell created his own technology start up aged 21 and ran this for 17 years, employing 70 engineers. Russell's son is autistic, he has a deep understanding of the Autistic Spectrum, PDA, ADHD and OCD alongside the challenges of EBSA and mental health. Russell has undergone training in the prevention of suicide, from the Royal College of Nursing.

Sveety is a digital artist whose creative journey revolves around an unwavering passion for futurism. Within her artistic practice, she delves into the profound themes sensuality and vibrant colour, constructing virtual worlds leveraging cutting-edge 3D tools, AI, photography and embracing the embodiment of Metahumans. She embarks on an extraordinary exploration of her own identity, continuously pushing the boundaries of imagination within the expansive and dynamic realms of the Metaverse. She also speaks Ukrainian, Russian, English and Polish. 

Aidan is a expert game designer/developer with over 5 years of experience creating immersive worlds and challenging gameplay. Aidan is expert in coding, design, 3D modelling, creaing enviroments, automation of game object creation, AI and Virtual Reality. Aidan also is skilled in Video Editing, and YouTube/TikTok Channel Development. He has completed training with Game Changers in suicide prevention from the Royal College of Nursing. And he has a dog you may meet! 

Hey there! My name is Alice, I have a degree in Psychology with Counselling and I am currently studying a Masters degree in Health Psychology. Aside from my studies, I’ve always had a love for gaming. But you know what makes it even better? Playing together with a friend like you!

My gaming journey started when I was young, spending countless hours immersed in the worlds of Minecraft and animal crossing, the original Sims, blast racing in Mario Kart on the Nintendo Wii and building theme parks in Roller-coaster Tycoon. More recently, I’ve found a passion for games like Roblox and Minecraft. As well as playing, I like putting my own twist on games and developing my own concepts. You can see something I developed in Roblox Studio in my video.

Whilst I am not fluent in technical coding, my fluency in Italian came in handy developing my own original games on a Psychology placement abroad. As a dog assisted therapist, I often created games centred around connecting my colleagues (a specially trained pack of therapy dogs) to many diverse groups who benefited from these activities. One example was a board game I invented for a school, in which students competed in testing their knowledge about dogs, as well as performing dog tricks against each other with their own designated doggy team captain. The team with fewer ‘doggy doo’ counters or the most ‘scooby snacks’ were the winners! …But if dogs aren’t your thing, we can create new games or adapt these to your style, and then play them together virtually!

Apart from gaming and designing, I have a few other hobbies. I love painting and video editing, but one of my absolute favourite things to do is baking delicious treats for my friends and family.  I can thank my hours dedicated to levelling up on ‘Cooking Mamma’ on my Nintendo DS for these skills. I find that baking, creating, and gaming are not just fun but also great outlets for relaxation. I'm eager to hear about your favourite ways to have fun and relax too.

Importantly, I am not only here to play games together, but also to listen. So remember that anytime you want to chat, I’m all ears.

All we need to do next is connect to the Minecraft server of your choosing.

I’m so excited to meet my player 2!

Hello, I'm Jack and I am a Game Designer and Developer. I've loved videogames for quite some time now and that passion ultimately led me to choose the career path that I am currently on! Certain games I love to play would have to be Super Mario, Plants Vs Zombies and pretty much any other colourful game. When I'm not playing videogames however, I'm instead creating projects within Minecraft, Super Mario Maker, Unity and other software such as Adobe Premiere and Autodesk Maya. For example, I created a 3D platformer at college called Blaze Runner in Unity where you play as a character named Ash and his job is to get to the goal as fast as possible. To get to this speed, you need to collect logs which would increase his flame, therefore increasing his speed as a result. Other than that, I also made some smaller projects such as a project where you roll a ball down a hill and try not hit anything on the way down.

Not only have I made an actual game by myself but at the time of this bio being written, I am currently studying a degree in Computer Games Development at Staffordshire University! Therefore my skills as a game developer will only just increase as time goes on which is extremely exciting. For example, I'll be starting to use Unreal Engine soon which is great as it'll help increase my current understanding of game engines as well as C++.

Hello! I'm An, and I'm a 3D artist and FX Editor. I'm a youth activist, and aspiring lawyer. I love video games, anime, reading, and looking at different forms of art, such as music, animation, literature and more! I'm a big fan of the Final Fantasy games, along with pokemon, roblox, minecraft, pikmin and other games. A big inspiration for me is RWBY, a 3D anime that is the basis of all my work whether its art or edits. Besides RWBY, I've seen other anime like Violet Evergarden, Pokemon, Chainsaw man, and anything by Kyoto Animation. Animation is really an amazing thing, which is why I love it so much. I use After Effects and Blender in my work, and one key thing you'll spot is my models and editing style include a lot of reflections. There's a reason for that, feel free to ask! :) 

I'm a huge listener as well, and as much as I love to talk about my interests, I also love hearing about other people's, so feel free to talk to me about it!

Hello to all the awesome families and kids out there! I'm Omer, and I'm thrilled to share a snippet of my story with you. 🌟

I started my adventure in a vibrant place called Turkiye. Over there, I dove deep into the world of electric and electronic engineering. Think of it as figuring out the magic that powers our lights, computers, and other fun gadgets!

While studying in Turkiye, I took on some exciting roles. I became the AI Club president. AI stands for Artificial Intelligence - it's like giving computers the brainpower to think and learn! It's pretty cool stuff.

But wait, there's more! I also played a special role as the City-University Engagement Officer. Imagine being the bridge between a city full of people and a big university full of students. I helped them understand and support each other better.

Now, who here loves sports? 🙋‍♂️ Because I absolutely adore volleyball! In Turkiye, I got the chance to lead my team as the captain. We'd jump, spike, and dive, having the best time!

Then, in 2021, a new chapter began in the UK. Nottingham Trent University said, "Hello, Omer!" and I started my master's journey. Here, my love for volleyball continued, and I also became a coach and a referee – those are the folks who ensure everyone plays fair in games.

While juggling studies and sports, I tapped into my techy side again. I made some super helpful tools, like an app that can tell you money values from around the world. But, my proudest creation? A virtual reality game named "VolleyWar", where the excitement of volleyball meets the digital world! I have also developed and created two other games: a thrilling 2D shooting game and a visually stunning 3D car racing game. I love making games as you can see! 

And there we have it! A quick journey through my world of tech, sports, and fun. Now that you've had a glimpse into my life, I can't wait to hear and share more with all of you. Who's ready for some Game Development adventures together? 🚀

My name is Adam, I am an independent game developer and a recent graduate of the Belfast Metropolitan College game design HND course. I have been playing games since I was two years old using my father’s PlayStation.

When I was at school I was never creatively inclined, preferring to read books on history and science over fiction, however when I was 14 I took an interest in indie games so I built a PC and quickly found myself immersed in fan communities full of passionate creators who encouraged me to explore my own creativity, I started creating my own characters, flash comics and doodles.

I empathize greatly with Russell’s mission as I too have had difficulties with the school system, the way in which maths is taught lead me to not getting the grades needed to study the sciences at a higher level and I was left listless until I found my games design program.

During the course I learnt 3D modelling with Blender and Autodesk software, and the Unity and Unreal game engines. I enjoy all aspects of the game design process from level design, 3D modelling, programming and concept art. I am currently learning the Godot engine on which I plan to develop my own Steam game to further hone my skill set.

Outside of creative pursuits I still love playing a wide range of games on PC, primarily retro FPS, Strategy games and simulation games both new and old. I still have a passion for history and science and I use it as a source inspiration for my own Fantasy and Sci-fi world building ideas.

Beyond gaming I enjoy a wide range of media including film, anime/manga and table top RPG with a special preference towards anything with deep world building to get immersed in.

Louise is a skilled designer with proficiency in digital art & design applications and game engine development. Louise has worked in many specialist settings including teaching SEND classes and holds a first-class Bachelor degree with honours in Fine Art.