Hi there! I’m Chad, a game designer from Melbourne, Australia. I make experimental games, and craft unique and memorable experiences that make people smile : )

I hold a BA in Digital Art, and currently undertaking doctoral studies, looking at the unconventionalities of play in co-located multiplayer digital games that take place in public spaces. My research mainly takes place in the Exertion Games Lab where I explore and design games that revolve around technology, the body and play.

I co-direct and curate Hovergarden, a monthly gathering and celebration of local multiplayer indie games. I’m also an ambassador and game runner of Pop Up Playground, a group that is dedicated to playing and spreading physical, pervasive and street games.

In my free time I find myself indulging in rapid game development (usually in the form of game jams), and playing physical games.

Some weird experimental games I’ve worked on:

• Bubble Popper (2011)
• Hatch (2012)
• Cart-Load-O-Fun (2012)
• Exhausting Jumping Game (2013)
• Congratulations! (2013)
• Doki Doki (2013)
• Salut! (2013) – link soon!

Other stuff:

• Hovergarden
• Pop Up Playground
• Exertion Games Lab

Some artsy stuff:

For more, check out my old(er) portfolio website here: Chad’s Portfolio

My current research interests revolve around experimental games including physical games, local multiplayer games, and public/street games, with the intention of redefining the boundaries of where, how and with whom we play.

Some research publications:

• Chatham, A., Mueller, F., Bernhaupt, R., Khot, R., Pijnappel, S., Toprak, C., Deen, M., Schouten, B. Game Jam. CHI 2013. Workshop (organizing). 3 pages.
• Toprak, C., Platt, J., Mueller, F. 2012. Bubble Popper: Considering Body Contact in Games. Fun and Games 2012. Short paper. 4 pages.
• Toprak, C., Platt, J., Mueller, F. 2012. Designing Digital Games for Public Transport. Fun and Games 2012. Work in Progress. 3 pages.
• Huggard, A., De Mel, A., Garner, J., Toprak, C., Chatham, A., Mueller, F. 2012. Musical Embrace: Using Social Awkwardness as a Game Ingredient. Fun and Games 2012. Student Game Design Competition. 5 pages.
• Mueller, F., Toprak, C., Graether, E., Walmink, W., Bongers, B.,  van de Hoven, E. 2012. Hanging off a Bar. CHI 2012. Interactivity. 4 pages.
• Mueller, F., Wilde, D., Toprak, C., Graether, E., Berthouze, N. 2012. Future User Research for Exertion Games. CHI 2012. Workshop User Research in Games. 4 pages.

Also some more research stuff at: exertiongameslab.org

Here are some ways you can get in contact with me.

 Email
 Twitter
 LinkedIn
 Google+
 Tumblr