“Making games isn’t an impenetrable field for a select few,” says lecturer Adam Clewes-Boyne

Indie Game Development MA (Online) lecturer Adam Clewes-Boyne went from not knowing that a career in games was possible to setting up his own studio, before passing on his skills to the next generation of game developers. Along the way, he was diagnosed with ADHD and went on to found a community group to help his peers.

We caught up with Adam to find out more about his career, what inspires him, and the titles he’s currently enjoying.

What games did you play growing up? When did you know you wanted to make them yourself?

I grew up as a massive fan of video games. My dad bought us a PS1, and I remember playing Crash Bandicoot and Spyro with a printed-off guidebook. I've been playing constantly ever since, with some standouts including Age of Empires 1-3, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, Red Faction 2, Need for Speed: Underground 2, and many others.

In terms of knowing when I wanted to make games, it wasn’t until I went to university that I even realised it was an option. Having grown up playing games, I assumed only the best of the best would get the chance to work in the industry—that it was some impenetrable field reserved for a select few. I went through Clearing to study Computer Science at the University of Hull, where Game Development was an option, though I hadn’t initially chosen it. For my first coursework, I was given the choice between creating a flat business application or making a game, so I opted for the latter. In doing so, I realised that making games was much more accessible than I had ever imagined, and the rest is history!

You started the games development company BetaJester—did you always have your eyes on starting your own business?

Starting a company only really became an option during university. I had formed a consistent game jam team, and we saw a few people graduate in the years before us and go on to form studios. Ultimately, we knew we wanted to make our own games, and we had a choice of going into the industry first and maybe forming a studio in future years, or trying straight away. We knew that we’d either fail (and learn from this experience) or succeed and get a head start—so we decided to give it a go!

We’ve worked on some really cool projects, including working for Ubisoft and Soul Assembly on Just Dance VR, realising Aerial Knight’s We Never Yield, and working on the input for Wildfrost.

Did you always know you had ADHD? Tell us about the community group you set up, Playing Attention.

The real answer is no, but the strange answer is kind of? A close family friend was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age (although I only knew him from the age of 11), and collectively, we saw some similarities between us. However, because I wasn’t struggling in the same way he had been, a diagnosis was not pursued, as that seemed to be the deciding factor in whether it was relevant.

It was only when I was 27 that I learnt the full implications of ADHD and how it was impacting my life, and I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 29. When I was diagnosed, I asked my friends in the games industry where I should go to find resources for ADHD professionals in gaming. To my surprise, there was no central hub, no resource bank, and no leading advocates. This led me to set up Playing Attention (www.adhdingames.com)—a landing point for people in the industry trying to learn more about ADHD and how it affects them.

When it comes to making games, ADHD can be a great asset. People with ADHD are often highly creative and innovative, seeing things in a different light to the average person. They can create amazing experiences because they think of new ways to tackle problems or build great tools because they’re trying to make their own lives easier.

How have you found becoming a lecturer at Falmouth?

Since graduating, I’ve always tried to pass on my knowledge to aspiring game creators. I’ve given talks at various events, including Develop and the Game Developers Conference (GDC), been a mentor on multiple schemes (including Limit Break), and built communities around bringing people into the games industry.

When the chance came up to directly teach students about making games and starting studios, I leapt at the opportunity. It has been wonderful to work with people from so many different backgrounds and experience levels, and to see so many interesting and unique game ideas in such a short space of time. I’m excited to see what the students come up with next!

What mindset or skill do you wish you knew when you were starting out in gaming?

For me, a fundamental skill is breaking down what you do to its basics and building up from there. Many things you see are the result of a number of decisions and assumptions that you never made—or if you did, it might be time to unmake them. So go back, look at the fundamentals, learn the basics, and use that knowledge to make informed decisions about the present.

What games are you loving at the moment?

I’m currently playing through The Witcher 3 for the first time, and it offers many great lessons on how to build epic games. However, my favourite trend at the moment is the success of several small, focused, and well-executed indie games.

I spend a lot of time analysing titles like Vampire Survivors and Balatro, because if they can break into the mainstream with accessible design and development, then so could anyone!

Find out more about our Indie Game Development MA (Online) course

 

External links

BetaJester website

Playing Attention