Embedded Files
Here is a feature of my best-written pieces.
Browse to your heart's content, and explore the development of skills, knowledge, and understanding.
Philosophy
Philosophy
The Evocative Nature of Marxism — A Hauntological Argument
The Evocative Nature of Marxism — A Hauntological Argument
"Essentially, these hauntings provide a means of retrospection, considerations of impossible and possible futures, the results of past actions we made, and the paths we did not take. But more importantly, draw out our consciousness. These ghosts of our past, our future, and our present, are what haunt us and exist outside of the constraints of time."
"Essentially, these hauntings provide a means of retrospection, considerations of impossible and possible futures, the results of past actions we made, and the paths we did not take. But more importantly, draw out our consciousness. These ghosts of our past, our future, and our present, are what haunt us and exist outside of the constraints of time."
This essay is the culmination of my years at University. It explores the philosophical concept of Marxism and, by extension, the lingering historical, socioeconomic, and political impact of Communism through the lens of Hauntology—a study of phantasms, ghosts, and spectres that presupposes that the present is always "haunted" by the past.
Hauntology inspires the visual arts, philosophy, music, literature, fictional works including films and even video games, but most importantly, politics and economics. This essay examined several ways in which the capitalist superstructures of the modern era are haunted by Marxist and Communist ideologies and fears. As well as exploring how people remain infatuated by both principles.
The essay can be found to the right.
The Evocative Nature of Marxism - A Hauntological Argument.pdfGame Criticism
Game Criticism
Mouthwashing Mini Review
Mouthwashing Mini Review
"Mouthwashing is an emotional journey, and one that will leave you thinking about it long after the game is over. There is no great eldritch horror that must be defeated, an alien threat that must be dealt with, or a secret of the universe best left undiscovered. The only horror in Mouthwashing is human. And that might just be the scariest thing there is."
"Mouthwashing is an emotional journey, and one that will leave you thinking about it long after the game is over. There is no great eldritch horror that must be defeated, an alien threat that must be dealt with, or a secret of the universe best left undiscovered. The only horror in Mouthwashing is human. And that might just be the scariest thing there is."
Mouthwashing Mini-Review.pdfThis short, one-page, spoiler-less mini-review of the 2024 video game that quickly rose to fame, Mouthwashing, marked the start of my journey into writing about video games.
It not only helped me to secure a position at Checkpoint Gaming, an Australian video game radio station and news outlet, but also helped to solidify a new career trajectory towards writing about games, and hopefully one day for games.
This mini-review can be found to the left.
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land Review
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land Review
"...an undoubtedly fun, charming, and riveting entry into a well-established franchise. With a sprawling open world to explore, a variety of interesting ideas and themes, an extraordinary story, charming characters, and a completely overhauled synthesis system, Atelier Yumia is a great starting point for newcomers, and a welcomed addition to a much-loved franchise by fans."
"...an undoubtedly fun, charming, and riveting entry into a well-established franchise. With a sprawling open world to explore, a variety of interesting ideas and themes, an extraordinary story, charming characters, and a completely overhauled synthesis system, Atelier Yumia is a great starting point for newcomers, and a welcomed addition to a much-loved franchise by fans."
Goodnight Universe Review
Goodnight Universe Review
"Goodnight Universe never fails in weaving between moments of beauty and poetic sadness, ebbing and flowing between the two sensations, just like a child flows between states of happiness and sadness. In the story’s lighter moments, it flawlessly lands its jokes while also treating its more intense sections with reverence and gravity. The game is incredibly well written, and there are so many profoundly tear-jerking moments of poetic prose that I couldn’t help but be moved and inspired."
"Goodnight Universe never fails in weaving between moments of beauty and poetic sadness, ebbing and flowing between the two sensations, just like a child flows between states of happiness and sadness. In the story’s lighter moments, it flawlessly lands its jokes while also treating its more intense sections with reverence and gravity. The game is incredibly well written, and there are so many profoundly tear-jerking moments of poetic prose that I couldn’t help but be moved and inspired."
Luto Review
Luto Review
"Despite being a story about death, Luto has more on its mind than presenting melodrama. It’s incredibly unique, fantastic to look at, highly atmospheric, and poetically beautiful. Devoted to those who are no longer with us, and hoping to make a change in the world by humanising the struggles of living with mental illness, Luto stands as one of the most powerful games of the year."
"Despite being a story about death, Luto has more on its mind than presenting melodrama. It’s incredibly unique, fantastic to look at, highly atmospheric, and poetically beautiful. Devoted to those who are no longer with us, and hoping to make a change in the world by humanising the struggles of living with mental illness, Luto stands as one of the most powerful games of the year."
Features, Interviews and News Reports
Features, Interviews and News Reports
Doing it all over again in The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC
Doing it all over again in The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC
"The Last of Us Part II is by far one of my favourite games of all time... that same praise should not be sung for The Last of Us Part II Remastered for PC. And whilst I am hopeful that patches and fixes will rectify many of the issues present — and the many I am sure are to be reported that I never experienced — I am still all the more disappointed and dissatisfied to see how The Last of Us Part II has fallen prey to Sony’s poor track record as of late when it comes to PC ports. "
"The Last of Us Part II is by far one of my favourite games of all time... that same praise should not be sung for The Last of Us Part II Remastered for PC. And whilst I am hopeful that patches and fixes will rectify many of the issues present — and the many I am sure are to be reported that I never experienced — I am still all the more disappointed and dissatisfied to see how The Last of Us Part II has fallen prey to Sony’s poor track record as of late when it comes to PC ports. "
We chat with Josh Sawyer from Obsidian about world-building and finding his footing
We chat with Josh Sawyer from Obsidian about world-building and finding his footing
"They say you should never meet your heroes, unless they are Josh Sawyer. Luckily, one of PAX Aus 2025‘s biggest guests this year was none other than the studio design director of Obsidian Entertainment himself! Known for his work on games like Fallout: New Vegas, the Pillars of Eternity series, and my personal favourite, Pentiment."
"They say you should never meet your heroes, unless they are Josh Sawyer. Luckily, one of PAX Aus 2025‘s biggest guests this year was none other than the studio design director of Obsidian Entertainment himself! Known for his work on games like Fallout: New Vegas, the Pillars of Eternity series, and my personal favourite, Pentiment."
Warhammer Survivors is the grimdark Vampire Survivors we always needed.
Warhammer Survivors is the grimdark Vampire Survivors we always needed.
"Warhammer Survivors aims to blend the genre’s chaotic gameplay with the beloved grimdark setting of the Warhammer universe. Here, you can play as the mighty Space Marines, the members of the Stormcast, or even the Duardin Slayers, and rip and tear through hordes of enemies. And as you face off against relentless Tyranids, warp-afflicted abominations, or Skaven, you earn experience points and gain new weapons and power-ups straight from the armouries of the far future of the Imperium of Man and the fantastical Mortal Realms."
"Warhammer Survivors aims to blend the genre’s chaotic gameplay with the beloved grimdark setting of the Warhammer universe. Here, you can play as the mighty Space Marines, the members of the Stormcast, or even the Duardin Slayers, and rip and tear through hordes of enemies. And as you face off against relentless Tyranids, warp-afflicted abominations, or Skaven, you earn experience points and gain new weapons and power-ups straight from the armouries of the far future of the Imperium of Man and the fantastical Mortal Realms."
2025 Australian Game Developer Awards finalists announced
2025 Australian Game Developer Awards finalists announced
"The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) has announced the finalists for the 2025 Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs). A national event that celebrates the creativity, innovation, achievements, and talent of the Australian game development community across 12 categories, including Game of the Year. Dominating this year’s AGDAs finalists is none other than The Drifter, which has been nominated across six categories."
"The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) has announced the finalists for the 2025 Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs). A national event that celebrates the creativity, innovation, achievements, and talent of the Australian game development community across 12 categories, including Game of the Year. Dominating this year’s AGDAs finalists is none other than The Drifter, which has been nominated across six categories."
Radio and Podcasts
Radio and Podcasts
Checkpoint Gaming on Joy 94.9
Checkpoint Gaming on Joy 94.9
Fiction
Fiction
Horror
Horror
Bodies in the Static
Bodies in the Static
This is an original creative work that uses the process of ekphrasis, using a visual image as a literary device.
This piece of micro-fiction is titled Bodies in the Static, and it is about a ritual gone awry.
Bodies in the Static is told through the second-person perspective and mimics the way dialogue is presented in video games, particularly the visual novel genre.
A brief snippet of the short-story can be found in the images to the right.
Mariticide
Mariticide
This is an original creative work of flash fiction titled Mariticide.
Mariticide is the story of a woman who brutally kills her cheating husband. Written to appeal to readers who enjoy literary horror and who aren’t afraid of living in the discomfort of gore. It's a text that doesn't utilise gore to make the reader horrified, but encourages them to think about what they are reading and question whether the violence is justified.
As a writer, horror is my bread and butter, so Mariticide came about when I reexamined the conventions of horror across literary works from the 19th to the 21st century.
Early ideas included psychological and folk horror, but over time, I found myself being drawn towards the idea of writing something in the body horror subgenre. I had no desire to manifest the same levels of grotesque violence that can be found in more extreme body horror movements like splatterpunk, but I wanted to tell a story where the violence feels organic and earned, a response because the person enacting it is left with no other option. In a sense, I wanted to write something where the body horror is used to raise the question. Can violence ever be justified?
The entirety of the story can be located to the left.
Entombed
Entombed
This is an original creative work titled Entombed.
Entombed is a short epistolary horror story about an unnamed archaeologist's final voyage into an Egyptian tomb. Told through journal entries, it explores the gradual descent into insanity caused by the unknown and unexplainable.
Entombed is set in 1902, and is written from the perspective of an archaeologist as he and his crew traverse the labyrinthine halls of a tomb that has never been stepped forth in by man. Running low on supplies and hunted by something that lurks within the ravenous darkness, Entombed presents a first-person perspective of how darkness alters the mind and how it can drive a man to madness.
In addition to the written word, Entombed features several sketches and maps canon to the story to create a sense of realism. The reader is meant to feel as if they’ve stumbled on the same path as the writer, and are reading the last entries of a man whose fate may soon be their own.
It is inspired by films such as As Above, So Below and video games such as Amnesia: The Bunker.
A small snippet of the 3,000-word manuscript can be located to the right.
Copywriting
Copywriting
Travel Agencies
Travel Agencies
Flight Centre Mock Up
Flight Centre Mock Up
The final results of an assessment task that required us to replicate the visual style and the language used by a popular travel agency for a destination of our choosing.
For this task, we had to create structured copy for the purpose of increasing tourism to the travel destination, using the written word and visuals to persuade the target audience. It also requested that we identify the target market, establish our client's core purpose, research our audience and recognise their behavioural and psychographic motivations and mannerisms. In addition to identifying selling points, delivering measurable goals, and considering language, voice, tone, and the layout of the copy.
For this assessment task, my copy centred around persuading the target audience to visit Tokyo, Japan, by booking a package deal through Flight Centre.
The task also requested the development and maintenance of a near-industry-standard copy planner. As well as visual mockups for how the advertisement will look on Facebook, and a deep understanding of brand voice and tone.
You can find the copy planner directly to the right, and below, the final image and a mockup of the Facebook advertisement as it would be seen on mobile devices.
Customer Emails
Customer Emails
Sweet Sticks Email Marketing Campaign
Sweet Sticks Email Marketing Campaign
Another assessment task that required us to take a real business and create pieces of copy for them that either sold a business's story, persuaded a client, or a script to demonstrate a brand and product. This is a piece of persuasive copy for the cake-decorating business, Sweet Sticks, asking someone who has recently bought one of their items to give the business a review.
The task required that we consider things such as the purpose, scheduling and budgetary concerns, audience, language, voice and tone, as well as identify legal and ethical constraints that would impact the development of the copy.
About Us Page
About Us Page
Scrub Daddy About Us Page
Scrub Daddy About Us Page
Another assessment task that required us to take a real business and create pieces of copy for them that either sold a business's story, persuaded a client, or a script to demonstrate a brand and product. This is a piece of copy designed to sell the story of a business through the form of an about us page. The client I chose was the cleaning supplies business, Scrub Daddy, updating their story for a modern audience, and telling it in less than 500 words.
The task required that we consider things such as the purpose, scheduling and budgetary concerns, audience, language, voice and tone, as well as identify legal and ethical constraints that would impact the development of the copy.
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