Thomas Brookshaw

I've had the pleasure of mentoring Thomas during the 2025/26 academic year on the Game Design and Production degree at the University of Staffordshire, and in that time he has impressed me with his creativity and determination.

He is currently on track for a First Class (Hons), which reflects the level of thought, effort, and ambition he brings to his projects. He has a genuine passion for design; not just games, but film, storytelling, and user interfaces. His portfolio demonstrates his range in both technical development and leadership.

He led and produced 'Cliffhangers', a multiplayer party platformer developed by a team of 28 - a significant organisational and communication challenge!

On the design side, his two iterations of 'Companion Game' explore realtime companion Al and command design with analytical depth. Projects like 'The Swordsman', a VR spellcasting roguelike with inventive broadsword movement controls, and 'Station X', a narrative-driven horror walking sim, highlight his strength in gameplay innovation and environmental storytelling. Even in smaller-scale concepts like Slimes, his turn-based strategy platformer, you can see careful systems thinking and player-focused design.

Thomas stands out for his enthusiasm and work ethic. He is organised, communicates clearly, and approaches team leadership with a solutions-focused mindset. He actively seeks feedback and uses it to refine his ideas, which will take him a long way!

Thomas is a driven, thoughtful technical designer and developer with a bright future in the industry.

I'm excited to see where his passion and skills take him next!