Amanda the Adventurer 2

(Design Philosophy Video for the XPSummit 2023)

Project Management

Project Management

On Amanda the Adventurer 2, my role as Project Manager focused on creating clarity and alignment across the entire team. Early in development, we had to define clear production goals while balancing creative ambitions with the practical realities of scope and deadlines. I worked to ensure each department—design, art, and programming—had a shared understanding of priorities, using production schedules and milestone tracking to keep everything moving smoothly.

A big part of this role was communication. I maintained documentation and design records so everyone stayed aligned even as the game evolved. I also coordinated directly with the publisher, aligning our deliverables with their expectations and ensuring feedback was integrated without derailing progress. Acting as that connective tissue across all parties allowed the team to stay focused and productive while still fostering creative freedom.

The result was a production environment where every team member could take ownership of their work. By encouraging open communication and organizing cross-disciplinary collaboration, we were able to deliver a cohesive, polished game that everyone felt proud to have contributed to.

Agile Development

Agile

For Amanda the Adventurer 2, I relied heavily on agile practices to keep the team flexible and adaptive. We structured our work around short sprints, daily stand-ups, and regular retrospectives, which helped surface issues early and allowed the team to pivot quickly when priorities shifted. Agile wasn’t just a process—it was how we maintained momentum and avoided bottlenecks as new gameplay ideas emerged.

My focus was on turning big-picture design goals into practical, achievable tasks. I worked with designers and artists to break down complex systems into smaller milestones that could be iterated on and tested regularly. This helped keep the project’s creative vision intact while avoiding crunch and allowing time for refinement.

This iterative, adaptive approach made it possible for us to integrate new ideas—like puzzle revisions and mechanic tweaks—without losing sight of our deadlines. Agile practices kept the team aligned and empowered, ensuring the game came together as a polished and cohesive experience.