Ankit Patel

Role: Gameplay Programmer

I am currently doing Masters of Entertainment Technology at the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC), Carnegie Mellon University. I have 3+ years of professional experience as a Game Developer and I am proficient in cross platform mobile games and applications development on iOS, Android and Web platforms.

My work in games began with programming in 6502 assembly for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in a highly constrained environment with 2K RAM, 8K for programming and 8K for graphics. This was a MacArthur Foundation funded project to create new games (and a development kit) for a $10 computer that is widely sold in developing countries. I worked with a team in India (and an international open source community) to create innovative educational games for underserved children in rural areas. We distributed $10 computers with our preloaded games and conducted field trials in Ahmedabad, India. One of the most interesting experiences during this field study was to understand which aspects of our games engaged our young clients and how we could improve their experience. I have learned to contribute in multifunctional teams consisting of designers, co-developers, fellow-researchers and testers.

Since 2012, I’ve worked as a Lead Game Developer at Playpower. Most of my time at Playpower has been spent creating games for building core math skills that provide a foundation for success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). I have worked extensively on dozens of games on multiple platforms over 3 years and I have developed phenomenal ability to manage and lead multiple development projects at a time. I don’t just believe that fun aids learning—i believe learning is fun. My interests include thrilling sports, travelling and cooking food.