About Me

Thanks for visiting my portfolio, i’m Joe Kinglake a passionate Design Director at Surgent Studios. I have many years experience making games as a designer at companies like Sony, Sumo Digital & more and absolutely love this industry.

I just really want to make something people love and that I can be proud of. I love playing games that make me stay up far too late, I can’t thinking about, and give me the itch to design. Hopefully the games I make let others feel that way too!

Beyond just making video games, I am a passionate advocate for accessibility, actively working to improve industry standards and currently writing a book on the subject.

I am also a public speaker, game jammer, photographer and indie developer, constantly trying to learn and grow as a designer. I have a passion for the environment and until recently also ran an award winning brick and mortar store with my wife.

My leadership philosophy is rooted in collaboration, innovation, and a dedication to creating games with deep quality gameplay that are both engaging and inclusive. I also make a mean lasagna!


Media

KILLZINE FAN ZINE – INTERVIEW
ARTICLE – JUNE 2024

SAFE IN OUR WORLD – ACCESSIBILITY INTERVIEW
ARTICLE – MARCH 2024
MCV/DEVELOP – LEVELLING UP INTERVIEW
ARTICLE – JUNE 2022
Side Quest – Creative Game Design
Twitch Lecture – May 2020
Sumo Digital – Ahead Partnership
Workshop as a part of Sumo Digital – October 2019
Interactive Futures – Game Design & Creativity as a Practical Skill
Lecture – January 2019
Codemotion Milan – Game Design & Creativity as a Practical Skill
Lecture – November 2018
Meetup – Wilmslow Game Development Meetup Group
Meetup group I established – 2017-2019
Global Game Jam – Game Jams & Your Career
Lecture – January 2018
Game Anglia – Global Game Jam 2018 coverage
Article – January 2018
Game Wisdom – How to Find Inspiration Designing Video Games
Podcast Guest – March 2018
Develop Magazine – Where are they now? Brains Eden feature
Article – June 2015
Eurogamer – The Walking Dead Game Jam chooses a winner
Article – January 2013
Skybound – The Walking Dead Game Jam pick
Article – January 2013