Gary "Leo" Criswell — Mastery Journal

About Me

Greetings to all of you! My name is Gary Criswell, though those who truly know me call me by Leo. I’m originally from Kentucky, but have been all over the country even before I was in the NAVY for eight years. I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in game development in August and am now pursuing a Master’s degree in Game Design with a hope to focus – No, a determination to focus in the Indie Development side of things. I am a father of 3 wonderful children, 6 fur babies, and a husband to my fantastic wife (seen in the picture on the left) of 14 years (15 this year, come November). I currently own a game studio that was made with my friends made here at Full Sail with full intentions on making it into a success. Make sure to keep an eye out for our debut, Midnight Forge Studios!

Intention Statement : I Will Succeed

This journey that I have embarked on will transcend the 12 months of this degree. I will continue to grow and learn as a game designer, developer, and as a person. The skills I learn here will be the foundation of my future. Design techniques, communication skills, and leadership abilities will be the tools I use to build my future. Distractions will be dismissed, and I will focus on what matters most. I have much in front of me that I want to accomplish, and with the help of my mentors, peers, and family, I will succeed.

Along with my friends, we have made it through the trials and courses of our Bachelor's degree, and now we are ready to take on the world of game development. We have a studio, a plan, and the drive to make it happen. We continue to make ourselves better, and we will not stop until we reach our goals. We are pursuing our Master's degrees to further our knowledge and skills, and we will use that to make our studio a success. We are at the beginning of something great, and I am excited to see where this journey takes us. We will succeed.

I want to help others succeed as well. I want to be a mentor, a guide, and a friend to those who are on the same path as me. I want to share my knowledge and experience with others, and help them achieve their goals. I want to grow my business to the point where I can give others the opportunity to succeed as well. I want to create a community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about game development and who want to make a difference in the world. This will be our ultimate goal, and I will not stop until we reach it. Together, everyone will succeed.

Mastery Journey Timeline

Overarching Career Goal: Building An Empire

Everything must start from somewhere and building an empire that is vast and great does not happen easily. Rome was not built in a day, but over decades of hard work and dedication. My goal is to build something that will outlive me and become a legacy for those who come after. Within five years, I will have my own game development studio that will push the boundaries of games and life as we know it. We will build a stockpile of wealth that we will be able to use to distribute among others who wish to create so that they may do so freely. Within ten years, that studio will grow to multiple that will act as mentors and guides through the jungles of game development rather than being gatekeepers to those who try to enter the field.

Goal Upon Graduation: Build The Table

Alexander the Great is an inspiration to me, he had his knights of the roundtable and a kingdom who adored him. It is my goal upon graduation to have my own roundtable built. A group of like-minded individuals who not only elevate themselves but those around them. A group that I can trust and begin building the empire with. This start will look like an indie company, with our first game out and polished for players. A strong foundation will allow for better growth in the future.

Step 1: Cut Down The Tree

This part has already begun, it is the hard work that needs to be done in order to achieve your goals. The late nights studying or building of projects. The part time or full time job that drains your energy. Gain the knowledge that you require for the future so that you are able to push forward. Steel yourself to working hard and take the first step towards doing it. That is what I am doing, and what I must do.

Step 2: Start Shaping The Stump

A portfolio is more than just a catalog of your past projects. It shows your trials, your efforts, and the journey that you have taken to get where you are. It shows how well you learn, and how you can take those learnings and turn them into a honed skill. I must make a portfolio that is worthy of myself and those who come after. A portfolio that I can show others that I have come from less and have built myself to more and that they too can do that.

Step 3: Finish The Table

Before I am able to invite people to it, I must first finish the table. Cutting the wood, sanding it down, building the chairs, and ensuring that there is enough room for everyone. If I don’t have that, then I am not fulfilling my purpose. This takes the form of creating the space for those who would join me. The company (Midnight Forge Studios or Shattered Realms Studios) along with discords and websites that can show the world what we are capable of is the next step along the way.

Step 4: Fill The Table

Along the way there will be those who deserve to sit at the table, and those who don’t, this is a fact of life. For those who would build others up, and see us all succeed, that is who the table is for, while casting aside those who would do nothing but break us down. For this, I must network. Find the ones who would be willing and able to sit at the table and evaluate whether or not to let them. Though this process may begin before even step 1, it is an ongoing process even when the table is filled.

Step 5: Build Together

When the table is filled with enough to begin, we begin creating something together to push onward. We must ensure that what we are doing is going to benefit everyone and not just the one. Help each other through their trials and tribulations in order to all come together and complete the work. This is the most crucial step as it will show the cracks and kinks in our plan and armor. Once we have built something together, we will be able to nurture it and watch it grow.

Step 6: Only Fools Fight Alone

This has been my family’s creed and crest. I will stand by it for the entirety of my life and will teach it to my children and their children until I am unable to continue. It is not stating that you are fighting someone, it is stating that regardless of what you are going through, no one should have to do it alone. And it is at this step that the building of the empire truly begins. We reach out, helping others begin to build their own tables and help them grow to build their own empires. I do not only do this degree and this business for myself, but for those who come after. Because after all, Only Fools Fight Alone.

Branching Out

Throughout my time here at Full Sail University, I have been given many opportunities to meet and network with other individuals. I had many group projects in my bachelor’s degree program that afforded me the chance to talk and collaborate with others in my degree. Hall of Fame week is a massive block party where there are hundreds of people that come out, and many different companies that also have their people come to scout talent. Job fairs, both virtual and not, networking events and mixers. All of these are opportunities to extend that network of influence and partnerships and find people who you can help fill your table with. Using sites like Linkedin, Facebook, or others for networking is not for myself, but I am not ignorant to the ability that they provide to helping me in my endeavors. I will attempt to do better about keeping up with them and expanding not only my social network, but my career one as well.

Plant The Seed

This is not just a guide for me, but a blueprint for those who would come after. We do not plant trees for ourselves, but so that those who come later can enjoy its shade and eat its fruit. In his book, Greene (2012) says “The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.” (p. 63) Along with that he states, “The mentor-protégé relationship is the most efficient and productive form of learning.” (p. 94) To me this rings true. The future will not be built by following the same path those before us had laid, but to find our own path, and by helping and mentoring those who come after, we afford them the ability to build that path for themselves. Only Fools Fight Alone, and my table and I will ensure that no one is a fool.

References

Robert Greene (2012). Mastery, Viking Penguin

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Inspiration Strikes 2025-09-12 : A Song of Silk

It has been a week since Hollow Knight: Silksong was released, and it has turned the world of game development upside down. The game is a masterclass in design, art, and music and rivals what many AAA studios have put out. All while being supremely priced at only $20. The game has been under scrutiny for being so good, while charging so little. It is what happens when you have a team of passionate developers who care about their craft and their community. They see what it takes to produce a quality product, and they want to share that with as many people as possible. They are not in it for the money, but for the love of the game.

Both AAA studios and Indie developers alike should take note of what Team Cherry has accomplished with this game. It is a shining example of what can be done when you have a clear vision, a dedicated team, and a passion for the craft. I am inspired by what they have done, and I will strive to reach that level of excellence in my own work. Thank you, Team Cherry, for showing us what is possible when we put our hearts and souls into our work.

*Image used is property of Team Cherry and is used here for educational purposes only.*

Reference:
Fichier:hollow knight Silksong Logo.png — wikipédia. Wikipedia. (n.d.). Link

Inspiration Strikes 2025-09-20 : My Team

This week, I wanted to take the time and say what an inspiration my own team has been to me. We started out together in our Bachelor's program and have since moved on to our Master's together as well. They started as acquaintances, but have since become friends and family. We have been through a lot together, and I am grateful for each and every one of them. We all push each other to be better, and we hold each other accountable. We are a team in every sense of the word, and I am proud to be a part of it. I want to tell you all that you should find yourself a team that you can rely on. A team that will push you to be better, and that will hold you accountable. A team that will be there for you through thick and thin. It is not easy to find such a team, but when you do, hold on to them. They will be the ones that will help you reach your goals, and they will be the ones that will celebrate your successes with you.

Andy - You and I have been through a lot together, you are a true friend and brother to me. I am grateful for your support and your friendship. You have been there for me through thick and thin, and I am proud to call you my friend. You're a helluva UI/UX designer, and I can't wait to see what we will create next brother.

Thomas - If hardwork and dedication were a person, it would be you. You are always pushing yourself to be better, and you never give up. I am inspired by your work ethic and your determination. You are a true asset to our team, and I am grateful to have you as a friend. From being a father, a husband, and having a fulltime job, you do not take the easy path my friend, and for that you have my respect and admiration.

Korbin - Animation is not an easy task, but you make it look effortless. Your talent and creativity are unmatched, and I am in awe of your work. You are a true artist, and I am grateful to have you on our team. Your passion for what you do is contagious, and it inspires me to be better. Keep up the great work my friend.

Each and everyone of you are an inspiration to me, and I am grateful to have you on my team. Together, we will achieve great things, and I am excited to see what the future holds for us. Thank you for being a part of my journey, and I look forward to many more adventures together. For those who come after: Find your team, grow together, and succeed together. Only Fools Fight Alone.

Leaf Cutter: A Post Mortem

Introduction

Leaf Cutter follows the adventures of Antonia, the main character of the game as she makes her way through dangerous enemy bug territories in order to gather resources to help protect her home nest. It has elements of a roguelite extraction game loop that brings excitement and risk versus reward when choosing whether to delve deeper into an enemy nest, or to take what you have and leave.

The game itself is being developed in Unreal Engine 5.7, utilizing tools such as Blender, Maya, and ZBrush to produce art for the game. Visual studio code, along with visual scripting in engine have both been used to ensure that the game can run as smoothly as possible.

This month has been a test in leadership, skillsets, but most importantly, communication. There are a lot of smart and creative individuals on this team, and if the stars align just right, this game could be something worth remembering.

Successes and Pros

In just this short month, this game has seen great success in the progression of its systems, enemy mechanics, UI/UX features, and audio. It has gotten a nice solid base to work from and we have iterated quickly to find what does and doesn't work. Ideas flow freely among the team, and this can come with a lot of good meshing and melding of ideas. With the amount of man power that the project has, and the skillsets that have been put to use, the project has come from placeholders to high fidelity in record speeds. With the low scope and high skill of the individuals working on it, it can be something that is not only playable, but scalable on a developmental and narrative level to ensure more content could be added in the future.

Challenges and Cons

If I were to put it in a phrase, I would say that the biggest con of this month was a lack of attention to detail. And this goes from the very top to the bottom. The lack of direction of a Game Design Document (GDD) makes it difficult to look for "truth" when trying to come up with systems and mechanics. And with the free flowing of ideas, it can come with a lot of great meshing moments, but just as often it will lead to a difference in ideals and creative mindsets which can cause friction when someone feels their ideas are not good enough or won't be implemented.

There had been multiple times where work was overwritten on others because someone could not follow the clearly referenced out directions on how to work with the revision control. It was an expectation that those not only within the Masters Degree program, but those that have been in projects before as students in either a Bachelor or otherwise, to have had some introduction to revision control. This was not the case. We had to spend hours teaching, and reteaching individuals on how to push or pull, only to have to remind them when someone messed it up.

To make matters worse, there was descent amongst the ranks after a couple of weeks, in which an individual after being asked for work, lashed out with threats of both academic and physical nature. This caused a ripple effect throughout the team, but ultimately it seemed to have gotten resolved.

Reflections and Conclusion

The game is good. The team has a really good skillset amongst us. And I think with those combined with the scope and timeframe we have we can produce something that can be truly amazing. I have already made leaps and bounds in my ability to create AI that feel intuitive and challenging while ensuring to put the player first in all regards. It is interesting to watch the team interact and see the dynamics of everything as more of a background player rather than a leader. It also feels nice to live on my island of AI and not have to worry about the other systems in which they interact. I simply need to make interesting enemies and everyone else does the rest. It is actually quite refreshing, and can see why some people could be swayed to the AAA direction by the sense of ownership of a system. The game has a ways to go, but I think it is a great testament to what we can do as a group.