Hi, I'm Dimitris Georgantis

I am a self-taught independent game developer with a passion for immersive storytelling and engaging gameplay — best demonstrated by my solo creation of THIEF'S SHELTER, a 3D narrative adventure released for PC and it's coming to consoles too.I have hands-on experience in level & puzzle design, environment layout, narrative-driven game structure, build pipelines, QA testing, and cross-functional coordination (art, audio, localization, marketing).Working mostly solo taught me discipline, versatility and the ability to deliver polished game builds from concept to release. I’m comfortable with engines like Unity (and familiar with Unreal) and tools such as version control, build management, and scene/timeline sequencing.🏆 Winner of the CD Projekt RED Animation Contest for REDkit (1st place)

Key Contributions for Thief's ShelterGame Design: Level design, puzzle design, narrative integration, pacingArt & Technical: Lighting, scene composition, mood design, Unity + Kronnect Lighting and Reflection AssetDirection: Voice acting, music composition, marketing art collaborationProduction: Team leadership, scheduling, asset integration, QA/testing

Beyond directing music composers and voice actors, I personally built the game’s levels, implemented its lighting and mood, and refined its pacing and puzzle design inside Unity. The result is a cohesive, cinematic experience crafted from both creative direction and hands-on artistry.

1. Project Leadership & CollaborationAs the creative lead of Thief’s Shelter, I guided a multidisciplinary team of over ten collaborators — from programmers and artists to voice actors and composers — ensuring a unified vision across every discipline. My leadership philosophy centered on clarity, trust, and open creative dialogue. Every contributor understood the emotional intent and design purpose behind their work, yet final creative decisions always circled back to a shared goal: preserving the integrity of the experience.When technical or artistic challenges arose, I coordinated closely with my lead programmer, who provided detailed reports and solutions that allowed us to maintain both momentum and quality. Rather than altering the project’s core scope, I strategically expanded or polished certain systems to reinforce immersion and narrative coherence. This balance between adaptability and focus defined our workflow — efficient communication through shared documentation, direct calls, and iterative feedback cycles ensured that creativity never lost direction.

2. Technical & Tool MasteryMy technical approach to Thief’s Shelter relied on using Unity’s capabilities to their fullest, augmented by Kronnect’s tools for global illumination and real-time reflections. The Mansion — the game’s central setting — was designed as a living, breathing entity whose lighting shifts subtly mirrored the player’s emotional progression. A warm, nostalgic glow contrasted against cold, blue fog in the distance, producing both comfort and unease. Even in darkness, the environment was never truly black; faint illumination guided the eye toward key discoveries, blending aesthetic intention with practical design.

Beyond environmental work, I’m proficient across animation and cinematic workflows in Blender, Cascadeur, Unity, and Unreal Engine. My animation reel showcases facial rigging and animations, body motion, and timing refinement on the sequencer/timeline that emphasize anticipation and emotional weight — translating animation principles into tangible game feel.
From an integration standpoint, I employ a rigorous asset pipeline: precise prefab management, real-time lighting validation, and continuous build testing outside the editor. This ensures reliability and visual consistency across all iterations, with every build serving as a benchmark for polish.

3. Design & Narrative IntegrationMy design philosophy revolves around merging storytelling, atmosphere, and interactivity into a seamless whole. In Thief’s Shelter, even distant events shape the narrative — players witness off-screen developments like the police investigation unfolding through transmissions and journal updates, allowing the world to feel larger than their immediate perspective. These layered details build tension, reinforcing the player’s role as both participant and observer within a living system of corruption and mystery.

The game’s pacing gives players control over their tempo. Newcomers can follow a straightforward objective log, while experienced players uncover hidden paths, optional lore, and alternate endings through exploration. Tutorials teach core systems organically, allowing curiosity to become a form of storytelling itself. Feedback gathered through structured player questionnaires guided refinement of pacing, tutorials, and puzzle clarity, ensuring both accessibility and replay value without sacrificing immersion.

4. Learning & Future GrowthAs a self-taught developer, I view learning as a lifelong discipline. My current focus lies in mastering shader creation to deepen my control over atmosphere and visual storytelling. I continue to expand my expertise in narrative design, animation direction, and cinematic sequencing — areas that allow me to express emotion and meaning through design itself.While Thief’s Shelter represents a milestone in my creative evolution, I see it as a foundation rather than a peak. Over the next year, my aim is twofold: to ensure the game’s successful commercial launch and to contribute to a professional studio in a complementary role — whether as a Game Designer, Narrative Designer, Animation/ Cinematic Director, or Producer. These ambitions are not about career diversification but about sustaining growth, financial stability, and the ability to create meaningful experiences that resonate deeply with players.

Modding has become a recent hobby in my spare time. I won 1st place in a challenge hosted by CD Projekt Red, where I created a new animation to alter the moveset of a boss fight and made a single two handed attack animation into a one handed combo with a window for parry and animation interruption.

Additionally, I’ve uploaded a few character alterations to my Nexus mod page, including a rework of Kaer Morhen.

I use my YouTube channel to upload videos and shorts that showcase my animation skills, including crafting sequences from scratch, creating fan edits, sharing work from my upcoming game, and demonstrating my deep understanding of game mechanics, level design, and player engagement by doing challenges in Souls-likes.

I'm experienced with:Game Engines: Unity, Unreal (mostly spent time on the Sequencer)
Modding tools: Witcher 3 Redkit
Animation: Blender, Unity, Unreal, Cascadeur
Creative Tools: Photoshop, Premiere
Productivity Tools: Google Docs, Google Slides, Excel/Sheets
Audio: Cakewalk, Audacity
Version Control: Plastic SCM, Github