## I'm Malena Rivas
I am a multidisciplinary Game Developer with over a decade of experience;
from programming, art, animation, writing, and design, to simply just **game development.**
With every year that passes, I continue to hone my skills and experience in this field.
From engine development to world building, I really just love every single step of the way.
Below is a selection of my notable projects and community experiences.
***For my full technical background and skill set, please refer to my 'Resume & About' page!***
Thank you for reading about me!
## About
Xenolith is currently under development. Made completely in my own C# game engine using .NET and MonoGame. More details will be revealed soon.
Xenolith is a Story Driven Metroidvania that uses advanced fluid systems, light systems, and environmental storytelling to invoke a sense of dread and isolation.
You play as **Diver-13 (Call-sign 'Artemis')**.
You are part of the Tartarus Dynamics Rescue Squad (TD-RS), trained to evacuate marine researchers and scientists working at Tartarus Dynamics in the event that any of the underwater substations fail, flood, or worse.
The Leviathans comms went dark 14 hours ago for an unknown reason. You and the rest of your rescue squad travel to different substations to find out what happened to The Leviathan.
## My Role
- Lead Writer, Developer, & System Designer
## About
Counter-Strike: Classic Offensive was a fan-made overhaul for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that aimed to recreate the gameplay and atmosphere of the earlier Counter-Strike titles, particularly **Counter-Strike 1.6** and **Counter-Strike: Source**.
It brought back classic maps, weapons, and game modes while retaining the updated engine and mechanics of CS.
The mod was designed for players who prefer the older, more traditional Counter-Strike experience with the modern improvements in graphics and performance from CS.
## My Role
- Lead Level Designer
- Design, asset, and texture creation on **de_nuke**
- Short-term contribution on **de_dust 2**
- Focused on maintaining visual consistency with classic CS aesthetics
- Collaborated with the environment art team on material standards
## About
Fallout 4: Capital Wasteland is a large scale fan-made mod for **Fallout 4** that aimed to recreate the setting of **Fallout 3**, focusing on the Capital Wasteland - the devastated region surrounding Washington, D.C.
The mod reimagines the familiar world of Fallout 3, allowing players to explore the same locations and encounter similar factions, enemies, and quests, but with the enhanced visuals and mechanics of Fallout 4.
It essentially combines the narrative and environment of Fallout 3 with the gameplay improvements and engine of Fallout 4.
## My Role
- Senior Level Designer & World Event Programmer
- Built over **600 exterior/interior world space cells**
- Contributed to private repositories multiple time a week for over a year and half
- Collaborated closely with the lead designers and world-building teams
- Ensured consistency between Fallout 3's original layouts and the new engine
## About
Steelhead was a CS:GO map that was sadly never published but went through tons of interations and playtests.
I was the sole developer, artist, and designer for this competitive map.
Steelhead was scheduled to release in early 2024 but with the CS2 release in late 2023 it replaced the previous engine, thus killing the ongoing project Steelhead.
Me and a friend participated and attempted a Game Jam half way into 2024, our scope ended up being too big and we missed the submission deadline.
However it was still a cool concept inspired by Link to the Past and also a great learning experience for me! This was made in Unity!
## My Role
- Lead Programmer & Artist (Game Jam)
- Lead Developer & Designer (Steelhead)
All content and trademarks property of their respective owners.
## About Me
I am a Game Developer driven by a passion for building complete, immersive worlds.
I started my journey young modding Source Engine titles, which quickly turned into a desire to learn every discipline involved in game creation.
I have extensive experience across multiple engines, including 2D or 3D pipelines.
I've contributed to large-scale singleplayer mod content, built competitive multiplayer maps, and developed original games from the ground up. Independently and in collaborative dev teams.
**I also have hundreds of pages worth of design documentation over the years, including lore and system architecture for my various amount of contributed projects!**
Some of which includes a lore rich shelved 3D project, code-named "Ark Maintenance" and an even more lore and design rich 2D story platformer code-named "Xenolith".
I transitioned away from existing engine frameworks (Godot & Unity) to build my own C# engine using .NET and MonoGame, giving me absolute control over the architecture of my current independent 2D project.
## Technical Experience
**Programming:**
C#, C++, GDScript, Python, Git, and Java.
**Engine Development:**
Custom C# Engine (MonoGame/.NET), Godot, Unity, Source Engine, and CreationKit.
**Design:**
2D/3D Level Design, Gameplay Designs, Worldspace Encounters, Save/Load Systems, Proper Design Documentation.
**Narrative Design:**
Lore, Dialogue, Personalities, Gameplay Systems, and Environmental Storytelling.
**Debugging:**
Profiling, Version Control, Engine and Game Level Optimization.
**Art & Animation:**
Modeling, Texturing, Rigging, Pixel Art, and 2D/3D Animation. (Blender/3dsMax & Aseprite)
## Contact Information
CDT (UTC-5) - Houston, TX
[contact@malenarivas.com](mailto:contact@malenarivas.com)
[LinkedIn Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/malena-rivas-7b910b329)
