Kelly Tran

Hi, I'm Kelly!I'm game designer, writer, and occasional educator. Drop by, explore my projects, or let's chat at the link below or on Bluesky!Please contact me on LinkedIn or through e-mail for a private profile link.

Game Design

Professional Experience

I'm currently a Senior Systems Designer at CD PROJEKT RED, where I'm working on Cyberpunk 2.

As a Staff Game Designer at Believer, I worked on an open-world multiplayer PVE game. My role encompassed everything mission and content design to level design and moment to moment gameplay.

I was a Game Deisgner on Rolling Hills [2024] by Catch and Release Games, out now on Steam and Gamepass. I provided design support on the core loop, systems, and player onboarding.

As Principal Applied Designer at Evolved Play, I acted as the high level vision holder for game design, advocating for our design pillars and working across art, engineering, and narrative.

As a Game Designer at Tuxedo games, I pitched and concepted new features, performed research for the game, and communicated across all members of the team.I worked to ensure that game mechanics aligned with the overall user experience and intended learning outcomes while remaining fun, engaging, and delightful.

As a Principle Game Design Consultant at Mobile Game Doctor, I worked with a wide array of clients to help with everything from initial concepting and prototyping to balance and support of ongoing live games.

Personal Game Projects

The best way to find my personal projects is through my itch.io page, where I experiment with narrative and player experience in games.All in-engine design, art, writing, and narrative design by me.

Writing

TTRPG Writing

I write for tabletop games, including 5E and original systems.My game Fetch My Blade was named one of Polygon's Best TTRPGs of 2023.Below are links to personal titles. Please contact me for samples of professional work for various systems.

Game Design Writing

You can find some of my writing about the craft of game design here.

Media

If you're interested in projects I've worked on, I've compiled select podcasts, panels, and news interviews. (Images that don't have a play button lead to an external link to the content!)

Talks

GDC 2025
When Playtesters are Children: Lessons in Patience and Play