Hello, I’m Nick Suttner.
You might know me from videogames. I’m an independent writer / designer / consultant based in Oakland, CA. I also work part-time helping run game publishing at Panic.
I spent my first 10 years in the industry as a champion and curator of independent games. I started out writing at EGM and 1UP.com, before going to work at PlayStation, where I brought many of your favorite indie games (yes, that one) to their platforms. I then moved to Oculus to help find and foster the best experiences in VR, before deciding that I needed a new adventure, going indie in September 2017.
I’ve also written two books on the works of my favorite designer Fumito Ueda, co-founded/co-hosted multiple podcasts (currently Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Games), and retweeted some pretty weird stuff.
This site is a rough document of my time in the gaming industry. If you’d like to know more, collaborate on something, or just want to chat about Japanese board games, I’d love to hear from you.
Game WritingAmong other creative projects of my own, I’ve taken on regular game writing and editing work, helping some of the most promising independent games find their voice.I spent my first 10 years in the industry as a champion and curator of independent games. I started out writing at EGM and 1UP.com, before going to work at PlayStation, where I brought many of your favorite indie games (yes, that one) to their platforms. I then moved to Oculus to help find and foster the best experiences in VR, before deciding that I needed a new adventure, going indie in September 2017.
I’ve also written two books on the works of my favorite designer Fumito Ueda, co-founded/co-hosted multiple podcasts (currently Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Games), and retweeted some pretty weird stuff.
This site is a rough document of my time in the gaming industry. If you’d like to know more, collaborate on something, or just want to chat about Japanese board games, I’d love to hear from you.
JETT: The Far Shore - Superbrothers - PS5 / PC
Contributing Writer and Editor on several characters, with minor contributions to story/lore.
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Contributing Writer and Editor on several characters, with minor contributions to story/lore.
Carto - Sunhead - PS4 / XB1 / Switch / PC
Lead Writer and Business Development: lead writer on character dialogue, all level text, narrative framework, etc. throughout the game, bringing charm and humor to match the vibe of this chill puzzle-adventure game. Also led funding conversations and secured a publisher, acting as ongoing business lead.
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Ray’s the Dead - Ragtag Studio - PS4 / PC
Script Editor and Contributing Writer: did a full-game editing pass across all game dialogue deep into development, helping to polish the tone and adding additional character flair and humor.
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Lead Writer and Business Development: lead writer on character dialogue, all level text, narrative framework, etc. throughout the game, bringing charm and humor to match the vibe of this chill puzzle-adventure game. Also led funding conversations and secured a publisher, acting as ongoing business lead.
Ray’s the Dead - Ragtag Studio - PS4 / PC
Script Editor and Contributing Writer: did a full-game editing pass across all game dialogue deep into development, helping to polish the tone and adding additional character flair and humor.
Bloodroots - Paper Cult - PS4 / Switch / PC
Lead Writer and Story Contributor: wrote all character dialogue, level text, etc. throughout the game, bringing life and personality to a motley cast of characters and the world around them, and helped to refine a complex and subversive storyline.
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Lead Writer and Story Contributor: wrote all character dialogue, level text, etc. throughout the game, bringing life and personality to a motley cast of characters and the world around them, and helped to refine a complex and subversive storyline.
ESC - Radical Dreamland - PC / Mac
Editor, helped to refine and polish a very nuanced story in a game driven almost entirely by text.
Editor, helped to refine and polish a very nuanced story in a game driven almost entirely by text.
Guacamelee! 2 - DrinkBox Studios - PS4 /PC
Writer and Script Editor, wrote a large volume of NPC dialogue/jokes, and helped to improve key story beats and character dialogue (as well as marketing assets).
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Writer and Script Editor, wrote a large volume of NPC dialogue/jokes, and helped to improve key story beats and character dialogue (as well as marketing assets).
Celeste - Matt Makes Games - Switch / PS4 / XB1 / PC / Mac
Script Editor and Contributing Writer, helped to refine and flesh out the game’s story, dialogue, and marketing assets.![]()
Script Editor and Contributing Writer, helped to refine and flesh out the game’s story, dialogue, and marketing assets.
Consulting workOn the business side, I’ve also taken on regular advisory and consulting work from a host of independent developers. This has included helping studios craft funding pitches, providing design feedback on game builds and core pillars, advising on studio direction, and much more. These are some of the clients I’ve worked with so far:
My work at PlayStationAfter spending my first few years as a Product Evaluator giving feedback on incoming game concepts, my role shifted to focus on Developer Relations, backed by our Pub Fund program. Our team went on to help change the industry’s attitude and relationship towards independent developers, putting them at the forefront of our platforms and promotions.
Many articles were written about our work to make PlayStation a better place for independent developers - here are just a few:
Some highlights of the (hundreds of) games I brought to PS4 / PSVR / PS3 / Vita, with the help and support of an awesome team:
PlayStation “DEVotion” branding concept (design by Amber Cox)
Along with signing content, managing countless developers and game releases, and representing their concerns internally, I helped shape the outward-facing message of the Developer Relations team at various keynotes, talks, panels, and Q&As:
I also helped to drive PlayStation’s support of independent games by working closely with the marketing, PR, social, and PS Store teams. This included co-founding and co-hosting 213 episodes of the Official PlayStation Blogcast, and a host of appearances and projects across other media:
My work at Oculus
After working on PSVR since its inception - securing several key launch titles (and beyond!) - my interest in VR was piqued. Once at Oculus, I shepherded dozens of releases to the Rift storefront, including several for the launch of the Touch controllers. I also lead the charge on competitive research, and worked closely with a variety of other internal teams, securing engineering help, store promotion, and marketing support for our titles.
Some of the Rift titles I managed through their launch and beyond (not including several that I signed that are yet to be announced):
After working on PSVR since its inception - securing several key launch titles (and beyond!) - my interest in VR was piqued. Once at Oculus, I shepherded dozens of releases to the Rift storefront, including several for the launch of the Touch controllers. I also lead the charge on competitive research, and worked closely with a variety of other internal teams, securing engineering help, store promotion, and marketing support for our titles.
Some of the Rift titles I managed through their launch and beyond (not including several that I signed that are yet to be announced):
Books I’ve written
Both of these projects were researched and written primarily on evenings and weekends in tandem with my day jobs, and mark some of the published work that I’m most proud of.
The Last Guardian: An Extraordinary Story (FuturePress)Both of these projects were researched and written primarily on evenings and weekends in tandem with my day jobs, and mark some of the published work that I’m most proud of.
Order / Goodreads
Due to my work on these books, I participated in several interviews, podcasts, and launch events surrounding the 2018 PS4 re-release of Shadow of the Colossus.
Interactive Artistry - Fumito Ueda Podcast - Episode 3
My work at EGM and 1UP.com
Working on these outlets via publisher Ziff Davis marked my professional entry into the industry. While focused on reviews, I also wrote previews, news, features, cover stories, and more for both sister outlets from April 2007 to January 2009.
Along with regular appearances on The 1UP Show, I co-founded and co-hosted the 1UP FM podcast, which ran for 32 episodes and featured the beloved Backlog segment.
Issues 214-236 of Electronic Gaming Monthly, spanning my tenure:
Working on these outlets via publisher Ziff Davis marked my professional entry into the industry. While focused on reviews, I also wrote previews, news, features, cover stories, and more for both sister outlets from April 2007 to January 2009.
Along with regular appearances on The 1UP Show, I co-founded and co-hosted the 1UP FM podcast, which ran for 32 episodes and featured the beloved Backlog segment.
Issues 214-236 of Electronic Gaming Monthly, spanning my tenure:
Miscellaneous
Interviewer: 11 YEARS OF N: An evening with Metanet Software
Interviews (with, uh, me): Cultured Vultures, Small Press Book Review, The Chi-Scroller, Bitmob/VentureBeat, Game Informer
Author: Surviving Spelunky: Tips for a Successful Expedition
Judge: IGF, 2012-2017
Co-founder: Rebel FM podcast (left after 7 episodes)
Tabletop aficionado: Going Analog: Episode 1, Episode 5
Announcer: Sportsfriends (PS4/PS3/PC - enter code ‘1685’ to unlock)
Podcast Guest: Retronauts, DLC Podcast, SBFVGS, Art & Craft, PS Blogcast
Interviewer: 11 YEARS OF N: An evening with Metanet Software
Interviews (with, uh, me): Cultured Vultures, Small Press Book Review, The Chi-Scroller, Bitmob/VentureBeat, Game Informer
Author: Surviving Spelunky: Tips for a Successful Expedition
Judge: IGF, 2012-2017
Co-founder: Rebel FM podcast (left after 7 episodes)
Tabletop aficionado: Going Analog: Episode 1, Episode 5
Announcer: Sportsfriends (PS4/PS3/PC - enter code ‘1685’ to unlock)
Podcast Guest: Retronauts, DLC Podcast, SBFVGS, Art & Craft, PS Blogcast
Image and photo credits: B&W headshot by Dan Tabar, IndieCade 2015 keynote photo by Scott Chamberlin; PlayStation game images taken from their webstore; Rift images taken from Steam; EGM covers taken from Retromags.com