Nynke Diana Schouten's

Portfolio

Projects

Here are some of the projects I have worked on.

Art

Here you can find various artworks I have created, think of; character design, illustrations, storyboard art, animations, 3D models, etc.

Research

Here you will find various studies I have done for various projects.

Software / Hardware Experience

I have worked with different types of tools. Here you can find an overview of tools I have experience in.

As a Game Design student at HKU (Utrecht School of the Arts), I am fully engaged in designing games and creating interactive experiences. I started my studies in 2022 and am now in my third year; since 2023, I have the propaedeutic certificate for this study.As a designer, one of my most important traits is my constant willingness to acquire new knowledge and skills. I am always looking for opportunities to grow and am critical of my design process, which keeps me open to new insights and perspectives. This curiosity has led me to delve into the differences between Western and Japanese game design and the game industry, with the aim of understanding how the two can learn from each other and work together more effectively.My interests are mainly in 2D game making. For example, I have focused my research on various topics such as forgetfulness in people between 13 and 30 years old with neurodiversity and analysing horror games by integrating different types of players. Although I mainly focused on 2D games, I also delved into 3D games during my studies.Even as a game designer, I find visual aspects, 2D elements and storytelling in games immensely fascinating. I am open to different aspects of game creation and eager to incorporate different perspectives into my work. This openness ranges from my aspiration to create a bridge between the Japanese and Western game industries through my research and efforts in game design.I hope to make this bridge of understanding and collaboration between these two diverse industries to contribute to the creation of more inclusive and innovative gaming experiences.
2D & 3D

LanguagesNederlands: Native language
English: Can professionally communicate
français: Good
Deutsch: Basics
日本語: Basics

Software / Hardware Experience

Coding languages
Beginner: C++ [Used for the Arduino Bird]
Beginner: Java / Javascript (For RPG Maker MZ)
Intermediate: C# (In Unity, for most of my game projects)
Intermediate: HTML / CSS (Usually for websites, but I have also coded for Wiki and Fandom pages)
Game Engines
Intermediate: Unity (Primarily used)
Beginner: RPG Maker MZ & Gamemaker
Art software
Clip Studio Paint (Primarily used)
Paint Tool Sai (1 + 2)
Photoshop
Procreate
Krita
Medibang Paint Pro
GIMP
Autodesk Sketchbook
FireAlpaca
IbisPaintX
etc.
2D Animation
Opentoonz
Clip Studio Paint
TV Paint
Adobe Animate
Basic 3D modelling skills
Maya [Used for the 3D-Models under the art section]
Blender
Video Editing
Basic Skills: Sony Vegas Pro 16 & After Effects & DaVinci Resolve & After Effects
CapCut & Filmora
Other
Arduino [Used for the Arduino Bird]

More research can be found under "projects"!

The Differences Between The Japanese and Western Game Design and Game Industry

This research aims to investigate the differences between Japanese-style and Western-style games. The motivation behind this study stems from my personal preference for Japanese-style games and a desire to understand why they are more appealing. By conducting this research, I hope to gain insights that can inform my own game design process. Additionally, I believe that understanding Japanese gaming culture better will help them align their professional skills and knowledge with the expectations of the Japanese gaming industry.I also want to be able to use the research to create research that can be valuable for both worlds. After researching many sources, I can see that this is a fairly new interest and I would like to develop this interest, it seems very interesting to be able to create a bridge between these two worlds.

Forgetfulness Among Individuals With Neurodivergency

In the development process of our game, we aimed to create a main character that players could emotionally connect with. Inspired by the passion of scrapbooking, focusing on memories and their creation, we wanted players to support the main character in reliving lost memories. Initially, we considered using "memory loss" as the cause, but doubted it would add enough depth and personality. We wanted a deeper story to engage players more with the main character, leading to further reflection and research.A pivotal point in our thinking occurred when we delved into personal experiences of individuals with neurodivergence. We discovered that many experience moments of forgetfulness, offering a personal and authentic angle to enrich our main character's story. Realizing that neurodivergence is a common experience among the global population, with approximately 20% belonging to this group according to Leikvoll (2023), strengthened our belief that this was an important and relevant subject to explore in our game.

How Are Feelings And Behaviour Stimulated In Players While Playing A Horror Game?

This research includes discussion of very graphic content present in the game Fear & Hunger. Viewer discretion is advised.To answer this question, we chose to observe players' behaviour and feelings while playing the game "Fear & Hunger".Fear & Hunger is an indie "dungeon-crawler survival horror RPG" game developed by Miro Haverinen. The game is set in a disturbing world where the player takes control of a character trapped in a mysterious dungeon called "Fear & Hunger" as they face gruesome and grotesque enemies and difficult moral choices that affect the outcome of the game.The game's elements make it a good vehicle for exploring players' fear and unease feelings and studying the origins of these feelings more deeply. We did this through several rounds of playtesting.By comparing different events and the forms of danger, we concluded that known danger approaching creates a 'fight or flight' response without posing an immediate danger. This creates prolonged feelings of tension and anxiety, as in an 'implication of danger'. Threats that are known but whose conclusion is not immediately apparent can be effective in creating fear in players, as an alternative to jumpscares. However, too-long anticipation reduces the fear response, while too-short anticipation does not allow tension to rise high enough. Repeated 'immediate danger' keeps players alert and creates a constant threat. The strongest fear response comes from an 'imminent danger' scenario, while the 'implication of danger' scenario has the best long-term effects on the player's mindset.

Designing Outfits For A Cover Project

2024

The following looks are designed by me and inspired by "Technoroid" characters.
The characters are now owned by me.

2025

Character Design & Art

All of the characters shown are designs I have made myself.

Under The Cherry Trees

All these characters below belong to the story for "Under The Cherry Trees".

LN / Lena
July 2024 VS April 2024

LN / Lena

C / Candidus
July 2024 (+ cat) VS April 2024

Y / Yafe
July 2024 VS April 2024

P / Pippin
July 2024 VS April 2024

"Mr. M"

"Mr. A jr."

"Mr. A"

"Mr. A jr." & "Mr. M"

X / Xannon

Z / Zion

Aphrah

Maleachi

DHO Leaders / twins

World Goverment

All these characters below belong to the story for "World Goverment".

Akira / Aguri2025 VS 2023

Akira / Aguri

Akira / Aguri & Kiriya

Kiriya & Jinsuke & Berhtram

Minami

Other OCs

Other Characters

All characters are these characters belong to a variety of worlds.

Comissions + Gifts

These are all art made for other people.

Fanart

All art is made by me for a variety of shows.

Storyboard

All art is made by me.

Note: The file below is a video. To watch, click the play button on the video player.

Animation

All art is made by me.

Note: The files below are videos. To watch, click the play button on the video player.

3D models

All art is made by me.

ARG "The☆Universe"

| Individual project | ARG | N/A

For this project, I wanted to primarily focus on player experiences. As a designer, it's natural to get to know the player as well as possible and design the game in such a way that ensures the player understands everything and can start playing easily.For this project, I especially wanted to focus on how players react to puzzles and how they interact with certain contexts in a game. For this, an ARG (Alternate Reality Game) [1] is perfect. I've had a long fascination with these types of games. It's interesting to see how games can be created outside the traditional and well-known circle (such as card games or video games).How existing internet sites, historical events, or cryptic communication methods are used fascinated me immensely. I found it interesting to see how players interact with this information and carry on.[1] ARG (Alternate Reality Game): An ARG is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements to tell a story. Players typically work together to solve puzzles and uncover the narrative, blurring the lines between fiction and reality.

ARG "NLM"

| Individual project | ARG | N/A

For this project, we were asked to create a "quest" with meaningful choices through narrative, rules, character hooks/development and inspired by an existing game in mind.For this quest I choose to make it in a form of an ARG. ARGs are interactive storytelling experiences where the boundaries between the fictional world and the real world are blurred. Participants have to solve puzzles, find clues and often work together to unravel the story. ARGs often use various media such as websites, emails, phone calls and social media to engage players and tell the story.What particularly fascinates me is that the story in ARGs is often shaped by the players rather than the players simply being guided through a predetermined narrative. Although there
a basic storyline, players often have to fill in much of the context themselves through which the players complete the story. What is also fascinating is that players often take an active role in the story itself, which really felt like roleplay to me, something I often find lacking in many games these days that call themselves "roleplay" games.
That's why I consider it a quest, because as a player you are looking for answers and involved in a quest within the confines of the game. Players choose between different paths or actions through the course of the game, they thus shape the story in unique ways and ensure that they have their own unique adventure.


Research into Quest Design of Honkai Star Rail


Presentation about the Quest


Brief information on the entire quest design

Ada's Study Part 2

| Group project | Escape Room | 3D

For Context III, I had the opportunity to work on a project by the company Sherlocked located in Amsterdam. We were asked to continue working on a published mobile game called ‘Ada's Study’. Ada's Study is a mobile escape room game where you, the player, will investigate the disappearance of Ada Lovelace. We were asked to create a sequel to this. Above all, the most difficult part of this project was to create puzzles that did not rely too much on text and to transfer the feel of an escape room to a digital world. Furthermore, every single puzzle is historically based on things Ada Lovelace cherised and liked, so a lot of historical research went into each puzzle. Such as the plane puzzle being based on her love for planes when her mother was away, the cube puzzle being based on here favourite puzzle named "The Magic Cube", etc.Apart from being a contact person and team leader, I was mainly responsible for designing and developing the puzzles and mechanics.

My Little Utrecht

| Group project | City Builder | 3D

For Context II at HKU, we were commissioned to develop a game that connects with Utrecht and refers to the city and its sustainable future. Games can be set in Utrecht, use real Utrecht issues or activities as inspiration, or be played at specific Utrecht locations. The teams worked with clients of the Utrecht municipality, Utrecht Library, ROM Utrecht Regio and Social Impact Factory. The games should aim for social impact, focusing on individual change, group experiences or broader social networks.My Little Utrecht is a card-based city management game where you have to navigate the wants and needs of the future population of Utrecht - both its people and its animals. Protect the native species, keep the people satisfied, and manage the expanding industry. Strike a balance between all and create your perfect, harmonious city!

Visual Cinematic Design

| Individual project | Visual Novel | 2D/3D

The assignment was quiet simple, we had to design a cinematic design on Unity but some gameplay was also allowed to be faked through video editing.

End product (Dutch)

Note: The file below is a video. To watch, click the play button on the video player.

"Grow It!" Project

| Group project | Mental Health App | 2D/3D

"Grow It!" , developed by Erasmus MC Sophia and Erasmus University, aims to enhance mental health for 12-25-year-olds but faces user engagement issues. Joanneke Weerdmeester collaborated to improve it. As a team we revamped the app, focusing on garden customization, puzzle-based challenges, and clearer questionnaires with rewards. These enhancements promise better user motivation and experience.

End product (Dutch)

Note: The file below is a video. To watch, click the play button on the video player.

Game Design Document for Inspiration

Flowchart of the Original App

First Arduino Project

| Individual project | Interactive Robotic Bird | N/A

Note: The file below is a video. To watch, click the play button on the video player.

Progress photos

Domino Mechanic

| Individual project | Puzzle Game | 2D

In this assignment, our task was to develop a digital version of a board game you created. In my board game dominoes were implemented, so I needed to implement the mechanics of dominoes while considering rules such as the restriction against combining white and black tiles and allowing tiles to be rotated.Additionally, I implemented a dialogue system that utilized a library of sprites. With this system, all I needed to do was input the dialogue into the Unity Inspector and select the appropriate emotion, after which the corresponding sprite would be displayed for each line of dialogue.My board game was about timerising and using dominoes to build timelines.

Note: The file below is a video. To watch, click the play button on the video player.

Game Jam

| Individual project | Horror / Puzzle Game | 2D

For this assignment we had to quickly prototype a game based on the theme "Scariest of Things". In this game (the video is speeded up) the character will try to make you listen to them if you do not listen them. If you keep on not listening to them they will try to force you to follow their path. But whatever path you take, it will always end up the same.

Note: The file below is a video. To watch, click the play button on the video player.

Remake

| Individual project | Horror / Puzzle Game | 2D

Later I turned this game into a visual novel in a month in Unity."P" finds themselves trapped in a peculiar mansion. Inside, they encounter "LN", who claims to know "P', though "P" has no recollection of her or the mansion. As "P" explores, they discover odd and mysterious occurrences. Can "P" find a way to escape this strange place?Experience a short visual novel game, created in just one month. Dive in and enjoy!

Platformer

| Group project | Platformer | 3D

As a player, you take on the role of a paintbrush, with the unique power to paint the world around you the way you want. But this limitless freedom also comes with an impeding fear: fear of failure. These fears make it difficult to change your surroundings as you see fit, because you worry about if something might go wrong or if the colours you choose don't appeal to others.In the game, when you make a mistake or "die" as a brush, the paint spreads across the playing field, revealing hidden obstacles that were previously invisible.