ASHLEY CATES
CREATIVE PORTFOLIO
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
ABOUT ME
WELCOME!
Hi there! I'm Ashley Cates, a recent graduate from the University of Southern California with a passion for immersive storytelling. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interactive Design & Game Development and a minor in Writing for Screen & Television. My skillset lies in crafting creative, innovative gameplay and writing inspiring stories that truly impact others!
WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING
RECENT
WORK
8-MONTH INTERNSHIP
"Walt Disney Imagineering is the creative engine that designs and builds all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions, and cruise ships worldwide, and oversees the creative aspects of Disney games, merchandise product development, and publishing businesses."
Conversation Design Intern @ Research & Development
Creative Intern @ Live Entertainment Advanced Development
Show Writing & Story Development Intern
OVER 2,000,000 REGISTERED ACCOUNTS
Toontown is a massively multiplayer online game built for kids, teens, and adults of all ages. Create your own Toon and join the never-ending battle against the "Cogs," who want to turn Toontown into their latest business venture.
Game Design Coordinator, Design Project Director
TOONTOWN REWRITTEN
CHECK IT OUT!
OVER 75,000 UNIQUE DOWNLOADS ON STEAM
Ever dreamt of working a cash register with no pay or real-life customer interaction? Look no further! This simulation game brings a fresh-take to the notoriously dull tasks of customer service, introducing you to a cast of wacky characters and the baggage they carry.
Game/Narrative Design Lead, UI Artist
GRANDMA GREEN
OVER 55,000 UNIQUE DOWNLOADS ON THE APP STORE
With no one left to look after, April Green decides to move to the quaint farming village of Hickory Hollow to live out her lifelong goal of raising a beautiful garden. Help Grandma navigate the challenges of old age and discover a new sense of belonging as she embarks on this heartwarming journey!
Narrative Design Lead
OOPZ-OOFS
After waking up from a sweet dream, John finds himself in his dog's body! Sniff, bark, beg, and use paw to interact with townfolk and survive as a dog. Will John find a way to return to his human form or will this unexpected adventure change him forever?
Narrative Design Lead
UI/UX WORK
Over the course of my time at USC, many of my classes required extensive work in Figma and Adobe Illustrator to produce prototypes for user experiences along with original artwork for user interface.
IT'S WENDY'S WORLD!
It’s Wendy’s World! is a point-and-click analog psychological horror game where a strange TV arrives at your door, endlessly replaying the rise and fall of a forgotten child star. With only your remote, you must piece together her life and uncover the mystery behind her disappearance.
Co-Creator
SCARE CROW
Unleash your inner prankster by playing as Casey, a mischievous Crow, who is actively feuding with squirrels over their limited food source. In a blend of stealth and 3rd-person tower defense gameplay, hide and set traps to jump-scare your skittish enemies and send them fleeing your territory in fear.
Narrative Design Lead
EQUINOX
OVER 50,000 UNIQUE DOWNLOADS ON STEAM
The moon has shattered. Plunged into darkness, the world looks to an unlikely hero: a tiny yet tenacious bunny. Defy all odds and reach for the stars in this whimsical 2D platformer.
Game/Level/Narrative Designer, Writer, UI Artist
METEOR FLOWERS - MOBILE GAME PROTOTYPE
The blood moon has risen once again, meaning the yōkai (cryptids) have emerged from the murky depths of the sea. As the heir to the family restaurant, use your fishing and cooking skills to serve up some delicious yōkai sushi!
Producer
YŌKAIMAKI
Beautify an alien planet by playing a relaxing memory game, creating your own intergalactic garden, and interacting with other players!
Co-Creator
Click for full Game Design Document!
SLIDEY TIDY - MOBILE GAME PROTOTYPE
Simulate your very own cleaning-career experience through cute, cartoony puzzles across various homes while purchasing new decorations to spruce up your Tidy-Mobile!
Co-Creator
Click for full Game Design Document!
MEDUSA'S WRATH - BOARD GAME
Welcome to Medusa’s island, Sarpedon!
Players must work together to make it to navigate to the center of Medusa’s palace while collecting Mirror Shards, avoiding her wrath in the process. Once players reach the throne room in the center of the board, they will use their Mirror Shards to protect themselves in an epic battle against the wicked Medusa.
Game/Narrative Designer, Playtest Coordinator
Click for full instructions!
ANT JAM - GAME JAM SUBMISSION
Ants are definitely an annoyance, but have you ever considered what it's like to be in their shoes? This simple 2D game involves growing your ant colony before getting smushed by a human foot.
Game/Narrative Designer, Artist
NOT SO LUCKY PENNY - NARRATIVE PITCH
Assigned as a narrative pitch for an original game, this concept describes the experience of exploring the world through the eyes of a penny in a journey of mystery, friendship, and sacrifice.
Creator
Click for full pitchdeck!
Click for Opening and Closing Scene scripts!
3D ARTWORK (MADE IN MAYA)
2D ARTWORK (MADE IN PROCREATE)
EDUCATION
SKILLS
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (USC)
2021-2025
Graduated Magna Cum Laude, Presidential Scholar*
B.F.A. in Interactive Design & Game Development + Minoring in Writing for Screen & Television
*Accepted early-admission with a half-tuition scholarship only given to top 0.2% of applicants.
RELEVANT COURSEWORK
- Game Design Workshop
- Character Development & Storytelling for Games
- Advanced Writing (Feature Films)
-Intro to Hour-Long Television Writing
-Game Development Principles
-Motion Picture Script Analysis
-Advanced Games Crew
-Anatomy of a Game
- Designing Social Games
-Programming in Python
-Interface Design for Games
-Business & Management of Games
-User Research for Games
-Interactive System Design
- Introduction to 3-D Animation
- Demystifying the TV-Animation Production Pipeline
-Improvisation & Theatre Games I, II
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-Unreal
-Unity
-Python
-C#
-Adobe Illustrator
-MS Office
-Google Drive, Docs, Slides
- Final Draft
- Figma
-Procreate, Paint Tool SAI, Paint.net