REED AUSTIN
Game Designer · Content Creator · Los Angeles
I design games and systems that make players feel. I build communities that engage and think more than the average fandom. I've done it at the AAA level and I've done it from scratch. I want to make someone’s next favorite game.
Subscribers
Views
Episodes
Managed
Creator Inventory
Content
About
I design worlds people live in.
My career lives at the intersection of game design, storytelling, and community building. At Dark Outlaw Games I owned features end-to-end in UE5, from design docs through Blueprint scripting, documentation, and milestone delivery inside a full AAA pipeline.
Before that, I spent 17 years as RADAUSTIN27 reverse-engineering and breaking down the systems behind the games I loved for an audience of 170,000 people. I collaborated with Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. I built a creator business managing clients with 8 million combined subscribers to bring custom products to life from concept to shipped.
Outside of work I am building Maddening Delve, a solo indie dungeon crawler in UE5. It keeps my design instincts sharp and my Blueprint skills current.
Zenya — Original World Design 8 years of active worldbuilding. Custom lore, digitally-drawn maps, original art, faction systems, and hundreds of hours of documented live play. Full wiki available.
Credentials
B.S. New Media Marketing Rochester Institute of Technology
Google Analytics Certified — GA4 Google · Active Certification
YouTube Creator Award 2016 · RADAUSTIN27 · 170K+ Subscriber
Google Tag Manager Certified — Google · Active Certification
Studio Collaborations Treyarch Studios · Sledgehammer Games
Selected Work
Projects & Output
Dark Outlaw Games
AAA Game Design · UE5 · NDA
Owned player-facing gameplay features end-to-end — early-game onboarding, discovery content systems, level design documentation, and Blueprint scripting. Collaborated across engineering, art, narrative, and production in a full Agile pipeline.
Unreal Engine 5 · Blueprint Scripting · Level Design · GDD Authoring · Jira · Perforce
Maddening Delve
Original Game Design · Solo Dev · UE5 · Pre-Production
A solo-designed 2.5D turn-based dungeon crawler set in the ruins of Pelagrath. 13 classes, 14 races, 14 gods with distinct faith systems, a 14-stat hero block, and a Madness system that permanently transforms heroes into the enemy. Generated characters with permadeath — when a hero dies, they return under a new name and color palette, telegraphing the meat grinder of death. 8 dungeon levels with Bosses, Easter Eggs, Dead Magic Zones, a fully realized hub world in Little Blackstone, and a hidden true ending locked behind secrets. Every system fully designed and documented in UE5.6.
Systems Design · Combat Design · Narrative · Worldbuilding · UE5 · Pre-Production
RADAUSTIN27
Content Creation · Community · 17 Years
Built from zero to 170K+ subscribers through original game design content. Earned YouTube Creator Award 2016. Collaborated with Treyarch Studios and Sledgehammer Games on branded campaigns reaching millions of players.
YouTube · Twitch · Twitter · Instagram· TikTok · Discord Community · Video Production · Brand Partnerships
Creator Inventory
Business · Creator Economy · Brand Partnerships
Co-founded a creator partnership business managing campaigns for clients with 8M+ combined subscribers. Designed custom products, built tracking infrastructure, managed influencer campaigns, and handled end-to-end production and distribution. Generated $85,000+ in first-year revenue across four major quarterly campaigns.
Influencer Marketing · Campaign Strategy · Product Design · Revenue Generation
Zenya
Original World Design · TTRPG · 8 Years
Eight years of active worldbuilding for an original fantasy setting. Custom lore, maps, original commissioned artwork, faction systems, and hundreds of hours of documented live play. Full wiki available on LegendKeeper.
Worldbuilding · Narrative Design · Lore · TTRPG · Wiki
Work & Brand Collaborations
Skills
Game Design
Unreal Engine 5, Unity, Godot
Blueprint Scripting
Level Design
Systems Design
GDD
Authoring Player Flow & Pacing Encounter Design
Perforce
Jira
Agile
Content & Video
Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVanci Resolve
Adobe CC Suite
Short-Form Video TikTok / Reels / Shorts
YouTube Long-Form
Podcast Production
Brand Partnerships
Marketing & Analytics
GA4 Certified
Google Tag Manager
Certified Campaign Strategy
SEO / SEM Influencer
Marketing Competitive
Analysis Multi-Channel
Community Management
Copywriting
Email Campaign Tracking
Performance Reporting
Social & Community
YouTube
TikTok
Instagram
Twitter/X
Twitch
Discord
170K+ Subscribers
32,000,000 Views
Built Content Pipeline
Managed Publishing Calendar
Creator Partnerships
8M+ Subscriber Roster Managed & Products made
experience
Game Designer Dark Outlaw Games — Los Angeles, CA | Feb 2025 – Apr 2026
Owned player-facing gameplay features end-to-end on an unannounced AAA title in Unreal Engine 5. Designed and implemented onboarding systems, discovery content, hidden interactive experiences, and scripted sequences using Blueprint scripting. Authored comprehensive level design documentation covering player flow, encounter structure, narrative integration, and optional content. Collaborated across design, engineering, art, audio, and production in a full Agile pipeline using Perforce and Jira. Produced internal milestone video content for studio-wide communication and investor presentations.
Creator, Community Builder & Brand Partner RAD Rendering LLC — RADAUSTIN27 | Apr 2009 – Feb 2023
Built YouTube channel from zero to 170K+ subscribers through original game design content. Earned YouTube Creator Award 2016. Collaborated directly with Treyarch Studios and Sledgehammer Games on branded campaigns and product launches. Managed publishing calendar, content pipeline, and brand voice across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter/X, Twitch, and Discord simultaneously. Co-founded Creator Inventory — managed campaigns for creator clients with 8M+ combined subscribers generating $85,000+ first-year revenue. Produced and hosted The Zombroz Podcast across 200 episodes on iTunes and Spotify.
Owner / Live Event & Video Producer RAD Rendering Photo& Video — Albany, NY | Dec 2023 – Feb 2025
Provided professional photo and video production for weddings, corporate events, and live productions. Managed all on-site direction, capture, editing, and final delivery independently. Edited all deliverables using Adobe Premiere Pro, Lightroom, and Photoshop. Handled client management, scope definition, and end-to-end delivery under fixed event deadlines.
Marketing Coordinator SUNY SCCC — Schenectady, NY | Jun 2023 – Dec 2023
Managed digital content across web, email, and social channels. Optimized SEO across page titles, meta descriptions, H1s, alt text, and anchor text. Applied campaign tracking and analytics to measure performance and produce competitive analysis reports. Collaborated across departments on multi-channel marketing plans maintaining consistent brand voice. GA4 Certified. Google Tag Manager Certified.
Digital Content Specialist Capital Region BOCES — Albany, NY | Mar 2022 – Mar 2023
Planned, developed, and produced digital content strategies across web, multimedia, video, and social media for multiple school districts. Established and maintained social media presence across multiple channels. Ensured content alignment with district communications strategies and brand standards.