Hi, I'm Dr Adam Jerrett (PhD)...
I make games. And websites. And lots of other cool, creative stuff!
I'm a game developer who wants to make the world a better place. Nobody really calls me Dr J, but I do have a PhD in Creative Technologies with a focus on Game Design, so you can call me Dr Game (and Watch) if you really want to.
By day, I'm a game developer and Senior Lecturer of Game Design and Development at the University of Portsmouth in the UK. I want to help students reach their full potential, and help them and industry folks understand how what matters most to us - our values - affects the games we make.
By night, I’m a analogue (and digital) game player and creator (currently obsessed with The Traitors), a podcast host, and a programming nerd who spends way too much time thinking about databases, UI polish, player emotions, and fighting the imposter syndrome that tells me I'm not a good writer.
Elite programming skills aside, I'm also a narrative designer who believes that stories shape our world. I love using games to explore who we are, what we do, and the weird, wonderful ways we form connections in digital spaces. To this end, I also consult on values-conscious and prosocial design initiatives, which includes values like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through my consultancy Two Left. I want to help studios build worlds that reflect the richness and complexity of real life. Whether it’s accessibility, UX/UI tweaks, or embedding inclusive values into designed systems, I help teams think deeply about the stories, mechanics, and aesthetics of the worlds they welcome players into.
So hi there. It's really great to meet you. Take a look around, rest a while. Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy your stay.
My Projects
What We Take With Us
A wellbeing-focused real-world pervasive game (with an ARG, escape room, website, and more) about what matters most to you.
Tyler
A C# 2D puzzle game and Microsoft Imagine Cup Finalist.
Nomad
An educational alternate reality game to teach library literacy.
We Are Nomads
A web-based mobile game made in partnership with Celestial Games and the Goethe Institute.
Game Academy
A MultiPlay Network podcast exploring the intersection of game development and academia.
YouTube
Sometimes, I dabble in video essays, but I used to play a lot of Yu-Gi-Oh!, too (that's a game...right?).
About Me
Hi, there!
I’m a designer/programmer by trade, but I took the scenic route to get here. I started out studying Multimedia at the University of Pretoria - a mix of web development, visual design, and computer science. By the end of my third year, after wrestling with graph data structures, databases, and an absurd amount of interactive web tech, I had a realisation:
Games are where my (he)art is.
While finishing my Honours year, I started teaching on the Multimedia programme, where I discovered how much I loved helping students break things and then figure out how to fix them again (a.k.a. learning). I have some incredible teachers throughout my life to thank for that.
During all this, I was making games. My third-year project, Tyler, was my love letter to Portal and The Stanley Parable, a 2D puzzle game that landed a Top 4 finish in Microsoft’s Imagine Cup. At the same time, I was playing, designing, and running ARGs (Alternate Reality Games) on campus, which led to my Master’s research in educational game design.
Then, Vega School launched their Game Design and Development programme, and I knew I had to be there. I joined as the sole lecturer, and with an amazing team across campuses, we built the entire degree from the ground up. I eventually became the Module Discipline Leader, and taught animation, programming, game design, web development, and everything else my students needed - all with an eye on South Africa’s unique game development industry.
But then, I got restless (don't we all?). I started thinking about a PhD, which I began remotely at the University of Portsmouth. I initially focused on empathy in escape rooms, but that eventually broadened into values-conscious game design. A few months later, Portsmouth offered me a job, so I packed my bags, grabbed my corgi, Clara, and my lovely wife, Nicola (in that order, obviously), and moved to the UK.
Through the PhD (and a global pandemic, because why not?), I designed What We Take With Us, a wellbeing game that started as something I needed to survive lockdown but ended up helping a lot more people than just me.
Now, I’m a Senior Lecturer in Game Design & Development at the University of Portsmouth, helping students (hopefully) understand how to make games—and how to make their games matter. That’s where Two Left comes in—a design consultancy and indie studio I’m launching to help developers embed meaningful, ethical, and inclusive design principles into their work.
Oh, and I still have a corgi, because some things never change. After Clara (RIP), we welcomed River, who now spends most of his time barking at me to let him out to pee, stealing socks, and generally being a smooshy little gremlin.
So that’s me: programmer, game designer, educator, researcher, consultant. You’ll usually find me wrapped in a blanket, reading, writing, and telling stories that matter through play. All cuddled up with a corgi who is currently trying to eat my beloved mountain of pizza.
Get off, River!
