[Associate Producer and QA Manager]

Pokémon Go Team: Instinct

Turtle: Snapping Turtle

Pronouns: she/her, they/them

How did you first get started in the game industry?

I started out as a Streamer, mainly playing games I enjoyed and then worked my way up through giving feedback to teams as a judge for various game jams. From there I worked with indie groups, participating in Marketing and Quality Assurance.

What is your favorite video game or series?

That’s a tough one. There are lots of wonderful games that I’ve played over the years. For indie titles, I very much enjoy the Rusty Lake series (by Rusty Lake). It’s such an intriguing world they’ve created, weird puzzles, and they’ve got a really talented storytelling team over there.
Honorable mentions: LISA series, Deadly Premonition, FTL: Faster Than Light, Firewatch, and Beat Saber VR

If Akupara could partner with any person, who would you want to work with?

Not a person but a group, I would love it if there was a way to work with the animation group, Knights of the Light Table. Their animation has so much life and personality, old school vibes (dare I say close to Studio Ghibli levels).

What is your proudest accomplishment with Akupara?

Hard to rank my proudest moment lol. I’ve been pretty proud to have been able to help launch several titles with Akupara so far and excited to help launch what we’ve got in the pipeline.

One advice you could give someone who wants to get into the gaming industry.

Don’t let your age deter you from your dreams. Whether you’re young or old, you can join the game industry at any point. The games industry is filled with a variety of talents and walks of life, which come together to bring unique experiences. Start with something small and work your way up.

What were you doing before you joined the game industry?

Before I joined the games industry I was freelancing in Graphic Design and had a day job working in a warehouse for an online shop.

What is your favorite color?

I gravitate towards blue colors but overall, I like cool tones.

What was your favorite subject in school?

In High School, I enjoyed the science classes we had, especially the classes that had a lot of interactive activities.

In college, a lot of my classes were studio classes, so lots of hands-on lessons/assignments. I would probably say that ceramics was the activity I had the most fun in.

Controller or Keyboard?

If there is controller input available for the game, I will usually choose that over keyboard/mouse. It’s just more comfortable for me over long game sessons.
Bonus fact: DualShock PS4 controller is the most comfortable controller for me.

What activities do you enjoy doing?

I like going outdoors; Walking, Hiking, Biking, Snowshoeing.

Console vs PC?

PC. No hate on consoles, though. PC is just more accessible.

If you like to connect with Ash or any other members of Akupara, join the Akupara Discord.