Meet Noah Bellemare, Game Developer & Producer

When did you start with Resilient Games Studio (RGS), and what do you enjoy most about the game studio? 

I began working with RGS in September of 2022, just as the Step Up project was entering its second phase. I love how the studio focuses on making games that incorporate complex real-world issues into their design. I have always been a huge fan of games that traditionally involve “non-game” subjects. However, my definite favorite thing about RGS is the people behind it. Both my direct teammates at RGS and the wider teams at the University of Chicago and The Ohio State University have been fantastic to work with and get to know; being able to design and develop alongside such a great group has been an incredible experience.

How did you first become interested in programming, and what do you like most about it? 

I’ve been interested in game design since my hands were big enough to comfortably use a mouse and keyboard. Still, other than a few unsuccessful forays into Scratch at a young age, I never really got into programming until college. Once in college, however, I was fortunate enough to have a fantastic programming professor whose enthusiasm for his field was infectious. After my first “Intro to Programming” class, I felt I had found one of my calling in life. For something that I had never really tried before, it felt almost as natural as breathing once I gave it an honest go. My favorite thing about programming, and many other things in general, is how it presents itself as a puzzle of sorts. Every task or problem is simply a matter of figuring out how to talk to the computer in a language it can understand and then telling it precisely what you need for it to do. I will forever be stumped by Rubik’s Cubes, but programming is the kind of challenge puzzle I will never turn down. It’s just so fun to see your hard work translate into results on the screen!

Do you have any advice for emerging programmers? What’s the one piece of career advice you would share with them? 

Be curious, and don’t be afraid to fail! Time and time again, the practice that has brought me the most success is the ability to throw proverbial spaghetti at the wall just to see if it works. Sometimes all it takes is trying different ways of doing something until you eventually stumble upon the one that works best, even if it’s not even close to the way you tried at first!

Every programmer inevitably reaches a point where they hit a roadblock in a project, and the only reliable method I have observed overcoming these blocks is being able to try, fail, and try again (and ask for help if you need it!). The best advice I can offer career-wise is to try and show your ingenuity. I would rather have a programmer who can solve one problem they didn’t prepare for than one who can translate a hundred issues. While being versed in common design principles is undoubtedly good, nobody will go their entire career without encountering at least one problem they’ve never seen before. Being able to think outside the box and keep light on your toes is key to navigating such things, and many jobs want someone who can adapt to myriad situations!

What’s your favorite game, and does it inspire your game programming at RGS? 

I am a true believer in the idea that video games have the highest potential for consumer immersion and narrative investment among the many modern art forms. My favorite game is one I played only very recently, right around the time I started at RGS, called Disco Elysium. In a nutshell, it’s a role-playing detective noir game with a heavy emphasis on dialogue, strong character development, and interpersonal relationships. It presents a perfect blend of thought-provoking and emotionally-charged narrative moments with a simple yet fun gameplay framework that makes for the single most satisfying and emotionally moving experience I have ever found in a game (of which I have played many!). Because of the nature of the games, RGS makes, being heavily focused on dialogue, narrative, and thought-provoking messages, I try my best to take what I have learned from playing Disco Elysium and bring it to RGS. 

That is the kind of potential that I love to see realized in games like Elysium and the projects here at RGS.

What’s your day-to-day like at RGS? Feel free to share specific projects, tasks related to Caduceus Quest,and/or Step Up work. 

My day-to-day can vary depending on what is needed for each game. I focus primarily on Step Up and shift to working on Caduceus Quest whenever I’ve finished up the given day/week’s project for Step Up. Regardless of which game I’m working on, I begin my day by assessing the most critical tasks on my to-do list to keep myself focused and organized on what most needs doing. There’s also the occasional Step Up team meeting where we collaboratively discuss where everybody is and what direction we need to head next. For Step Up, I’ve been working on developing and expanding upon the underlying systems for gameplay. Things like the dialogue system or basic minigame features, as well as production work such as assembling a schedule for the RGS team based on what needs to be done and RGS Game Designer, Mason Arrington’s. feedback and instruction. I am also working on returning to the Caduceus Quest demo previously made by the RGS team and renovating it. Such as fixing bugs or issues and cleaning up some of the code or design layout to make it easier to alter or add on to later by a larger team.