MATEO CAYO
PROJECT MANAGER AND GAME DESIGNER
BLOODSHOTS
​Bloodshots is a survival horror where your blood serves as both cure and ammo while you fight to survive inside a mutant-infested laboratory.
Project info
My contribution
As project manager, I coordinated team communications and task distribution, defined milestones with Gantt charts, and navigated challenges and risks to keep the project on track. I also crafted the project pitch, prepared weekly reports, and ensured that both stakeholder feedback and team suggestions shaped our progress.
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As game designer, I shaped the overall player experience, establishing blood as both a central theme and core resource, and conceived the banner “Sacrifice to Survive,” a phrase that defined the project’s design direction. We also conducted three playtesting sessions, in which I was responsible for analyzing the data and making design adjustments, thereby refining the project’s overall focus and direction.
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As level designer, I contributed to level design by ensuring engaging situations and the thoughtful, varied use of game mechanics, making each level a compelling and dynamic gameplay experience.
Experience and lessons learned
Designing Player Experience​
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I learned the importance of defining, from the very beginning of development, the overall user experience and the emotions it aims to evoke in the player, and how having this vision guides decision-making throughout the development process. This insight came from gaining a deeper understanding of the MDA Framework (Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics).
Data-Driven Design
Through the playtesting sessions, I learned to ask the right questions to gather the information needed at each stage of the project, while balancing the number of questions to maintain participant attention and combining both qualitative and quantitative inquiries. I also developed the ability to interpret the results and create an actionable plan based on the insights.
Efficient Collaboration
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I gained a better understanding of the importance of communication channels, recognizing how often this crucial flow is underestimated. I also learned how to manage a team with highly diverse availability schedules and how to use simple, visual tools to share necessary information efficiently, ensuring clarity without overloading the team.
Resilience & Growth
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I learned the importance of resilience and adaptability, especially when facing early organizational challenges. I also came to understand that feedback is not a judgment of failure but an opportunity to improve, serving as a tool to detect and address larger problems. Embracing this mindset allowed me to adapt to obstacles and grow both personally and professionally.