Peter, who graduated from the University in 2015 with a BSc in Games Development, is realising an ambition he has held since childhood by self-publishing his own games, developing ideas for his employers Electric Gamebox and taking part in gamejams for his own enjoyment.

Under the pseudonym BigHandInSky, Peter released his first game for profit in late 2020 – titled A Forgetful Loop – which he subsequently submitted to the Palestinian Aid and Queer Games bundles earlier this year. The puzzle game sees the player join a team of scientists and engineers in Hope Labs, working against the clock to fix a broken machine.

For Peter, releasing his own creation on gaming platforms itch.io and Steam is the beginning of an exciting long-term project. He said:

“I’ve wanted to make games since I was a kid – I think I got one of my brother’s consoles, then the idea resonated ever since. Making A Forgetful Loop felt like a real catharsis for that young kid’s dreams.

“It’s the first game I’ve developed to sell for money, but through various other projects such as gamejams – fun challenges where you work to a theme to create a game in a set amount of time – I’ve probably made about a dozen now.

“Including the game in the Palestinian Aid and Queer Games bundles was also really pleasing. The Palestinian Aid bundle did amazingly, comprising of over 1,200 games and making almost $900,000 for the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) – to be even a tiny drop in a group of developers that made that happen was a good feeling.

“For the Queer Games bundle, that’s more close to home. I wanted to be a part of a community project that I hope to be more involved with in the future.

“My current plan is to keep working on a game each year to build up a library of cool stuff, working towards the end result of being fully independent. However, that's a lot easier said than done, especially if I want to contract other folks to work on the games with me.”

Alongside his personal projects, Peter works for Electric Gamebox, an immersive group gaming company in London. It is the third gaming business he has worked for since graduating, having also completed stints at Playdeo and Luton-based AiSolve.

Peter now has over six years’ experience in the industry, and is keen to share his advice for those hoping to follow in his footsteps from the University. He continued:

“For students at the University now who are interested in getting into the industry, I’d really recommend getting into gamejams – throwing yourself into the fire to experience getting a “complete” game made. This forces you to engage with a games entire list of requirements, rather than just its coding or its design.

“Ask your tutors if they know any former students who are working nearby, or near where you live, and try and get an internship. Start-ups are great places to learn at a much faster rate than a “normal” job, but keep an eye on your stress levels!”

Dr Marcia Gibson, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science and Technology at the University, taught Peter during his time at Beds. She commented:

"I’m very pleased to hear of another graduate going on to have success, both in gaining employment within the games industry and also going on to release independently. It’s a massive achievement and wonderful to think that Peter’s time at the University has helped him to turn his dedication and passion for games development into a successful career.

“I’d like to take the opportunity to personally congratulate Peter on the release of A Forgetful Loop and relate my wholehearted best wishes for the future. Everybody in the School of Computer Science and Technology is rooting for you!"

Peter looks back on his time at Beds as a period when he was able to experience each of the aspects involved in games development, which set him up well for a career in the industry. He concluded:

“My Games Development course at Beds helped a bunch in getting into games development. When I did it it was a general development course, covering phases of development such as coding, art, design and production.

“Looking back it was just the right broadness to give me some experience across the whole production cycle – which is important, when there are hundreds of steps to making a single game.”

Next in line for the BigHandInSky games library is A Day of Maintenance, which Peter hopes to release this year.

To follow Peter’s career in games development, follow him on Twitter @BigHandInSky.

For details about courses within the University’s School of Computer Science and Technology, visit: www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/departments/computing