Natasha Ianchina Hansen

Role: Producer

Tools I used: Unity, Voxel, Trello, Canva, Photoshop

Time on project: 6 weeks

Cartridge Rebel is a unique roguelike deckbuilding platformer developed at IT University of Copenhagen, blending the strategic depth of card games with fast-paced 2D platforming action. Players wield a mechanical arm to battle corporate drones in a cyberpunk-inspired voxel world, where success depends on both quick reflexes and clever deck construction.

As the Producer and contributing artist, I managed a diverse team of five using a modified Scrum framework drawn from my experience at PricewaterhouseCoopers. I implemented a comprehensive project management system using Discord for communication and Trello for task tracking, with an innovative bot integration that kept the entire team updated on task progress in real-time. My approach to leadership emphasized transparency and trust – I took the initiative to share my own challenges with the team, creating an environment where everyone felt comfortable discussing their struggles and needs.

Beyond my production role, I contributed to the game’s visual identity by creating voxel assets using MagicaVoxel and collaborating on the game’s distinctive logo. Working alongside our technical team, I helped with level dressing and gameplay mechanics implementation, showcasing the value of a producer who can bridge the gap between creative vision and technical execution.

One of my proudest achievements was successfully preventing crunch through careful time management and workload monitoring. By implementing a system where tasks included time estimates and capping additional work at two hours per sprint, we maintained a healthy work-life balance while delivering a polished game. Though we faced challenges with our ambitious scope – particularly around system complexity and build testing – my focus on open communication and strategic prioritization helped us navigate these obstacles effectively.

The project stands as a testament to the power of trust-based leadership and cross-disciplinary collaboration. While my relative inexperience with game development presented some challenges in estimating technical tasks, it also drove me to foster an environment where team members could learn from each other’s expertise, resulting in innovative solutions like our ScriptableObject workflow that empowered designers to create complex card effects independently.