Nic Junius

njunius@ucsc.edu

njunius.github.io

EDUCATION

PhD Computational Media | 2021 - present
University of California, Santa Cruz
Proposed Thesis: "Translating Performance into Computation"
Advisor: Elin Carstensdottir
MFA Digital Arts and New Media | 2019 - 2021
University of California, Santa Cruz
Thesis: "Tracks in Snow: A Digital Play About Judaism and Home"
Advisor: Elizabeth Swensen
MS Computational Media | 2017 - 2019
University of California, Santa Cruz
Thesis: "Puppitor: Building an Acting Interface for Videogames"
Advisor: Noah Wardrip-Fruin
BS Computer Science: Computer Game Design | 2012 - 2016
University of California, Santa Cruz

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • Finalist for Best Student Paper, ICIDS 2022
  • Best Paper, FDG 2021
  • Exceptional Paper, FDG 2020

BOOK CHAPTERS

  1. Academical: A Choice-Based Interactive Storytelling Game for Enhancing Moral Reasoning, Knowledge, and Attitudes in Responsible Conduct of Research. Katelyn M. Grasse, Edward F. Melcer, Max Kreminski, Nick Junius, James Ryan, Noah Wardrip-Fruin. In Games and Narrative: Theory and Practice. Springer, 2021.

CONFERENCE PAPERS

  1. Communal Ritual Play: Repetition and Interpretation of Game Narratives Across Communities. Bjarke A. Larsen, Nic Junius, Elin Carstensdottir. International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (ICIDS) 2023.
  2. Expressive Response Curves: Testing Expressive Game Feel with A*. Nic Junius, Elin Carstensdottir. Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment (AIIDE) 2023.
  3. Constructing a Catbox: Story Volume Poetics in Umineko no Naku Koro Ni. Isaac Karth, Nic Junius, Max Kreminski. International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (ICIDS) 2022, Best Student Paper Nominee.
  4. Playing with the Strings: Designing Puppitor as an Acting Interface for Digital Games. Nic Junius, Michael Mateas, Noah Wardrip-Fruin, Elin Carstensdottir. Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment (AIIDE) 2022.
  5. There Is No Escape: Theatricality in Hades. Nick Junius, Max Kreminski, Michael Mateas. Foundations of Digital Games (FDG) 2021, Best Paper.
  6. Improving Undergraduate Attitudes Towards Responsible Conduct of Research Through an Interactive Storytelling Game. Katelyn M. Grasse, Edward F. Melcer, Max Kreminski, Nick Junius, Noah Wardrip-Fruin. CHI Late Breaking Work 2021.
  7. Getting Academical: A Choice-Based Interactive Storytelling Game for Teaching Responsible Conduct of Research. Edward F. Melcer, Katelyn M. Grasse, James Ryan, Nick Junius, Max Kreminski, Dietrich Squinkifer, Brent Hill, Noah Wardrip-Fruin. Foundations of Digital Games (FDG) 2020, Exceptional Paper.
  8. Teaching Responsible Conduct of Research Through an Interactive Storytelling Game. Edward F. Melcer, James Ryan, Nick Junius, Max Kreminski, Dietrich Squinkifer, Brent Hill, Noah Wardrip-Fruin. CHI Late Breaking Work 2020.
  9. Towards Expressive Input for Character Dialogue in Digital Games. Nick Junius, Michael Mateas, Noah Wardrip Fruin. Foundations of Digital Games (FDG) 2019.
  10. Exploring How Changes in Game Systems Generate Meaning. Batu Aytemiz, Nick Junius, Nathan Altice. Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) 2019.

WORKSHOP PAPERS

  1. Cozy Mystery Construction Kit: Prototyping Toward an AI-Assisted Collaborative Storytelling Mystery Game. Max Kreminski, Devi Acharya, Nick Junius, Elisabeth Oliver, Kate Compton, Melanie Dickinson, Cyril Focht, Stacey Mason, Stella Mazeika, Noah Wardrip-Fruin. FDG Workshop on Procedural Content Generation (PCG Workshop) 2019.
  2. Brigador: Bringing a Dramaturgical Lens to Games. Nick Junius. American Society for Theater Research (ASTR) 2018.

INTERNAL FUNDRAISING

  1. University of California Regent's Fellowship. University of California. $1,952 stipend. Spring 2023.
  2. University of California Regent's Fellowship. University of California. $8,000 stipend plus one quarter of tuition remission. Fall 2021.

CODE LIBRARIES

Puppitor

An interface and character simulation library based on a variety of acting and directing practices with Python and C# versions.
Roles: Programmer, System Designer
Development Period: September 2018 - present

GAMES AND MEDIA EXPERIENCES

Tracks in Snow

An interactive drama visual novel using Puppitor as its core interaction loop and created using Python and Ren’Py.
Roles: Project Lead, Programmer, Designer, Writer, Producer
Development Period: September 2018 - present

Homeward in the Roil

Queer military science-fiction Twine project.
Roles: Setting, Editor, Designer
Development Period: December 2022 - January 2023

One Attempt for the Future

Yuri military science-fiction Twine project.
Roles: Writer, Programmer, Designer
Development Period: December 2022 - January 2023

Unto the Night

Cosmic horror and military science-fiction Twine project.
Roles: Writer, Programmer, Designer
Development Period: March 2020 - September 2020

Fear thy Nature (original version)

Military science-fiction Twine project sharing a cast with Unto the Night.
Roles: Writer, Programmer, Designer
Development Period: February 2020

Academical

A twine project designed to teach new graduate students about conducting research.
Roles: Lead Writer, Editor
Development Period: October 2017 - September 2020

Inure

A 3D bullet hell game built in Unity and C#.
Roles: Project Lead, UI Designer/Programmer, Gameplay Designer/Programmer, Writer
Development Period: September 2015 - June 2016

Breach (original version)

Cosmic horror and military science-fiction Twine project.
Roles: Writer, Programmer, Designer
Work Period: April 2015

S.O.L.E. Desertion

A top-down 2D action game focusing on melee and shooting combat built using ImpactJS.
Roles: Programmer, Level Designer, Artist
Development Period: January 2014 - March 2014

M.A.D.A.S.S. G.O.R.I.L.L.A. Warfare

A sidescrolling 2D shoot 'em up built using Gamemaker.
Roles: Level Designer, Gameplay Programmer, Writer, Artist
Development Period: March 2013 - June 2013

MODS

A Gift that Cannot be Given: a Twitter Poem

A one week project where you make a gift for someone that you cannot give to them.
Roles: Writer, Map Maker, Photographer
Development Period: February 2020

Halo Forge Maps

First person shooter multiplayer maps built using Halo 3 and Halo: Reach's Forge tools.
Roles: Level Designer
Work Period: 2007 - 2012

PLAYS

"Harm's Way"

A stage play about four soldiers trapped in a building, produced in UCSC's 2016 Chautauqua Festival.
Roles: Playwright
Work Period: September 2015 - June 2016

"mindGame"

A stage play about three people's strange and interconnected relationships to each other, produced in UCSC's 2015 Chautauqua Festival.
Roles: Playwright
Work Period: September 2014 - June 2015

INVITED TALKS

San Jose State University (2024)

Play as in Stage Play: Systemic Acting for Interactive Storytelling

University of Alberta (2024)

Play as in Stage Play: Systemic Acting for Interactive Storytelling

Roguelike (2023)

Play as in Stage Play: Designing Dynamic Narrative Moments Through Character Acting

OUTREACH

Twitch Channel

Live streams of single and multiplayer video games with discussions including academic critique and queerness.
Roles: Host, Graphic Designer
Work Period: January 2022 - present

ScholarsPlay

Live streams where the hosts do live academic critique of games.
Roles: Host
Work Period: October 2017 - December 2021

YouTube Channel

Video essays focused on narrative and system design.
Roles: Writer, Editor, Voice Over
Work Period: August 2014 - December 2020

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Graduate Student Researcher - University of California, Santa Cruz

Interaction Dynamics Lab
Fall 2021 - present

Graduate Student Researcher - University of California, Santa Cruz

Digital Arts and New Media Experimental Play Group
Fall 2019 - Spring 2021

Graduate Student Researcher - University of California, Santa Cruz

Expressive Intelligence Studio
Fall 2017 - Summer 2020

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Graduate Student Instructor - University of California, Santa Cruz

ARTG 140 Interactive Writing
Summer 2021
ARTG 140 Interactive Writing
Summer 2020

Teaching Assistant - University of California, Santa Cruz

ARTG 171 Game Design Studio III
Spring 2021
ARTG 171 Game Design Studio II
Winter 2021
ARTG 170 Game Design Studio I
Fall 2020
ARTG 120 Game Design Experience
Spring 2020
ARTG 80H Critical History of Digital Games
Winter 2020
ARTG 80H Critical History of Digital Games
Fall 2019
ARTG 80I Foundations of Play
Spring 2019
ARTG 80H History of Digital Games
Winter 2019
CMPM 146 Game AI
Fall 2018
CMPM 120 Game Design Experience
Summer 2018
CMPM 12B/M Data Structures
Spring 2018
CMPE 12/L Assembly Language
Fall 2017

Lab Tutor - University of California, Santa Cruz

CMPM 120 Game Programming
Spring 2016
CMPE 12/L Assembly Language
Winter 2016
CMPE 12/L Assembly Language
Fall 2015
CMPE 12/L Assembly Language
Spring 2015
CMPE 12/L Assembly Language
Winter 2015
CMPE 12/L Assembly Language
Fall 2014

Tree Frog Treks

Animal Care Trainer
2014 - 2015
Lead Counselor
2012 - 2015
Assistant Counselor
2010 - 2011
Lead Animal Care Teacher
2009 - 2010
Assistant Animal Care Teacher
2007 - 2009
Animal Care Intern
2006 - 2007

PUBLICATION REVIEWS

  • IEEE Transactions on Games (ToG) - 2024
  • AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment (AIIDE) - 2023
  • International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (FDG) - 2021 through 2024
  • International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (ICIDS) - 2020, 2022
  • AIIDE Workshop on Experimental AI in Games (EXAG) - 2019, 2020
  • FDG Workshop on Procedural Content Generation (PCG Workshop) - 2020