Kate Killick

BAFTA-winning game designer specialising in
 educational & kid-friendly games.

Hello,
I'm an experienced freelance game designer.  I’ve worked in games for around 15 years, for clients ranging from one-person teams up to global household names like Netflix, Lego and CBBC. 

My Services

I provide game design for any stage of development - concept, pitching, early prototypes, launch, or even post-launch improvements and troubleshooting.​ For example:

Creative Direction
Clarify your high level vision with design pillars, audience personas and core feature design.

UX & Gameplay Design
Propose mechanics & refine interactions. Create wireframes, storyboards and written spec that can be handed over to developers to implement.

Hands-On Work
Get in-engine (Unity) to review the game, tweak & balance, or even create interactive prototypes to validate ideas.

Playtesting Support
Plan testing sessions, analyse feedback and recommend next steps.

Analysis
Review your game's design, troubleshoot problems with your KPIs, or create a breakdown of competitor games.

Business & Development Process
Provide guidance on your development process, such as how to organise milestones and prioritise features for MVP.

Selected Showcase

Hopster Apps & Games

2-6 years /  Multiple Mini-games  / Concept to Launch

Top-selling kids app full of educational games, TV shows, e-books and more.  I redesigned the mobile app from scratch and the TV app that won  Apple TV App of the Year. I also worked on the team creating sensory mini-games like   Sense and  Bubble Beat .   

Dettol - Hygiene Quest

6-9 years / Hygiene Education / Concept & Design

Web based mini-games, animated episodes and an accompanying printable card game, created as part of a Dettol campaign to improve hygiene education in classrooms across the world. The programme was featured at COP26  and rolled out to  36k teachers worldwide . I helped develop the original IP and designed gameplay for a web-based handwashing game. More about the programme.

Sky Live - Beep Beep Bop 

Family Fun / Concept & Prototyping

Finalist in both Family & Kids, and Games categories at the Lovie Awards, Beep Beep Bop brings  family fun to the living room. Using the Sky Live camera, players can jump, wave and dance in front of their TV to compete in a series of mini-games. I worked on the early stage concepts and prototyping of game mechanics in Unity.  More about the project.

Vocabulary Ninja Mini Games

6-11 years / Vocabulary Building / Concept to Launch

I joined a small team to deliver a set of 4 vocabulary building mini-games based on the established methods and brand of Vocabulary Ninja - in only 12 weeks! 

FAQs

How do you work - what type of contracts do you offer?

I can offer an hourly rate (e.g. for ad-hoc consultation) or a day rate (e.g. to help you deliver a specific milestone over a few weeks or months). I can work independently, slot into an existing team, or bring on board and manage my own collaborators to provide a full development service.

Can you create artwork for my game?

I specialise in game design, which covers areas like game mechanics, interactions and systems design, rather than visual design. However, I can provide stylised 2D art and interface design - or bring on a collaborator who specialises in game art. 

Can you build my game?

In short - yes! I have experience leading game dev teams, and can bring on and manage developers as needed.

Where are you based & can you work on-site?

I am based in the UK and work fully remote. Occasional on-site visits may be possible within the South East in cases where the work absolutely cannot be carried out remotely.

My game is not educational. Can you still help?

Yes! I have experience in non-educational games, particularly in web and mobile. Book a call today to tell me about your project.

What's your working schedule/hours?

I typically work within normal UK office hours, but can accommodate meetings outside of these hours if needed. 

What tools & platforms do you work with?

I've made games for PC, web and mobile and am most familiar with the Unity game engine. Other tools I typically work with include Miro, Adobe Creative Suite, Notion, Github and Slack.

I'm looking for a full-time/permanent employee - are you interested?

I'm not looking to move away from freelance, but you're welcome to get in touch with a relevant remote role if you think you can change my mind!

Credits & Experience

Unannounced Eco Game

GAME DESIGN

2024 (6 months)

Unannounced

GAME DESIGN

2024 (2 months)

Pieced Together

GAME DESIGN

2024 (ongoing)

Smoothie Odyssey

GAME CONCEPT DESIGN

2023 (3 months)

Star Stuff

UX SUPPORT

2022 (3 months)

Unannounced Puzzle Game

UX SUPPORT

2023 (4 weeks)

Unannounced Coding Game

GAME CONCEPT & DESIGN

2022 (2 months)

Secondary Curriculum Game

MINIGAME DESIGN

2023 (3 months)

Hygiene Quest

CONCEPT & MINIGAME DESIGN

2021 (3 months)

Beep Beep Bop

CONCEPT & PROTOTYPE

2021 (3 months)

Vocabulary Ninja Mini Games

MINIGAME DESIGN

2019 (3 months)

Mojiworks Games

GAME DESIGN / GAME LEAD

2017 - 2020

Hopster

APP & GAME DESIGN

2015 - 2017

Untitled Doctor Who Game

CONCEPT

2014 (4 weeks)

Mush

GAME DESIGN

2011