Rosie Gao

I’m a game narrative designer,
an interactive media storyteller

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Education

University of Southern California
Game and Interactive Media MFA
2022 - 2025

New York University (NYU)
B.A. in Interactive Media Arts,
Minor in Creative Writing

Shanghai / New York
Sep 2017 – May 2021 (COVID-19 adjusted)

Project Experience

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2023 - 2024

Pellentesque Habitant
‘Morbi Tristique Senectus’
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Porta Libero
2024

Volutpat Ultricies
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(since 2020)

Employment

Academic Roles

Exhibitions

(upcoming) Tincidunt TBA
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2024

(upcoming) Vestibulum-Vitae
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2024

Egestas
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Purus Aliquet,
Porta Libero
2021

Last Updated 25.06.05

Grandma Green
Writer, UI Designer

A 2D cozy gardening simulation mobile game where a lonely grandma discovers her magic green thumb can grow plant golems that bring companionship and joy.

Grandma Green follows the story of a widowed grandma who moves to Hickory Hollow to pursue her dream of tending a garden. Isolated after the loss of her loved ones, she unexpectedly discovers her thumb is truly magical—capable of growing whimsical fruit, flower, and vegetable golems. Each golem carries its own personality and story arc, exploring struggles often shared by older people, such as memory loss or loneliness. Through these newfound companions, Grandma gradually rediscovers belonging, purpose, and the healing power of kindness.

Players nurture a customizable garden filled with hundreds of plant varieties, unlocking whimsical golems through care and crossbreeding mechanics inspired by Mendelian genetics. Each plant’s genotype can be inspected to guide the growth of unique colors, shapes, and hybrids. As players cultivate their gardens, they unlock stories with golems, balance gardening tasks with emotional bonds, and experience the joy of creation and companionship in a magical world.

Grandma Green has reached a wide audience since launch, earning a 4.2/5 rating from over 200 players on the iOS App Store. The game was featured in the USC Games Expo 2023, where it drew attention for its heartfelt narrative and charming plant golems. Across multiple platforms, the project has built an engaged player community with the TikTok channel alone reaching over 44.8K followers and 1.1M likes, alongside other active social channels like Instagram and YouTube.

Info

Duration: May 2022 - May 2023
Genre: Farming Simulation, Collect-a-thon, Aging Representation, Affective Game Design
Platform：Mobile
Engine：Unity
Link: iOS App Store
Role: Writer, UI Designer

Contributions

Designed and wrote the full dialogue set for the Crocus golem , creating a quirky and shy personality with humor and anxiety woven into the arc, while ensuring the writing fit gameplay pacing, integrated with art assets, and deepened themes of aging and regret through evolving character relationship.

Created the initial UI layout and interaction flow for the in-game shop, producing early wireframes and art assets. Ensured usability while aligning with art direction.

See more:
[Narrative Design in Grandma Green →] [UI Design in Grandma Green →]