Rosie Gao

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

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AboutMe
CONTACT

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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

Vestibulum Ultricies
Suspendisse Aenean Vestibulum
2023 - 2024

Pellentesque Habitant
‘Morbi Tristique Senectus’
Nunc Euismod Faucibus,
Porta Libero
2024

Volutpat Ultricies
Curabitur Fringilla Ornare,
Duis Quis
(since 2020)

Employment

Academic Roles

Exhibitions

(upcoming) Tincidunt TBA
Ultricies Ultricies,
Congue Nisl
2024

(upcoming) Vestibulum-Vitae
Auctor Ipsum,
Dictumst Ligula,
Porta Libero
2024

Egestas
Condimentum Senectus,
Purus Aliquet,
Porta Libero
2021

Last Updated 25.06.05

Machine Heart
Narrative Designer, Writer

A 2.5D sci-fi puzzle-adventure where you switch between a hunted scientist and a memoryless robot to solve cross-era mysteries that shape humanity’s digital fate.

In Machine Heart, you step into the intertwined destinies of Avis, a rebellious scientist on the run in a neon-lit cyberpunk city, and Vox, a memoryless robot wandering through desolate post-apocalyptic ruins. Across two eras separated by time yet bound by secrets, their stories converge on a conspiracy to upload every human mind into the machine. Only by piecing together their journeys can the fate of humanity be revealed.

Players navigate side-scrolling environments that blend narrative intrigue with interactive challenge. As Avis, players rely on stealth and agility to evade patrols in a cyberpunk city. As Vox, players decode memory chips hidden in post-apocalyptic ruins to piece together forgotten histories. Many puzzles span across timelines, requiring information discovered in one era to solve challenges in the other. Players must combine careful observation, problem-solving, and reflexes to uncover the layered connection between past and future.

Machine heart was released on Steam after debuting at USC Games Expo 2023, earning positive reviews from players.

Info

Duration: May 2022 - May 2023
Genre: Sci-fi Puzzle-Adventure，Cyberpunk，Stealth，Side-scroller，Story-rich
Platform：PC, Mac
Engine：Unity
Link: Steam Page
Role: Narrative Designer, Writer

Contributions

Designed Vox’s opening scrapyard scene and props, authoring item descriptions and collaborating with artists to shape tone, atmosphere and worldbuilding. Proposed its use to foreshadow supporting character Morte’s fate through environmental storytelling.

Wrote dialogue for Avis’s motorcycle chase sequence, integrating character development and conflict into the tense gameplay flow while advancing the story. Defined this as Morte’s final scene, completing his arc and linking back to the scrapyard foreshadowing.

See more:
[Narrative Design in Machine Heart →]