Open to opportunities

Samuel Liberty

@samuelliberty

Message

Senior game designer specializing in applied games and behavioral systems for health and education.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I seek roles designing applied games and behavioral systems at mission-driven organizations, leading cross-functional teams, and driving measurable real-world outcomes.

I am a Senior Game Designer with 12+ years creating applied games and behavioral systems across health, education, and humanitarian contexts, proven to ship projects with measurable real-world impact. I have led and mentored cross-functional teams of 20+ designers and developers, built documentation and testing systems, and designed game economies and scoring systems for large-scale health and educational deployments.

My work spans digital therapeutics, global educational simulations, and humanitarian preparedness, with collaborations including Sidekick Health, World Bank, UNICEF, DARPA, and academic partners. I focus on research-driven, user-centered, and data-informed design that drives measurable outcomes and sustainable team practices.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Applied Game Designer

Current

Various Clients

Jan 2016 - Present (9 years 8 months)

Consulted on applied games and behavioral systems for health tech, pharma, and research organizations, delivering digital therapeutics, global health training, and UX research with measurable engagement outcomes.

UX Research Prototyping Stakeholder Management Evaluation

Current

Visiting Lecturer

Current

Northeastern University

Jan 2016 - Present (9 years 8 months)

Teach game design and research courses, directed student teams on VR/AR projects, and led design on a $2M game-based research grant for the Defense Department with strong student placement outcomes.

Teaching Curriculum Development VR Unity Mentorship

Lead Game Designer

Sidekick Health

Jan 2021 - Dec 2023 (2 years 11 months)

Led design of gamified engagement systems for a digital health platform, building and mentoring a 20+ cross-functional team and creating health scoring and game-economy systems for a pharmaceutical launch.

Game Design Team Leadership Unity Systems Design User Research Documentation Agile

Design Researcher & Co-founder

Extra Ludic

Jan 2016 - Dec 2021 (5 years 11 months)

Co-founded a serious games studio delivering research and humanitarian games, collaborating with DARPA, universities, and NGOs to build simulations and AR tools for resilience and preparedness.

Serious Games Research Collaboration Simulation Partnership Development Humanitarian Design Prototyping Evaluation

Senior Game Writer & Designer

Engagement Lab @ Emerson College

Jan 2012 - Dec 2016 (4 years 11 months)

Designed global educational and health games reaching tens of thousands across 100+ countries, driving a 1000% funding increase for the lab and delivering interventions that produced measured health improvements.

Educational Gaming Health Education Project Management Stakeholder Engagement Evaluation