🦸‍♀️ Queens of the Kingdom: Val_Kyrie

Crazy Cat Lad

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As part of our Women's Month celebration in the Community, we've interviewed some of the most interesting Queens of the Kingdom. Here's one of those interviews! Sit back and get ready for some girl power!

"Don’t let anybody tell you that you don’t belong in this space. You are needed in this space."

Wanna meet our game and narrative designer @Val_Kyrie ? Among her responsibilities at King, there's the game and system design, as well as the development of the background stories, plots and character biographies, and the dialogue and in-game texts.

Let's pass the mic to her:

"Hey everyone, I‘m Val! I’m a game designer and narrative designer on Candy Crush Saga and Jelly."

💫 What was your dream job as a child?

I wanted to become a comic artist. Now I apply that passion for storytelling to games.

💫 What do you like about your job and working at King? 

I work in a very international, talented and friendly team. Every new challenge is tackled with passion, sensibility and teamwork. I learn a lot about the medium everyday – may that be while working or during lunch break, talking about the newest games! King is very dedicated to helping their employees grow, and that shows on a day-to-day basis.

💫 What are challenges women face in the gaming industry?

It’s the usual. Having to work twice as hard to get half the credit. Being underestimated, having opinions questioned and getting less speaking time during meetings and events. A lot of game design philosophies have been built under the assumption that your target audience is always male (which is absolutely not true) – and alternative approaches can be undervalued or ignored. This is true to varying degrees, depending on the company you’re in, and it’s getting better. I’ve had a very positive experience working at King.

💫 Any advice for the women out there wanting to join a gaming company? 

Just do your thing, make friends and support each other. Watch out for each other and share knowledge. The industry is slowly getting more diverse. Don’t let anybody tell you that you don’t belong in this space. You are needed in this space.

💫 Do you have a motto? If yes, want to share it? 

Whenever I’m scared to do something, I say yes anyway and let future me deal with that. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. But also: Learn when to say no.

💫 Who inspires you and why? 

I’m inspired by artists and craftspeople of every medium, but also people in General and their thoughts and lives. When it comes to work, I’m inspired by colleagues who help others grow and build metaphorical bridges. Making games is a team sport, and this is sometimes a more crucial need for a good product than knowing everything about a specific topic.

Thanks so much, @Val_Kyrie , for this inspiring interview!! ❤️

Now it's time to share some love with her below, Community crew!!

And if you want to read more awesome female Kingster interviews, check them out here!!

firebombmarkus

Hi @Val_Kyrie and welcome to our adorable Community 😊 It's a pleasure to meet you here! I love love love your motto 😍 I am still struggling to jump into situations I am afraid of but this has definitely inspired me to do it more. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Sending you love and hugs ❤️🤗

_Elsa_

Welcome @Val_Kyrie to our community! Woiuld you mind sharing with us exactly what you do as a game designer and narrative designer? You aren't designing the levels are you? As a narrative designer are you helping design the outfits for the characters? What type of stories do you design for both games?