Jacob Klitz
Game Designer, 3D Modeler, Environmental Storyteller, Art History Lover
A Little About Me!
I am a game designer focusing on level design, 3D asset creation, and telling stories through levels and architecture. My intent with my work is to focus on discomfort, and I create spaces that both support a theme as well as assist in teaching players something that can be applied to their lives. Video games are a powerful tool for teaching, it’s just a matter of figuring out how to utilize it effectively without being too trivial.
Walt Disney is one of the most successful designers of the last century, and that thought is based entirely on the design of Disneyland. Disneyland, other theme/amusement parks, and themed architecture in general are sources of inspiration because they create real-life video game levels. Guests become players in an expansive open-world adventure, and they decide where to go, what to do, and how they want to advance their own narrative. The Imagineering philosophy of creating immersive spaces highlighted by the worlds and lands created within Disney parks like Disneyland are at the forefront of my mind when designing a space.
This world is tough, and one way to cope with pain is humor. When considering narrative and telling a story, there are instances when humor may be deemed as, “inappropriate,” but I find it essential to have a touch of fun and nonsense when dealing with a hard truth. Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, Milton Berle, and all the comedians from Vaudeville until the 1990s are some of my biggest inspirations, and their styles of humor creep into my designs constantly. In fact, humor is the direct influence for my social handle, “imthinkinpasta.” That handle came from an old episode of, “Family Feud,” where a contestant answered a prompt incorrectly, but his delivery was so confident, “I’m thinking pasta,” that I was rolling on the floor! I see so many artists branding themselves in serious manners, but that just isn’t me.
When I am not designing, I keep myself busy with playing videogames (Arkham City is my favorite, but I play an embarrassing amount of Overwatch), I play the piano, I have dabbled in drag performance, and I try to stay healthy physically with regular walks, gym visits, and bike rides. I also love my dogs and my guinea pigs more than most things!