Meet David Thompson
Game Director • Systems Designer • UGC Strategist • Educator
Crafting bold gameplay experiences, leading passionate teams, and building the future of play.
About David
David Thompson: A game industry leader
Who am I?
I’m David Thompson — a Game Director, Senior Systems Designer, and Producer with over 14 years of experience in professional game development and a lifelong passion for RTS, modding, and cinematic gameplay experiences.
From directing large-scale passion projects like Tiberian Sun Rising, to shipping commercial hits like My Little Pony: Magic Princess (83M+ players), to leading product and SDK development for mod.io (powering UGC in Baldur’s Gate 3, Homeworld 3, and more) — I bring a rare hybrid of creative leadership, systems depth, and technical fluency.
I thrive at the intersection of vision-setting, gameplay feel, and team execution — and I believe great games emerge from empowered teams, clear direction, and a deep respect for player experience.
Career Highlights & Impact
20+ years of RTS expertise
8 Shipped Titles across PC, console, mobile, and VR
Game Director of Tiberian Sun Rising, a 17-year total conversion praised by the C&C community and ModDB
UGC Strategist at mod.io — delivered SDKs/tools now powering 2.1B+ mod downloads
Design Lead on My Little Pony Magic Princess, 87 Million Players and 13+ Years Live
Educator at Box Hill Institute, mentoring hundreds of students across game development and programming
Advocate for modders, neurodiverse talent, and non-traditional game dev pathways
What Drives Me
Gameplay clarity and how systems communicate with players
Creative collaboration, especially across disciplines
Pushing genres forward — whether it’s RTS, modding ecosystems, or narrative-rich action
Empowering others — as a mentor, leader, and community advocate
🎓 Teaching & Mentorship
Teaching is part of my craft. As a lecturer at Box Hill Institute, I helped shape nationally recognised curriculum for C#, Unreal, Unity, and design. I love helping others find their creative voice and technical foundation — and I bring that same mindset when leading teams.
🧪 Outside the Studio
When I’m not designing games, I’m baking sourdough, reading sci-fi/fantasy, practising karate (brown belt!), or exploring the world — most recently Japan, which continues to fuel my love of craft and culture.
🚀 Let’s Build Something
If you’re looking for a hands-on Game Director with a deep systems brain, love for genre history, and experience leading teams to deliver high-quality, meaningful games — I’d love to connect.
Ready to Craft Your Next Gaming Masterpiece?
Get in touch with me today to talk about your project and unlock your game’s potential. I also provide consultations on game design, modding, user-generated content, and developing creator communities for your game. Don’t hesitate to reach out and schedule a time!