Head Count: Steven Dunn

Steven Dunn wears many hats as one of our technical programmers, handling non-gameplay tasks like networks, tools, and web programming. He discovered his passion when he began programming on his school computer at 15, writing code that would solve his math homework. Before coming to work at the studio, Steven worked with actual human heads as a medical researcher studying morphological changes in the brain! His favorite part about working at Human Head is the studio’s tightly-knit, supportive atmosphere. When asked what he enjoys doing outside of programming, Steven laughed — but he admits that he also loves rifle/pistol shooting and playing the guitar.

Advice for Aspiring Programmers

“Think like a creator, not a consumer. I can literally find hundreds of thousands of people (maybe more) that think they can make valuable contributions to the game industry because they’ve played a lot of video games. Unless you’re an esports competitor or a professional streamer playing games is, by itself, completely worthless. Completely. Even for design roles, since you likely haven’t been playing all those games with a sufficiently critical and analytical perspective. It’s far more valuable to be a programmer, artist, or business professional with no understanding of gaming than it is to be a gamer who has no relevant skills. Of course, the best is someone that is both, and it’s what you should aspire towards: being a skilled professional in the games industry that has an understanding of gaming both from the perspective of your discipline and that of a consumer, so you can bridge the gap between them, and consequently create a better product.”

Three Games that Everyone Should Play:

“There’s no one size fits all, especially if you’re looking at games for inspiration and direction. Same as with books or movies, it’s best to find what speaks to you and then follow the threads across time, genre, and studio. But I can tell you my favorites:

1. Deus Ex (the original)

I’m personally drawn to immersive, interactive spaces full of open-endedness and meaningful choice. Deus Ex not only pioneered that, but they did it as perfectly as anyone was able at the time. In fact, I find the entire series (even the questionable entries) more interesting and compelling than most titles.

2. Fallout: New Vegas

I love traditional Americana. I love post-apocalyptic settings. I love westerns. I love vintage scifi movies. And I love guns. It’s like Josh Sawyer designed this game just for me. It’s also notable for having the most realistic gunplay I’ve seen in a game, which is all the more interesting because it’s not a genuine shooter at all. Most games treat firearms with the same degree of seriousness RPGs treat medieval weapons and armor (viz. without even the slightest hint of plausibility). F:NV instead creates guns that feel like actual guns, and I love them for it.

3. Chrono Trigger

My favorite game as a child. I used a Nintendo Power guide to get all the endings. I’ve never played it since, because I know I’ll just view it critically and it will all fall apart in my mind.”