About
Dan, a Forbes 30 Under 30 awarded video games creator, began his career in the games…
Activity
8K followers
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Dan Da Rocha shared this2011 vs 2026 Great to return to TGS 15 years later! #tokyogameshow
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Dan Da Rocha shared thisGamescom 2026 is a wrap! A wicked time catching up with biz pals and dev friends from across the globe. It’s been few years so it was good to get back onto German ground.
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Dan Da Rocha reposted thisDan Da Rocha reposted thisWhat a lovely bunch of mentors we have planned for the Game Grove Incubator coming this summer! If you know any students or recent grads in the San Jose / Santa Cruz area, let them know!
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Dan Da Rocha shared thisWhat an amazing week at Summer Game Fest in LA. It was my first time attending and I’ll definitely be back. Things kicked off with GamesBeat Live, followed by the BAFTA US Juneteenth mixer, the main SGF show, The Mix, IGN Live, The Game Business Live and finishing up with Play Days. Many, many highlights so keeping this one high level!
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Dan Da Rocha shared thisHad a most excellent time at the BAFTA Games Nominees party last week! Congrats to all the winners and nominees.
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Dan Da Rocha shared thisFantastic to be back at GDC after such a long time! A jam packed week of great catch ups, new learnings, inspiring talks, many meetings, karaoke, and far too many photos to post here ha.
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Dan Da Rocha reposted thisDan Da Rocha reposted thisKicked off GDC week with a little 5 aside game ⚽ Thank you Diego Agurto for organising what will hopefully become a yearly tradition! Great game all and pleasure meeting you all John Dickens Dan Da Rocha Kieran Lampert �� GDC Ferdinand Pons Giovane R. Adrian Novell Frick Luciano Zacarias #GDC #GDC26 #gaming
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Dan Da Rocha liked thisDan Da Rocha liked thisDidn't feel like a run this morning. Lots to get on with, so it would have been easy to skip and get straight on the laptop. Health matters for the long game so I got on the NordicTrack anyway. 35 minutes through the Alps and I'm glad I did. #BuildingSomething #NowPlaying Papa Roach – Swerve 😎🤘
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Dan Da Rocha liked thisDan Da Rocha liked thisHalf Term / Packing ready to move house / Company is on the Isle of Wight. . . .only one thing for it. Take the family with me to STAINLESS HQ. The first time I came down was to understand the company, this time is to get to know the people who create the magic. I'm still happily green/naive in this line of work. If anyone in my network is up for a chat to tell me how Co-Dev works at your studio, reach out I'm all ears. We're looking for projects that can utilise our Coders, Artists and Designers.
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Dan Da Rocha liked thisDan Da Rocha liked thisFully-funded opportunity for UK games industry professionals to attend Pocket Gamer Jordan! I have a fully-funded opportunity for 2 UK-based gaming professionals or companies to head to Amman, Jordan for Pocket Gamer. The Offer: Your event ticket, return flights, and accommodation will be 100% paid for. The Details: Event Dates: November 7th–8th (Fly out on the 6th, return on the 9th) Focus: The event heavily features mobile games. Obligation: Zero. There is no requirement to speak on panels or give talks. Your only goal is to attend, network, and meet talented developers in the region. Eligibility & Deadline: 1) You or your company must be based in the UK. 2) You should be open to signing/investing in a mobile game developed from the region. 3) Because of the travel logistics, I need someone who can commit and confirm within the next 24 hours. If you are available and interested, send me a DM immediately and I will connect you directly with the booking team to sort your travel. Help me spread the word: If you cannot make it, please tag any UK-based professionals you know that meet the eligibility above in the comments who should jump on this, or hit reshare to boost visibility. Time is of the essence!
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Dan Da Rocha liked thisDan Da Rocha liked thisPINS!!! Guys, I finally did it, the Pin Board is full. Thanks to everyone who donated, stuck pins into my hands at shows. A truly global effort! Onto Pin Board 2: The Pinering
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Dan Da Rocha liked thisDan Da Rocha liked thisI've been thinking about my last few posts... hope for the industry, bringing the right energy into your work and building high trust teams. I truly believe in all of it! I also know how uncertain the world feels now for many people, in games and so many other industries, especially when you have family and loved ones relying on you, financially and emotionally. Uncertainty can come from anywhere; job loss, not finding the next role, project cancellations, studio closures, a new boss, health, or just life throwing life things at you. And it can be really disorientating to who you are and the plans you had. Now, it's easy to point and say "sure, but you've had success and been well paid in high profile jobs, it's different for you!" and that's fair, I've been fortunate. But uncertainty doesn't care about your past wins or future potential. I reflect back to Midway's bankruptcy in 2009, being responsible for a studio of people and their families, and when I didn't succeed it left me with colleagues I felt at the time I'd failed, a bunch of debt, unpaid expenses and a flat in Newcastle I had to exit from, with the burden of not knowing what was next for me or them. What I did was help where I could, connect people to opportunities, reset myself and reach out to people I knew and trusted to explore options. Many team members of mine over the years have dealt with all sorts of life issues too, and your job as a leader, friend or trusted colleague is to give them a bit of your energy when they need it and support them by absorbing some of their challenges. What works for me in the hardest times is to focus inwardly on me and create a plan, then spend a little time in something that gives me energy. For me that was always music, but it could be a film, a game, walking the dogs or hitting the gym. Filter the noise and step away from doom scrolling and negative headlines. Grab a whiteboard or notepad and get it out of your head... what can I control, what's out of my control, where can I help myself? I've done this with many leaders during tough moments over the years, I've just drawn up an example if it helps you get started. Remember who you are and what you have achieved, this is not reflected in your current situation. Trust matters here too! Get some help and advice from someone who brings good energy to you, has your back and gives you the right amount of challenge to your thinking. Hope and worry can sit side by side, and I still believe the right people trusting each other can build something together on the other side of tough moments. #NowPlaying Shinedown – I'll Follow You 😎🤘
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Dan Da Rocha liked thisDan Da Rocha liked thisLooks like Team17 are continuing their run of incredible announcements this year with another banger: I've been promoted to Senior Brand Marketing Manager! 🥳 🥳 🥳 There have been far too many exciting projects and highlights to share during my time here, and frankly I only managed to fit about half of them in the picture below. Next stop? More brilliant New Release campaigns.
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Dan Da Rocha liked thisDan Da Rocha liked thisNextFest final score: Curve 2 AI Slop 0. Coyote House Games' Dumpster Gang and Wayfinder Studios' Wyldheart both in top 20 after Steam's week-long event. Amongst, get this... 8,009 others. And whilst Wishlists these days are a shallow like rather than firm purchase indicator, totals are at 240k and 540k so far. The market is tough. Every release has jeopardy. But you have to believe. Good luck to everyone hustling as winter approaches.
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Dan Da Rocha liked thisDan Da Rocha liked thisThanks Kahlil Schweitzer for having Super Crowd GmbH at the wonderful MCM Comicon London last Weekend. Our event designer Friederike Lang and me really had an inspiring time. Apart from the sheer masses of creative content and visitors, we really appreciated your extra mile on making the show accessible to so many audiences! Congrats to a great show :)
Experience & Education
Publications
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Q.U.B.E. (Quick Understanding of Block Extrusion)
Toxic Games
Set in a mysterious and abstract sterile environment, Q.U.B.E. (Quick Understanding of Block Extrusion) is a first-person puzzle game that challenges players to navigate each level by manipulating coloured cubes that surround them. There’s little to go on as the game begins – the player is dropped into an all-white room with few instructions, and simply has to figure their way out. The tone of game changes as the player finds small and big alterations to their environment, supported by an…
Set in a mysterious and abstract sterile environment, Q.U.B.E. (Quick Understanding of Block Extrusion) is a first-person puzzle game that challenges players to navigate each level by manipulating coloured cubes that surround them. There’s little to go on as the game begins – the player is dropped into an all-white room with few instructions, and simply has to figure their way out. The tone of game changes as the player finds small and big alterations to their environment, supported by an original score, inviting each player to let their imagination take over as to where they might be. Through experimentation and discovery, players will progress through an ever-evolving series of cube puzzles that will challenge them with logic, physics, platforming.
Other authorsSee publication
Honors & Awards
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Nominee - Indie Prize
Casual Connect Asia
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Winner - Game of the Year
Reboot Develop
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Winner - Most Outstanding Gameplay
Reboot Develop
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Winner - Indie Showcase Editor's Choice
Develop
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Finalist - Best Micro Studio
Develop Awards
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1st Place - Microsoft/Scirra Windows 8 Game Competition
Microsoft/Scirra
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2nd Place - Power Up Competition
Microsoft
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Awards Ambassador
NAVGTR Awards
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Develop's 30 Under 30
Develop
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Nominee - Best Casual Game
TIGA
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Nominee - Best Debut Game
TIGA
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BAFTA Games Judge
BAFTA
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Finalist - New Studio
Develop Awards
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Graduate Ambassador
University of Wales
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Nominee - Best Visual Design, Best Game Design, Best Audio Design and Best Originality
TIGA
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Winner - Editor's Choice Award
Develop
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Winner - Ffresh Awards
Ffresh
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Finalist - Indie Game Challenge
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Finalist - Sense of Wonder Night Tokyo
Sense of Wonder
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Finalist - The Escapist Innovation Award
The Escapist
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Nominee - IndieDB Best Single Player
ModDB
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WARDOGS Retention Statistics 📊 D1 80.6% D3 92.3% D7 98.5% This is a lot higher than we expected if we’re honest. Interested to see where D30 ends up, we don’t see WARDOGS having the same longevity as Helldivers or ARC Raiders, the lack of PVE and how approachable those games are comparatively harms it. But sales are holding as we start getting close to 2.5m units..
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