Marlee Susca
Southington, CT
ADVISOR: zhenzhen qi
Artist Bio
Marlee Susca is a game design student, specializing in game art and storytelling. Growing up in Southington, Connecticut, they took a liking to video games at a very young age. They fell in love with interactive media, storytelling, and art. The worldbuilding and stories of The Lord of the Rings, The Legend of Zelda, and Elden Ring are some of their greatest influences when creating fantasy worlds. Marlee especially enjoys the process of concept art. They bought an art book in middle school, and were intrigued. Their favorite part of the artistic process is the concept development stage, and often uses their artistic skills to draft many ideas at once in projects, both solo and in groups. Despite focusing on the concept stage of creation, they are also skilled in 2D animation, 3D modeling, and texturing. Marlee would love to utilize these skills as an artist in the game industry.
Artist Statement
Study Break will showcase the college experience when one struggles with their mental health. I am a huge advocate for mental health, as I have struggled with it myself. I want the player to feel a sense of empathy for my characters, as well as recognize the importance of kindness and compassion. In my freshman year, I struggled to find a friend group, and it severely affected me. When I finally found a group of friends who supported me, my mental health greatly improved. My characters represent pieces of me, or someone close to me. I want to bring to light the struggles that many people deal with every day. My game will focus on the stories of Quinn, a girl balancing the stress of school, a job, and taking care of her younger brothers. The player will learn about her life, and get to know her beyond the happy, energetic face that she shows the rest of the world.
