Video game

Vita Recordum

Gabriel Mcgirt

Bronx, NY

Advisor: Zhenzhen Qi

Artist Bio

Gabriel McGirt is a video game designer based in the Bronx, New York. Having played videogames since childhood, he has grown to enjoy learning about and experiencing unique game mechanics and systems, driving his desire to make games of his own. He is currently a Digital media and Design major at the University of Connecticut, concentrating in Game Design and has worked on numerous projects and games throughout his college career. One of these games was Frost Fire Bubble Pop, which was featured in the Global Game Jam held at Quinnipiac in 2025. As a game designer, Gabriel puts design and engagement with core gameplay mechanics at the forefront of his craft, with the goal of creating intuitive and engaging gameplay experiences.

Artist Statement

When I was about five or six years old, I remembered watching my older brothers playing videogames on their PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii whenever I spent time with them. I found the games they played interesting, but never really understood how it felt to play until my older brother allowed me to try playing some of them for myself one day. The Legend of Zelda, Sly Cooper, Final Fantasy X; I didn’t fully wrap my head around the story of these games at the time, but I fell in love with their core mechanics and combat systems. Afterwards, I wanted to try out the numerous other games he and my oldest brother had in their collection.

Vita Recordum is my attempt at creating a videogame with unique, and interesting core mechanics, which is what I strive to do throughout my career as a game designer. My idea for this game came randomly to me one day during my sophomore year, and I wondered how I could turn that idea into an intricate, yet simple and fun experience. Moving forward, I want to continue experimenting with and designing intuitive, yet engaging game mechanics and systems, with the goal of making compelling and fun gameplay experiences. Experiences similar to how I felt when I tried my first few games with my brothers.