Carol Mertz

Carol Mertz has a diverse work experience in the gaming industry, starting with their current role as a Senior Game Designer at Exploding Kittens, Inc. Since 2020, they have been responsible for researching, designing, developing, and writing mass-market tabletop games. Carol'sreleased works include "Hand-to-Hand Wombat," "Exploding Kittens: 2-Player Edition," "Exploding Kittens: Recipes for Disaster," and "A Little Wordy." Carol is involved in various aspects of game development, including research, prototyping, game balancing, playtesting, instructions writing, and collaborating with the art team.

Prior to their current role, Carol worked as a Principal (Game Designer) at Insatiable Cycle LLC, where they designed, developed, directed, and distributed games and interactive art. Carol was also the Executive Director of the PixelPop Festival, a St. Louis-based independent game conference that they co-founded and co-organized, with a focus on inclusivity and experimentation in the games industry.

Carol has teaching experience as well, serving as an Adjunct Instructor at Lindenwood University in 2017. Carol taught undergraduate courses on Interactive Narrative, Introduction to Graphic Design, and Design with Adobe Illustrator. Carol introduced students to various interactive storytelling methods, including digital interactive fiction and tabletop RPGs.

In their previous roles, Carol has worked as a Catalyst (Business Development, UX, Community) at Butterscotch Shenanigans, where they handled web UX design, merchandising, event coordination, and community management. Carol also designed and developed a new company website and facilitated the production of physical merchandise. At Happy Badger Studio, they were a Managing Partner (Game Designer & Artist), responsible for narrative design and character art for the game SmuggleCraft. Additionally, they co-founded and worked as the Managing Partner (Interactive Director) at Rampant Interactive, producing interactive experiences for clients and developing interactive concepts for exhibitions.

Carol's early work experience includes being a Game Design Instructor at the Youth Learning Center, teaching game design and development using GameSalad to elementary-aged students. Carol also worked as a Web Production Artist at iClips Network, focusing on interface design, web development, motion graphics, and community management for a live-music streaming startup. Furthermore, they worked as an Animator at Eden Publications, where they created a 2-D Toon Boom animation for a children's music education curriculum.

Overall, Carol Mertz has a strong background in game design, development, and education, with a focus on play, exploration, experimentation, and inclusivity in the gaming industry.

Carol Mertz completed their Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Game Design at New York University from 2017 to 2019. Prior to that, they earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Interactive Digital Media with an Emphasis in Animation from Webster University, which they attended from 2004 to 2008.