Saltstone Studios is located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Our first game was The Pale Beyond, a story-driven survival management game. We’re currently working on our next title, The Hearth and Harbour, set in the same universe as The Pale Beyond.
Our team is interested in exploring novel systems-based narrative games that combine the kind of deep choice and consequence narratives you find in interactive fiction, with extensive systems more common from other genres – all designed to bring in-depth worlds and characters to life.
Each title draws direct influence from the complex history of Ireland and Britain, with extensive literary and historical research. Every pixel, sentence, and musical note, is hand crafted in-house with care and attention.
Meet the Team
James Bruce
James Bruce is a composer and sound designer. He’s a veteran of the Belfast prog rock scene and an accomplished drummer.
James is the tallest. He prefers dogs to most people.
His favourite games are Outer wilds, Planescape Torment, Inside and AoE2. His favourite food is espresso.
Thomas Hislop
Thomas Hislop is a programmer and Narrative Designer.
Previously a playwright, he specialises in novel approaches to storytelling in games.
His favourite games are Papers Please, Stephen’s Sausage Roll, & Fallout New Vegas. His favourite sausage is chorizo.
Jess Campbell
Jess is an art director and character designer. She loves to make things as silly as she can get away with.
A part-time witch, she runs the nature- and folklore-inspired art brand Selkiepomp.
She loves Ratchet and Clank, Zelda: TotK, A Short Hike and Deltarune. Her favourite food is Thai spice bag.
Ethan McLean
Ethan is doing all the art for all the environments of Lewthport, and he’s game designer on this project too – so he’ll be balancing items, perks and planning how the game’s systems all work together!
He’s a big fan of card games, even making his own ones on the side. He likes Dark Souls, Inscryption and Minecraft too. He loves lasagne, a day or two later – it tastes even better somehow.
Katie Noble
Katie is the lead character and prop artist.
A dedicated plant-whisperer, crocheter and resident Horse Girl™, Katie is also Saltstone Studios’ littlest guy with a big enthusiasm for RPGs.
Their favourite games are Hollow Knight and Final Fantasy III, VII and IX, and one of their favourite foods is salmon nigiri.
Nadine McLaughlin
Nadine is the team animator, with a pinch of UI design on the side.
Her hobbies include following pigeons with her camera, dangling from a suspended circle, and providing a wealth of fun Walt Disney World trivia.
Her favourite games are Horizon Zero Dawn, Dragon Age Inquisition, and The Sims. She is a cereal connoisseur; the milk to cereal balance has to be precise for the perfect bowl.
Eric Rivers
Eric is a writer and narrative designer.
His current favourite game is Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, favourite film is House, favourite book is Flowers For Algernon, favourite album is Different Class by Pulp, favourite TV show is Lost, favourite comic book is All-Star Superman. He is likely to change his mind on all these picks within a week.
Eric’s favourite food is a full wheel of Tipperary brie eaten whole like a duck. This will not change.
Team Dogs
Kaiju
Kaiju is James’ staffordshire bull terrier, the people’s princess.
She’s a big fan of the game Ball, and her favourite food is pork chops.
Willow
Willow is Nadine’s one-eyed, one and a half-eared rescue pup.
Her main pastime is creating summoning circles out of shoes. Nothing wins her heart faster than a slice of cheese and a cuddle.
Blue
Blue is Jess’ springer spaniel and menace to society.
His favourite games are Steal Socks and Chase Leaves, and his favourite food is ice cream.
Pip and Bean
Pip and Bean are Jess’ leopard gecko and western hognose snake.
Pip enjoys Climbing and wax worms. Bean likes Hissing At Nothing, and small mice.
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