Alistair Aitcheson
Game Developer @Sparx Learning
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WORK HISTORY
Game Developer @Sparx Learning
Developer of the times tables learning games used by students in over 2200 UK secondary schools. Created experimental projects as part of the Discovery R&D team, applying the pedagogical research done by the company into new subjects, and developing teaching tools that used new cloud technologies.I developed the original Sparx Maths learning games in Objective-C for iPad, with Python in the back-end. I developed the current suite of games in JavaScript for web browsers, using Go in the back-end. I also contributed to the wider suite of Sparx software using TypeScript, React and Redux. Other projects have involved working with Firebase and Google\'s cloud APIs.As the games expert within the company I designed the games to meet Sparx\'s needs as well as implementing their creation in code. My innovative designs both captured the imagination of young players to keep them coming back and improving their times tables skills, and delivered the detailed and reliable statistics required by Sparx\'s customers and their own internal statistical modelling. I designed the games and exercises to draw upon the latest pedagogical research, particularly on training long-term recall skills.
EDUCATION
Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon
Mathematics
University of Warwick
MMath, Mathematics with Study in Europe
ABOUT ALISTAIR AITCHESON
Award-winning game designer and developer, making games for web and mobile as well as alternative controllers and playable stage shows. I began my games career developing and self-publishing iPhone and iPad games in 2010, to critical acclaim and front-page placement on the App Store. Since then I have worked frequently with Arduino and ESP32 microcontrollers to make my own game controllers from real-world objects. These range from playful social adventures (Codex Bash, 2015) to emotional narrative experiences (The Book Ritual, 2018). My other great love is mixing video games with live performance. In 2016 I created The Incredible Playable Show which gets audiences out of their seats running round the auditorium with barcode scanners and inflatables, and even becoming human buttons. It won the Jury Choice Award at the 2017 IndieCade Festival in Los Angeles. My subsequent shows have explored game glitching, crowd-led art-making, interactive livestreams and clown theatre. I\'m a great believer in getting everyone involved. Games and creativity should be accessible to all, and I pride myself on my ability to create trust in players - whether that\'s in-person on a stage, or remotely through considerate UX design. Between 2013 and 2025 I was the games expert for Sparx Learning, the UK\'s leading digital Maths learning platform, serving over 2200 schools. There I developed the WebGL learning games that form part of the product. I also designed and realised numerous experimental products and prototypes for their Discovery R&D team. AWARDS & NOMINATIONS IndieCade Festival, Los Angeles 2022 - Performance Award (Artholomew Video’s Stream Challenge) PLAY Festival, Hamburg 2022 - Most Creative Game (Artholomew Video’s Stream Challenge) A MAZE Festival, Berlin 2022 - Nominee (Artholomew Video’s Stream Challenge) IndieCade Festival, Los Angeles 2017 - Jury Choice Award (The Incredible Playable Show) GameCity, Nottingham 2016 - Spirit of the Festival (The Incredible Playable Show) Independent Games Festival, San Francisco 2019 - Nominee: Alt.Ctrl.GDC Award (The Book Ritual) A MAZE Festival, Berlin 2019 - Honourable Mention (The Book Ritual) PLAY Festival, Hamburg 2018 - Nominee IndieCade Festival, Los Angeles 2015 - Media Choice Award (Codex Bash) A MAZE Festival, Berlin 2015 - Nominee (Codex Bash) PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS Tap Happy Sabotage - Game Science Center, Berlin (20••••20) Dash & Bash - National Videogame Arcade, Nottingham (20••••19) Codex Bash - National Videogame Arcade, Nottingham (20••••19)
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