Hey, everyone! We’re here to bring you our Creative Director extraordinaire: Darrell Louder! 

Officially, Darrell will celebrate one whole year at Greater Than Games next month. In that short time, he started as the design department manager and quickly rose to the rank of Creative Director! But he’s been working with us for many years, including co-creating and designing the games Bottom of the Ninth, Compounded, and Fate of the Elder Gods. He now delegates projects, keeps in communication with all the other departments and their graphic needs, and even participates in the graphic design process himself. Let’s not forget his great work on Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition! Oh, and his fun time collaborating with Sarah and Rae. Here’s our chance to get to know him a little better.

What’s one of your favorite things about working in the design department?

DL: Problem solving, for sure. Is it on theme? Matching the brand? How do we do what we need to do? Does graphic design detract from the art? It needs to enhance both the art and the gameplay. I run the department more like a democracy. Sarah and Rae are talented and hard-working, so I value their inputs. The big difference is that I know what’s coming. I’m the manager, so if there are any problems to solve or projects to manage, they can come directly to me. 

What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day?

DL: Fortnite with the wife and son. And when I’m not doing that, smoking meats.

What’s your proudest accomplishment?

DL: Obligatory answer: my kids and winning best ribs for the state of Delaware 2 years in a row. Being able to move the whole family across the country during a pandemic with no major incidents or people getting sick? That was definitely an achievement. Here, though, getting trusted with Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition — the flagship of the company — was so great. I clicked really well with everyone here, too. Rae really helped me to cement that.

What’s one thing you wish people knew or understood about working in the design department?

DL: Graphic design is the unsung hero of most industries. We’re the stage crew to the theatrical production. We make sure the sets are there, y’know? We’re dressed in all black running out there and fixing up the set, different from the artist who makes the things to put on the set. It’s sometimes a bit of a thankless job for graphic designers. There’s the typography, frameset, so on. Artists make it pretty and we make sure it’s pretty and functional. It’s easy when Sarah and Rae make things pretty and functional. They’re really talented.

When did you know you wanted to work in design?

DL: Many, many, many, many, moons ago. I was working for a website hosting company. They needed things like web banners and websites, so I went from there! I’ve always been art-focused. I have my bachelor’s in theatre and then went again for silk screening and graphic design. I ended up dropping out though because I was so heavily self-taught. Sometimes the teachers would get me to teach the class when they were unavailable. I ended up here as a contractor and the rest is history.

Is the glass half-full or half-empty?

DL: Half full. For the most part, that comes pretty naturally for me. I am an optimistic person. The only time a glass should be half empty is if it’s bourbon.

If you were a comic-book hero, what would your weakness be?

DL: Just good old-fashioned anxiety.


Thanks so much to Darrell for the awesome chat! Be sure to check out our previous article on Rae here. Oh, and we’ve still got pride merch for June, you can find out more in our Pride 2021 resource list! All proceeds for pride go to the Metro Trans Umbrella Group!