Diego De Carvalho 

Influenced by visionaries such as Hideo Kojima, Shinji Mikami, Keiichiro Toyama, Suda51, Yoko Taro and many more, I've been learning, experimenting and creating since my youngest age, notably by taking advantage of the digital era.

Therefore, I've been developing in the long run an ambitious artistic vision achieved thanks to modern technology—by the alias of “Soulful Code”. My work is mainly defined by abstract and punk concepts, unconventional design philosophy, cinematic/dreamlike aesthetic, postmodern/existential themes, and symbolic, nonlinear storytelling.

On a more personal side, I'm always yearning for strong human connections and cultural transmission.

At the moment, I'm working on:

Combine empathy, morality and creativity to find your own resilience in this stealth/survival horror experience set in a retrofuturistic world.

A gameplay demo is currently in pre-production.

For more information and conversation about the project, please check Unreal forums: https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/void-healing-blocky-prototype-preview/2385683

My latest 3D artwork:

Modeled with Blender, textured with Quixel Mixer, rendered with Unreal Engine.

View and download the high-resolution renders here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1g_QT9a19HKXZUGuoKT9SpeFC1k6vbmx9?usp=drive_link

Personal specialties:

• Strong polyvalent vision and hard skills in many aspects of game creation (design, narrative, art, tech, prototyping, video editing...), blended with multicultural knowledge in other art forms (cinema, music, litterature, paintings, plays...), philosophy, politics and History

• Visually driven workflow from documentation to development: a clear, appealing and minimalist but deep way to communicate, organize and create

• Specialization in worldbuilding, aesthetic and 3D art, designing game feel, interconnected and dynamic gameplay systems as much as narrative-driven mechanics, and writing

• Knowledge in handling heavy/taboo/abstract/complex themes, with the blend of elaborated research process, precise culture, personal experiences and delicate writing/design

• Robust technical understanding of video games: experience with multiple programming languages, game engines, new ecosystems/releases, visual scripting and long-term view on technology

More about me:

What I did before:

I began my video game development journey in 2014—when I was 11 years old—by making my first steps on Unity, experimenting with other engines (Cry, Unreal 4), conceptualizing and prototyping games (including porting and testing some on PS Vita thanks to Mobile SDK), learning programming, 3D modeling and lighting, writing interactive stories, game/film reviews, and doing fun, varied other things like editing my own Metal Gear Solid V trailers, designing posters, producing computer assisted music and shooting short movies.

Later on, I started designing maps on Minecraft for PS3 and sharing them (through save files published as downloadable content on homemade websites), and designing non-official levels for Crysis, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, Volume, Dying Light, Far Cry 3 & 4, and Mekorama thanks to their editor.
 

What I'm doing now:

Ever since, I've never stopped growing to become a skilled, well-rounded game developer/artist; working on my own game project, creating 3D visual works with both Blender and Unreal Engine, modding AAA games built on proprietary engines for educational and personal purpose, experimenting with pre-release versions of new promising softwares, researching on game/level/narrative design, tirelessly learning in many fields related to game development, cinema, technology, and many more.

My accolades:

• “Volume Community Levels - Staff Pick” for “The Evolution” by Mike Bithell and Bithell Games, in August 2015

One level I've designed for the stealth game Volume with its editor was featured by the game development team as one of the community's highlights, alongside 19 other levels.

• "Citizenship Education Distinction", by the National Association of Members of the National Order of Merit (France), in June 2019

For an interactive fiction (with branching paths) I worked on as designer/writer/developer, released privately during an event which main theme was civil disobedience.

• “Best of Blender Artists: 2022-10” for “Alternative Art: Ruin”, by Bart Veldhuizen and Blender Nation, in March 2022

One 3D visual piece of mine was chosen to be part of a selection showcasing some of the best works made with Blender in a certain period, alongside acclaimed artists like Yota Tasaki, Max Hay, Paul Thureau and others.

• “Unreal Engine Staff Pick” for “Void Healing”, by Epic Dev Community Staff, in March 2025

The prototype footage of my survival horror/stealth game was selected as part of the staff picks on Epic's official forums.

A little showcase of my Blender skills and process (renders are from 2022):

linktr.ee/soulfulcode