About Us

Founded in 2023, Melanin Interactive is an independent entertainment studio creating narrative-driven games rooted in culture, curiosity, and adventure. Our work focuses on immersive storytelling that invites players to engage with meaningful choices, complex characters, and layered worlds. As a hands-on creative studio, we are involved in every stage of production, from concept and narrative design to development and release. This approach allows us to maintain strong creative integrity while building thoughtful interactive experiences for players.

Our long-term vision is to build a sustainable studio that produces original stories while expanding who gets to lead and shape creative work within the games industry. By developing and shipping our own projects, we aim to demonstrate what it looks like to own the full creative process; from idea to finished experience.

Process

Here's a clear look at the three core phases of the video game development process—from shaping ideas in pre-production, to building the world in production, to bringing it to players in launch.

Pre-Production

Video game pre-production involves creating detailed design, art, and engineering documentation while evaluating technical limitations to ensure feasibility. This stage also includes prototyping core gameplay mechanics and controls to test and refine the player experience before full development begins.

Production & Development

During the production phase, the team develops a polished vertical slice, creates all narrative and visual/audio assets, and continues coding core systems. This stage also focuses on level design, extensive testing, bug fixing, and optimization to prepare the game for release.

Launch

The launch phase includes final QA, private alpha, and beta testing to ensure stability, polish, and gameplay balance. Marketing ramps up alongside bug fixing and optimization, leading to the gold copy, public release, and ongoing hotfixes and updates post-launch.

Our Team

Jordan Washington

Founder & CEO

Narrative designer and Producer with more than five years of experience within the game development industry. Worked on games such as Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To (Indie Game Award nominee), Avalon MMO, Warship Jolly Roger, and Leyline Knights.

Portfolio

Testimonials

Amanda Cait ~Avalon Corp.

"Jordan is an exceptional talent who is on a path to transform the gaming industry as we know it. Her work ethic is unmatched and she consistently demonstrates an unrelenting drive to achieve ambitious (but realistic) goals. I firmly believe that she could move mountains if she put her mind to it! Jordan is a pleasure to work with and always puts effort into fostering a positive workplace culture and building strong rapport with her colleagues. She brings integrity, passion, and a commitment to excellence in all she does, and she consistently strives to deliver the best possible outcomes. I am confident she will make a profound impact in her field, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to collaborate with her. Whether you are hiring or not, Jordan is someone to watch!"

Francisco Tous II ~Lead Designer Neopets

"Working with Jordan was an incredibly positive experience. She consistently delivers high quality work on time and her ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously played a crucial role in helping us meet our goals. Beyond her strong work ethic, Jordan’s supportive and collaborative nature made her a true asset to the team. She brings a positive energy to the workplace that lifts everyone around her."

Jose Beltran ~CEO Red Raccoon Art House

"Working with Jordan was an absolute pleasure. She’s one of those people who not only delivers her work on time and to a high standard, but also goes out of her way to make sure the whole team is set up for success. She’s supportive, collaborative, and just genuinely great to be around. Any team would be lucky to have her, and I’d jump at the chance to work with her again."

Eric Darden ~Raising Autism Real

"I am immensely thankful for Jordan's insight and expertise in narrative. Her ability to articulate the who, what, why and how of my thoughts and turn it into captivating content is genius and skillful."

Contact Us

Have a question or need more information? Reach out via the address below!

melanininteractive@gmail.com