MIKE DAW

BIO.EXE

ABOUT MIKE DAW

MIKE DAW

CREATIVE DIRECTOR
SENIOR PRODUCER
COMPOSER
CO-FOUNDER, ISG
EST. 2008

20+

YRS IN GAMES

30+

TITLES SHIPPED

AAA

PUBLISHER WORK

ISG

CO-FOUNDER

🎬 IMDB CREDITS — nm3849757 🕹️ MOBYGAMES — 30+ TITLES 🎵 BANDCAMP

I'm Mike Daw — Creative Director, Senior Producer, game designer, musician, and co-founder of Infinite State Games. Over 20 years I've worked across virtually every major publisher and platform in the industry, from producing my first title for THQ on the Nokia N-Gage, to shipping Worlds & Warbonds for Helldivers 2 and State of Decay 2.

I'm a full-spectrum creative. I design games, produce them, direct audio, compose the soundtracks, and when needed I'll write the Spacepedia too. I've managed outsourced studios on AAA DLC, guided PC titles through their console certifications, built indie games end-to-end from concept to global launch, and was producer on the worlds and Warbonds of one of 2024's biggest games.

At Infinite State Games I co-create everything alongside programmer Charlie Scott-Skinner — ISG has shipped on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PC, iOS, and the Neo Geo Pocket Color. Our studio mantra: euphoric, deep, colourful and intensely fun games — with the best bass in videogames.

I work at the junction of taste, craft, and delivery. I know what makes a game feel right before it looks right. I know how to ship one. And I know how to score it so people pause it just to listen.

GAMES THAT SHAPED ME

PAC LANDBUBBLE BOBBLEGRADIUS TEMPEST 3000SKY KIDDARK SOULS 2 HOTLINE MIAMIBANGAI-OTXK

INFINITE STATE GAMES

CO-FOUNDER &
CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Founded in November 2012 with programmer Charlie Scott-Skinner, Infinite State Games is Mike's independent studio — running continuously alongside all day-job production work. ISG makes euphoric, deep, colourful and intensely fun games, with the best bass in videogames.

As Creative Director, Mike handles everything non-code: designing new IP, gameplay and level design, composing soundtracks, audio design, production, marketing, streamer and press outreach, business development, publishing, submission, localisation and storefronts. Frutorious (iOS, 2012) was a TIGA Awards finalist for Best Casual Game and Best Audio Design. In 2025, Mike was nominated for a Game Dev Heroes award at Develop:Brighton — a peer-nominated industry honour celebrating the unsung heroes of game development.

DECEMBER 2024

3D DON'T DIE MR ROBOT!

Steam PCConsoles TBA

Ten years in the making. A full 3D reimagining of the cult arcade classic — neon psychedelic, heart-pounding, fruit-devouring perfection. Mike's magnum opus. Design, Audio, Art and Production.

DESIGNAUDIOARTPRODUCTION

▶ OFFICIAL TRAILER

▶ STEAM

2018 / 2020 DELUXE

ROGUE ACES DELUXE

PS4PS VitaSwitchSteam

Air combat roguelike. Voice acting by Marc Silk. Published by Curve Digital. Went free on PlayStation Plus.

PRODUCTIONDESIGNAUDIO

"Can Rogue Aces be the dream sequel to Wings of Fury you never knew you needed?" — Nintendo Life

▶ OFFICIAL TRAILER

▶ STEAM

2019

FAMILY TREE

Nintendo Switch

128 handcrafted levels, 32 bonus stages, 4-player party mode. Published worldwide in 8 languages by Eastasiasoft.

DESIGNPRODUCTIONAUDIO

▶ OFFICIAL TRAILER

▶ NINTENDO

2014 / 2018 DX

DON'T DIE, MR ROBOT! DX

PS VitaiOSPS4SwitchSteam

The cult classic. Fruit explodes in sync with the drumbeat. The ISG audio-first design philosophy in its purest form.

DESIGNPRODUCTIONARTAUDIO

"A gloriously cheerful death machine" 9/10 — Punk & Lizard"An absolute joy to play" 8/10 — Bonus Stage

▶ OFFICIAL TRAILER

▶ STEAM

2020

ROGUE ACES VR

Oculus Quest

Experimental VR port of Rogue Aces for Meta Quest.

PRODUCTIONDESIGNAUDIO

▶ ITCH.IO

2012–2014

FRUTORIOUS + EARLY ISG TITLES

iOS

ISG's earliest titles including Frutorious — TIGA Awards finalist for Best Casual Game and Best Audio Design. The foundation of everything that followed.

DESIGNPRODUCTIONARTAUDIO

CAREER.LOG

EMPLOYMENT
HISTORY

The employer timeline — studios and publishers Mike has worked for as a producer and designer, from his first industry job in 2006 through to Wushu Studios today. ISG titles are covered in the Infinite State Games section above.

WUSHU STUDIOS // JAN 2022–PRESENT

JAN 2022

SENIOR PRODUCER — WUSHU STUDIOS

Wushu Studios — Remote / Liverpool · ongoing

Overseeing production on multiple simultaneous projects. Managing teams of 30–45 developers. Writing roadmaps, budgets and schedules. Running daily scrums, retrospectives and stakeholder reports. Also established and runs an internal R&D department.

SENIOR PRODUCERR&D LEADTEAM MANAGEMENT 30–45

2022–23

STATE OF DECAY 2 — XBOX / PC

Undead Labs / Xbox Game Studios / Microsoft

Work-for-hire expansion production on Microsoft's flagship zombie survival franchise inside the Xbox Game Studios ecosystem. ↗ Xbox Store

SENIOR PRODUCER

2023–24

HELLDIVERS 2 — PS5 / PC

Arrowhead Game Studios / Sony PlayStation

Senior Producer on the cities content, Worlds and Warbonds for one of the biggest games in the world. PlayStation's biggest PC launch ever recorded. ↗ PlayStation Store

SENIOR PRODUCERWARBONDSWORLDS

2024–25

UNANNOUNCED CONTENT — R* · UNANNOUNCED AAA

Wushu Studios

Senior Producer on unannounced content for a major creative platform and on a separate unannounced AAA title. Details embargoed.

SENIOR PRODUCER

AUROCH DIGITAL // JUN 2018–DEC 2021

2018–2021

SENIOR PRODUCER — AUROCH DIGITAL

Auroch Digital — Bristol

Senior Producer and QA Manager across multiple titles at Auroch Digital, a Bristol-based studio specialising in digital board game and strategy adaptations.

SENIOR PRODUCERQA MANAGER

2020

MARS HORIZON — PC / SWITCH / PS4 / XBOX

Auroch Digital / Auroch Digital (self-published)

Senior Producer and QA Manager on Auroch's space agency sim. Also wrote a significant chunk of the in-game Spacepedia. ↗ Steam

SENIOR PRODUCERQA MANAGERWRITER

2018–2021

AUROCH TITLES — QA MANAGER

Auroch Digital

QA Manager across Auroch's portfolio including Battlestar Galactica Deadlock, Fightin' Words, and more.

QA MANAGER

HOTGEN · RUFFIAN · FIREBRAND // 2009–2012

JUL 2009

DESIGNER — HOTGEN

Hotgen — London

Designer at Hotgen, working on handheld titles for major publishers.

DESIGNER

FEB 2010

ASSISTANT PRODUCER — RUFFIAN GAMES

Ruffian Games — Dundee (now Rockstar Dundee)

Associate Producer on Crackdown 2 for Microsoft. Open-world sandbox action at AAA scale. Ruffian Games later became Rockstar Dundee.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

JUL 2011

PRODUCER — FIREBRAND GAMES

Firebrand Games — Brighton

Producer at Firebrand Games on licensed titles for major publishers including EA's Need for Speed: The Run (3DS and Wii).

PRODUCER

RAZORBACK // FEB 2006–JUN 2009

FEB 2006

PRODUCTION, LEAD DESIGN & AUDIO — RAZORBACK

Razorback Developments — Dundee

First industry job. Production, lead design and audio across a string of handheld titles for THQ, Atari, Eidos, Codemasters, and Konami. THQ's first N-Gage title shipped here.

PRODUCERLEAD DESIGNERAUDIO

2006

WARHAMMER 40K: GLORY IN DEATH (THQ, N-GAGE) · STORMBREAKER (THQ, GBA)

THQ

THQ's first ever N-Gage title. Lead designer and audio on a major licensed Warhammer 40K handheld game, plus GBA title Stormbreaker based on the Alex Rider film.

LEAD DESIGNERAUDIO

2007–08

DRAGONOLOGY (DS) · BELLA SARA DS · XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN (DS)

Atari / Eidos / Konami

Multiple simultaneous DS titles across major publishers. Lead design and audio on all three.

LEAD DESIGNERAUDIO

2008

DR. REINER KNIZIA'S BRAINBENDERS — NINTENDO DS

Codemasters

Lead designer and composer on Codemasters' DS puzzle title.

LEAD DESIGNERCOMPOSER

2009

THE CHASE: FELIX MEETS FELICITY — NINTENDO DS

Atari

Composed the complete soundtrack for this DS title. The music later generated devoted fans years after release — see the callout below.

LEAD DESIGNERCOMPOSER

Also on the CV: Contributed tunes to Jeff Minter's Polybius (PS4/PSVR) and TxK (PSVita). Co-wrote the Death Ray Manta SE OST. Wrote and performed all music for BBC3 TV pilot Biffovision. Composer on Solar Flux (iOS), Time Gentlemen Please (PC), and more. Also wrote film reviews for Total Film magazine. IMDB: nm3849757. MobyGames: developerId 325343.

GAMES.LOG

SELECT SHIPPED
TITLES

DECEMBER 2024 — MAGNUM OPUS

3D DON'T DIE MR ROBOT!

Steam PCPlayStationXbox

A decade in the making. Mr Robot returns in full 3D — neon psychedelic, heart-pounding, fruit-devouring arcade perfection. Designer, composer, artist, and animator. The complete ISG design philosophy distilled into three dimensions.

DESIGNERCOMPOSERARTISTANIMATOR

▶ STEAM

2023–24 // AAA LIVE SERVICE

HELLDIVERS 2

PS5PC

Senior Producer on Worlds and Warbonds for one of 2024's defining global phenomena. PlayStation's biggest PC launch in history. Producing live-service content at scale inside Arrowhead Game Studios.

SENIOR PRODUCERWARBONDSWORLDS

▶ PS STORE

2022–23 // AAA

STATE OF DECAY 2

Xbox SeriesXbox OnePC

Senior Producer on Microsoft's flagship zombie survival franchise at Undead Labs / Xbox Game Studios. AAA live-service production inside the Xbox ecosystem.

SENIOR PRODUCER

▶ XBOX STORE

2010

CRACKDOWN 2

Xbox 360

Associate Producer on Microsoft's open-world superhero sequel at Ruffian Games. Sandbox mayhem at AAA scale.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

2018 / 2020 DELUXE

ROGUE ACES DELUXE

PS4PS VitaSwitchSteam

ISG's most acclaimed title. Air combat roguelike with voice acting by Marc Silk. Deep upgrade systems, multiple modes, and that signature ISG soundtrack. Free on PlayStation Plus.

CREATIVE DIRECTORCO-DESIGNERAUDIO DIRECTOR

"Can Rogue Aces be the dream sequel to Wings of Fury you never knew you needed?" — Nintendo Life

▶ STEAM

2014 / 2018 DX

DON'T DIE, MR ROBOT! DX

PS VitaiOSPS4SwitchSteam

The cult classic that started it all. Fruit explodes in sync with the drumbeat. The ISG audio-first design philosophy in its purest form.

CREATIVE DIRECTORDESIGNERARTISTCOMPOSER

"A gloriously cheerful death machine" 9/10 — Punk & Lizard"An absolute joy to play" 8/10 — Bonus Stage

▶ STEAM

2019

FAMILY TREE

Nintendo Switch

128 handcrafted levels, 32 bonus stages, 4-player party mode. Pedro the evil sugar skull kidnapped your fruit children. Go get them back. Published worldwide by Eastasiasoft in 8 languages.

CREATIVE DIRECTORLEVEL DESIGNERPRODUCERCOMPOSER

▶ NINTENDO

2021

HORATIO GOES SNOWBOARDING

SwitchPS4/5XboxSteam

Retro skiing homage. Dodge traffic. Board the helicopter. Shred procedurally generated mountains. Drum and bass on the slopes. Six platforms simultaneously.

CREATIVE DIRECTORMUSICCHARACTER DESIGN

▶ STEAM

2020

MARS HORIZON

PCSwitchPS4Xbox

Senior Producer and QA Manager on Auroch's space agency sim — and also wrote a significant chunk of the in-game Spacepedia, because why just produce it when you can help build the world?

SENIOR PRODUCERQA MANAGERWRITER

▶ STEAM

2011

NEED FOR SPEED: THE RUN

Nintendo 3DSWii

Producer on the 3DS and Wii versions of EA's flagship racing franchise. Simultaneous multiplatform delivery on handheld and home console.

PRODUCER

2007–08

THE CHASE: FELIX MEETS FELICITY

Nintendo DS

Lead designer, producer, composer and sound designer on this Atari DS title. Complete creative ownership. The soundtrack became beloved — fans still seek Mike out to thank him a decade and a half later.

LEAD DESIGNERPRODUCERCOMPOSERSOUND DESIGN

MUSIC.WAV

SOUNDTRACKS &
COMPOSITIONS

Mike has composed music professionally since the mid-2000s — for DS titles, indie games, a BBC3 TV pilot, and every Infinite State Games release. ISG's in-house soundtracks span drum & bass, acid house, jungle, synthwave, and whatever else the game demands. All made in Bristol. All with maximum bass.

3D DON'T DIE MR ROBOT!
THE OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK

INFINITE STATE GAMES // 2024

The magnum opus soundtrack. Ten years of ISG audio philosophy crystallised — neon acid, pounding rhythms, psychedelic energy. Mike composed, C303PO contributed bangers. Available to buy and stream on Bandcamp now.

🎵 LISTEN ON BANDCAMP — 3D Don't Die, Mr. Robot! OST

HORATIO GOES SNOWBOARDING
THE OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK

INFINITE STATE GAMES // 2021

Drum and bass on the slopes. Jungle in the hotel lobby. The complete soundtrack to ISG's retro skiing homage — all composed and produced by Mike. Huge drops. Proper bass. Available on Bandcamp.

🎵 LISTEN ON BANDCAMP — Horatio Goes Snowboarding OST

ALSO IN THE CRATES

DON'T DIE MR ROBOT DX
SOUNDTRACK

The complete ISG audio-first manifesto. Fruit explodes in sync with the beat. Multiple ISG releases and soundtracks available on the Bandcamp page.

infinitestategames.bandcamp.com →

SOUNDCLOUD — SOLO EXPERIMENTS

Mike's personal SoundCloud for weirdo experiment tunes, standalone tracks, and musical curiosities made purely for the joy of it.

soundcloud.com/thebarryislandexperience →

BIFFOVISION
BBC THREE TV PILOT

Mike composed and performed the entire soundtrack for this BBC Three pilot — including "Future Kids", a fully produced original song. One of those credits that makes people do a double-take at a CV.

Watch on Vimeo →

TOTAL FILM MAGAZINE
FILM REVIEWS

Before the games career took over full-time, Mike wrote film reviews for Total Film — one of the UK's most respected film publications. The critical eye never left.

DEATH RAY MANTA SE
SOUNDTRACK

Co-wrote and performed the entire OST for Rob Fearon's Death Ray Manta SE. "A Fish Like No Other (Oh Stevie)" — the album.

Listen on Bandcamp → View the game →

POLYBIUS & TXK
SOUNDTRACK CONTRIBUTIONS

Contributed original tunes to Jeff Minter / Llamasoft's Polybius (PS4/PSVR) and TxK (PS Vita) soundtracks. An honour and extremely good company to be in.

Polybius info →

THE CHASE: DS SOUNDTRACK
& MORE

A full back-catalogue of game soundtrack work spanning Atari, Codemasters, Eidos, Xbox Live Indie, and beyond. IMDB and MobyGames both have the receipts.

MobyGames credits →

STATS.DAT

CHARACTER SHEET

◈ CREATIVE LEADERSHIP

Creative Direction MAX

Game Design MAX

Level Design S-RANK

Concept & Pitch S-RANK

◈ PRODUCTION

Senior Production (AAA) S-RANK

Indie Production / Delivery MAX

External Team Management S-RANK

QA Management S-RANK

Publisher Relations A-RANK

◈ AUDIO & MUSIC

Music Composition MAX

Audio Direction S-RANK

D&B / Jungle / Acid House MAX

◈ PUBLISHERS WORKED WITH

THQEACODEMASTERS ATARIEIDOSKONAMI MICROSOFTSONYCURVE DIGITAL EASTASIASOFT

◈ PLATFORMS SHIPPED ON

Nintendo Switch / 3DS / DS / GBA ✓

PlayStation 5 / 4 / Vita ✓

Xbox Series / One / 360 ✓

Steam / PC / Wii ✓

iOS / N-Gage / Neo Geo Pocket ✓

◈ GENRES

Arcade / Score Attack MAX

Bullet Hell / Shmups S-RANK

Roguelikes / Procedural S-RANK

AAA Live Service A-RANK

Licensed / IP Titles A-RANK

DESIGN.DOCTRINE

HOW I MAKE
GOOD GAMES

01

🎯

FEEL FIRST,
FEATURE SECOND

A game has to feel right before it looks right. I design from the controller outward — starting with the moment-to-moment sensation and building systems that serve that feeling. If it doesn't feel good, it goes.

02

🎵

AUDIO IS
HALF THE GAME

In Don't Die Mr Robot, fruit explodes in sync with the beat. That's not a detail — it's the whole point. I've composed professionally since 2007 and I won't let your game have a bad soundtrack.

03

🕹️

ARCADE DEPTH,
NOT SHALLOW

The best arcade games have infinite skill ceilings. All my titles are instantly readable on screen one, with mastery curves you can chase for years. Accessibility and depth are not enemies.

04

⚡

SHIP IT.
THEN IMPROVE IT.

I've shipped as a two-person indie, an external producer on AAA DLC, and a senior producer on live-service franchises. Across all of them: scope, cut, deliver. I know how to get things out the door without cutting what matters.

05

🌈

JOY IS A
DESIGN PILLAR

Family Tree was "designed from the ground up to make you happy." People pause The Chase DS to listen to the music 15 years later. Joy isn't soft — it's the hardest brief in the business.

06

🤝

PRODUCERS SERVE
THE TEAM

From managing outsourced studios on AAA DLC to being Creative Director in a two-person indie — I know what good production feels like at every scale. Producers exist to remove obstacles, not create them.

REFERENCES.TXT

WHAT PEOPLE
SAY

"Mike is an energetic producer who brings a great comforting energy into the team space. He has a great talent for fostering welcoming spaces and encouraging team bonding. Mike is a great fit for any team that is looking to foster an environment that holds space for creativity and kindness."

🎮

COLLEAGUE, WUSHU STUDIOSvia LinkedIn Recommendation

"Mike and I worked together on the production of an original soundtrack for a multi-format video game. Mike's creations are alive with youthful energy and dynamism, yet have the stamp of a seasoned veteran. The result is a soundtrack that exudes playfulness and sophistication — a highly valuable combination for creative projects. I very much look forward to working with him again in the near future."

🎵

COLLABORATOR, SOUNDTRACK PROJECTvia LinkedIn Recommendation

"I was 6 years old when I first played that game, headphones in my DS, game paused, just to listen to the music. I'm 19 now. This game is so important to me. That is really what sparked my interest in videogame music."

🎹

JAKERTON — FAN, THE CHASE DSmikedaw.com, 2024 · returned again in 2025

"Your work on The Chase: Title Theme is nothing short of exceptional. It had become a mantra to so many things happening in my life at that time."

💿

FAN, THE CHASE DSmikedaw.com, 2018

CONTACT.TXT

READY TO JOIN
YOUR TEAM

I'm Mike Daw — Creative Director, Senior Producer, and composer with 20+ years of commercial game development across THQ, EA, Codemasters, Atari, Eidos, Konami, Microsoft, Sony, and my own studio Infinite State Games.

Whether you need a Creative Director who runs a project from concept to ship, a Senior Producer with AAA live-service experience, an audio director who also writes the music, or a creative lead who simply knows what makes a game feel right — let's talk.

LINKEDIN: MIKE DAW ↗

ABOUT MIKE DAW

CO-FOUNDER &CREATIVE DIRECTOR

EMPLOYMENTHISTORY

SELECT SHIPPEDTITLES

SOUNDTRACKS &COMPOSITIONS

CHARACTER SHEET

HOW I MAKEGOOD GAMES

WHAT PEOPLESAY

READY TO JOINYOUR TEAM

CO-FOUNDER &
CREATIVE DIRECTOR

EMPLOYMENT
HISTORY

SELECT SHIPPED
TITLES

SOUNDTRACKS &
COMPOSITIONS

HOW I MAKE
GOOD GAMES

WHAT PEOPLE
SAY

READY TO JOIN
YOUR TEAM