Garret Edmunds Designer Spotlight

This month, we’re kicking off our “Community Architects” series, a monthly blog where Binary Cocoa shines a spotlight on independent local game designers who are doing amazing things in our community.

To start things off, we are highlighting Garrett Edmunds, an indie designer blending STEM-driven logic with a passion for social bonding.

The Game: Radiant Wing (Working Title)

An independent project by Widderspin Workshop.

Garrett is currently developing a cooperative “Monster of the Week” (Motwik) boss-battler.

• The Hook: A deck-builder where you pilot an anime-inspired robot mecha and use dice to power specific weapons and support abilities.
• The Payoff: When the Motwik enters its “Mega Form,” players physically combine their mechas to form the super mecha Dawnbreaker Prime, merging their individual engines into one massive team-controlled unit.
• Inspiration: Think Power Rangers meets Dicey Dungeons meets Aeon’s End.

5 Questions with Garrett

1. What motivated your passion to create games? “I inherited my creative gene from my grandfather, a math teacher who made games in his spare time for our family. He did it because he loved seeing friends and family bond over a shared experience. I wanted to capture that same feeling.”

2. Tell us about the game you are working on right now. “Radiant Wing is all about ‘having each other’s backs.’ Players act simultaneously and cooperatively. My goal is to make sure your early-game decisions on building your own engine feel impactful once you merge into the combined Dawnbreaker Prime form.”

3. How has your background helped your development? “I have a Master’s in Chemistry and work in a STEM-heavy field. That logic-heavy background helps me balance complex resource loops and interactive systems. I also have a weekly board game group in Arizona that provides incredible feedback – they are my ‘lab’ for testing new ideas.”

4. What have been your biggest challenges? “Time management, hands down. Between work and raising three kids, design moves at its own pace. Finding the perfect ‘balance’ for a combined engine that feels intuitive and satisfying for all players is a constant, iterative puzzle – one that requires massive amounts of time and patience to achieve.”

5. Anything else you’d like others to know? “I’ve found that an early focus layout and artwork, even if it’s simple, is huge for player experience and feedback. I’m currently building an online presence under the moniker Widderspin Workshop. You can follow my progress and share your own feedback at widderspin.com or @widderspin on major social media sites!”

Note from Binary Cocoa: We love seeing what other creators in our community are building, and Garrett’s ability to use a science-focused brain to build “ludo-narrative” engines is fascinating. His dedication to the “social bond” of gaming is exactly why we wanted to feature him. Please note that Radiant Wing is solely a Widderspin Workshop creation, but as fellow game devs, we are huge fans of what he’s doing. Check out Widderspin Workshop and follow the rise of Radiant Wing!

Next Month: We’ll sit down with Ben Doeckel.