Game Designer & Systems Expert
Hi, I'm Denis. I design games and balance systems.
Most game economies look fine until real players break them. Progression that kills retention. Monetization that feels predatory. Loops that lose engagement after week one. By the time you notice, you're already patching live, burning dev time, losing reviews, watching Day 7 retention drop. We fix that before it ships.
About Me
From a kid to adult.
I like ananas.
We have always believed a well-designed economy doesn't just balance numbers. It changes how a game feels to play. Whether a player feels rewarded or cheated, engaged or bored, often comes down to systems they never consciously notice. That's the part I obsess over. My background is in mathematics, and that foundation means I don't just design by feel. I can prove why a system works and predict where it will break. Over time I turned that into a practice, tested it across dozens of shipped projects, and eventually built Ananas around it. We've worked across mobile, card games, web3, and Roblox. Every genre teaches you something new about how players assign value.
What We Do
Game Design & Systems Expertise
Core services and expertise areas
Where most studios run into problems, and where we come in.
Economy Architecture
Design the full resource ecosystem from the ground up. Define what players earn, what they spend, and how currencies flow without inflating or breaking.
Monetization Design
Structure IAPs, gacha pulls, battle passes, and bundles that feel fair to players and profitable to studios.
Progression Systems
Map player growth across the full game lifespan. Cost curves, upgrade trees, and milestone pacing that keeps players moving forward.
LiveOps Balancing
Keep a live economy healthy through content updates, seasons, and shifting player behavior. Ongoing tuning before problems reach the playerbase.
Client Feedback
What People Say
Client testimonials and feedback
A track record of successful collaborations and satisfied clients
Nik
CEO, LEPTA Games"Denis is a real professional and has very good energy. It was very pleasant to work with him."
Drew
CEO, Fitcraft""Working with Denis was truly a pleasure. He proved to be incredibly intelligent, articulate, and efficient. His ability to think outside the box and solve problems creatively set him apart. He consistently exceeded expectations by not only meeting deadlines but also delivering innovative solutions ahead of schedule. His clear communication and deep understanding of game design principles made the collaboration a seamless and highly productive experience. He is highly personable, has a great personality, and is very easy to work with. I highly recommend him to anyone seeking a top-tier professional in the field of game design.""
Martin
Product Director, Scorestars"Very good specialst, knows his stuff."
Upwork Client
-"Denis was a pleasure to work with. His expertise in game economy design and progression balancing helped us validate key product decisions, improve our progression systems, and accelerate development. He was proactive, communicative, and consistently brought thoughtful solutions to complex design challenges. I'd happily work with him again."
From the Blog
Game Design Insights
Articles on game design
Thoughts, lessons, and progress from completed quests
Gacha Done Right: Designing Pull Systems That Feel Fair
Jun 2026Gacha isn't broken by design. It breaks when randomness has no fairness underneath it. Here's what separates pull systems players trust from ones they eventually resent.
Why Your Game Economy Feels Unfair (Even When the Numbers Are Right)
Apr 2026Players say your economy is unfair. The spreadsheet says it isn't. Both are correct. Here's why mathematical balance and perceived fairness are two completely different problems.
The Real Reason Players Quit at Week 2
Jul 2025Most games have strong D1 numbers and broken D14. The problem isn't the game -- it's that week 1 was designed and week 2 wasn't.
Portfolio
Recent Projects
Featured project highlights
A selection of games and systems I've designed and balanced
BloodLoop
ArchivedA resource-driven game of elemental awakening and tactical positioning.
Blue Eyed Ninja by Lepta Games
LiveHybrid casual adventure progression game, Capybara Go style meta loop
FabuLingua
LiveLanguage Learning Adventure for Kids. Story-driven mobile learning game that teaches Spanish to children through interactive adventures, mini-games, and reward-based progression.
Hero Adventure
LiveMobile RPG Economy & Progression System
Let's Work Together
Need balanced game systems that players love?
Whether you're building a new game from scratch or need to fix an existing economy, I can help. From card games to apps, I bring mathematical precision and creative design thinking.