Emily O’Neal


I’m a creative director and game designer with a proven track record of shipping award-winning games, crafting immersive experiences, and driving innovation across gaming, XR, and interactive media.

Surviving Mars: Pioneer



ROLE:   Creative Lead
TOOLS:  Figma, UnitySurviving Mars: Pioneer is the first VR entry in the acclaimed Surviving Mars franchise, transporting players to the unforgiving surface of the Red Planet. Built for immersive play, it challenges players to establish and expand a colony in one of the most hostile environments imaginable.

As Creative Lead, I joined the project in its final phases of production, guiding it through early access into full launch. My contributions included:
  • Leading a complete UI design overhaul to adapt complex colony management systems for VR.
  • Providing gameplay feedback across progression, controls, and player experience to polish the final release.
  • Supporting the production push to ensure the project shipped smoothly and met quality expectations on Meta Quest, PCVR, and PSVR 2.



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oneal.emily1@gmail.com