Conifer Games is a new development studio based out of Michigan. It's made up of a core of three developers aided by a handful of part-time contractors.
So what are we all about?
Our team is committed to delivering deep, satisfying gaming experiences on the PC platform. We firmly believe that incredible opportunities still remain hidden within the strategy genre, and our journey to prove that begins with At the Gates!
You might be wondering where the name "Conifer Games" came from. Our team is comprised of a group of nature-lovers. We all live in a house together in a small patch of woods. We also wanted a name that highlights our goals as a company - starting small, but eventually growing into something amazing. We believe that At the Gates is just the beginning of an amazing journey - not just for us but also for those who will play our games!
Jon Shafer is the president and founder of Conifer Games. He also serves as designer and gameplay programmer for At the Gates. You might know him as the lead designer for Civilization V. Prior to founding Conifer, Jon worked for Firaxis Games and Stardock Entertainment. He's been in this business for a total of 8 years now and has six titles under his belt. Jon also writes game design articles on his website and co-hosts The Game Design Round Table podcast.
Jon originally hails from Colorado and is a huge history buff, a baseball fanatic and enjoys the finest games that the strategy and RPG genres have to offer. He's been making games since he was 9 years old and still has to pinch himself to make sure that he is in fact lucky enough to be doing this for a living!
Kay Fedewa is the art director for At the Gates. She is a Michigan native and has been making art since she could hold a pencil. In her free time she not only reads but also creates graphic novels. Kay has also been a fan of computer games from an early age.
Kay's other hobbies include learning about science and nature. She's an avid fan of documentaries, and has seen hundreds relating to these subjects. Kay also owns over fifty plants and several pets, including a dozen crested geckos, a sugar glider, two parrotlets and a domesticated Siberian fox named Anya.
As art director, Kay's goal is to ensure At the Gates features a fresh, clean style that's immediately recognizable and doesn't get in the way of the game. She's very much rooting for the success of our Kickstarter campaign, as the funding will allow the team to flesh out much more of the game's art.
Jonathan Christ is the architect for At the Gates. He brings 10 years of professional programming experience to the table, and is a lifelong gamer to boot. As part of working on At the Gates, Jonathan is writing ElfTools, an extensive game development toolset for C#. He hopes this library will help smooth over the many gaps in existing technology and open up new opportunities for current and would-be game developers.
Jonathan was also born and raised in Michigan and is a lover of all things elven - hence, ElfTools. He spends much of his free time playing League of Legends, working on a variety of programming hobby projects and raising the bar on fiction through his writing. He too is very excited for the anticipated release of At the Gates, which will be his first credited game title as a professional.
