Welcome
I’m Helwa — I've been an Artist for as long as I can remember and have been practicing making games for over 2 years, based in the beautiful state of California.
Lost Faces.
Chic Boutique
Recipe Rumble
HIRAETH
Leave At Front Door
Mind-Body Union
I am a recent graduate from UC Santa Cruz, majored in Art & Design: Games and Playable Media. My goal is to create compelling characters and immersive worlds within the games and entertainment industry!With a keen eye for design and a strategic mindset, I specialize in Game Development, World-Building, Character Design, and 3D Modeling. As an artist, I was greatly influenced by the Altus titles Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, as well as the art of Shin-ichi Sakamoto, creator of Innocent and The Climber.During my time at UC Santa Cruz, I’ve collaborated with many teams to hone my skills in game development. In my opinion, great games take players to new worlds and give them an experience that they can connect with. Some of my favorite games to play are Fortnite, Monster Hunter, and Project Diva Mega Mix, and my favorite franchises are Ryu Ga Gotoku, Resident Evil, and Devil May Cry.Thanks for stopping by!
skillsDrawing • Character Design • Digital Illustration • Narrative Design • Interactive Design • Art Direction • UI / UX • Python • C# • JavaScript • HTML • CSS
toolsUnity • Godot • Phaser • Ren’Py • Blender • Maya • Substance Painter • Photoshop • Clip Studio Paint • Figma • Notion • Miro • Google Workspace • Microsoft Office
Illustrations
3D Models
Wear others' faces as a maskA horror visual novel about becoming. A girl, born without a face, survives by stealing the faces of others and wearing it as a mask. Explore settings to better understand the lives of the faces you steal.
Role
Programming & Art supportPlatform
Windows, Linux, MacGenre
Horror, Point and Click, Story-DrivenDuration
48 HoursCompletion
February 2026Team Size
8Collaborators
Noel Kim, Helwa Halloum (me), Ellie Kim, Ritesh, Syd/Rolf, PK, Alex/rufusdufus0, Cami
Made In
Are you ready to accept your admission to Slaycademy?Chic Boutique is a narrative-driven fashion game, where the player attends a prestigious art college known as Slaycademy as a Fashion Major. In this dress-up dating simulator, players will be attracting any of the love interests based on their fashion choices.
Role
Co-Producer, Character/Support 2D Artist, ProgrammerPlatform
Windows, Linux, Mac, Web BrowserGenre
Dress-up, Story-Driven, Coming of ageDuration
7 MonthsCompletion
July 2025Team Size
9Collaborators
Ruby Hirsch, Jennifer Le, Helwa Halloum (me), Stephanie Lipe, Noel Kim, Hailey Phipps
Made In
"After failing to cure his son from the plague, Dr. Safi, a highly respected doctor, must escape the underground city Styganheim for two reasons: to save his son Tahu from a ruthless government, and to save the city from his son."Hiraeth is an original video game concept developed during my internship with BRIC Foundation. With the guidance of industry professionals within the entertainment industry, my team and I were pushed to create and tell the world of Hiraeth.
Role
Concept Artist, Narrative DesignerPlatform
Game Concept PitchGenre
Dark Fantasy, Story-Driven, Open WorldDuration
8 weeksCompletion
July 2023Team Size
4Collaborators
Lian Batungbacal, Franchesca Boongaling, Juju Halloum, Helwa Halloum (me)
Pitch Deck
Concept Art
Made In
Strange visitors and paranoia in the form of a package.Leave at Front Door is a mystery visual novel made in Ren’py with puzzle elements that explores the feeling of paranoia and the anxiousness that accompanies it.
Role
ProgrammerPlatform
Web BrowserGenre
Horror, Point and ClickDuration
2 WeeksCompletion
June 2025Team Size
3Collaborators
Noel Kim, Helwa Halloum (me), Marcelle
Play Here!
Hallway with a mysterious package
Strange child with a headset knocking on the players door
Questioning the strange child
Made In
Recipe Rumble is an analog 6-player party game. It is a
team-based competitive game, where each player is
either muted, blinded, or deafened.Each player must rely on their team members to direct one another and
collect the correct ingredients to complete their recipe
within their respective roles.Players in this game rely on communication, trust, and
creative problem-solving while battling with the chaos
of disorientation, miscommunication, game hazards, and time constraints.
Role
Game Designer, Prop DesignerPlatform
AnalogGenre
Party GameDuration
5 WeeksCompletion
December 2023Team Size
9Collaborators
Max Kirkhope, Alex Beteta, Ruby Hirsch, Ishan Gupta, Jennifer Le, Elizabeth Tenorio, Helwa Halloum (me), Allon Ramirez
Made With
Can you prove Descartes wrong?Elisabeth-Descartes Correspondence: Mind-Body Union is a short visual novel debate game where the player must prove Descartes' theory on the mind-body dualism to be wrong.
Role
Programmer, Graphic Designer, Game DesignerPlatform
Web BrowserGenre
Visual NovelDuration
7 DaysCompletion
April 2024Team Size
2Collaborators
Noel Kim, Helwa Halloum (me)
Made In
