Stuart D.

CEO | Supporting 4800+ UK Game Devs | Unreal Fellow | Award Winning Entrepreneur

London, England, United Kingdom

About

Creative Director. Ecosystem Builder. Indie Games Specialist. I design games, build IP, grow studios, and support the teams shaping the future of indie. I’m Stuart De Ville, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Fribbly Games, where we’re currently reworking the demo for Violet’s Visions, a narrative-driven mystery game set within a richly developed fantasy universe. With a publishing pitch set for 2025 and a 2026 release on the horizon, this IP is designed from the ground up to move across games, books, and animation. I'm also Founder and CEO of Game Dev Local, a UK-based organisation focused on supporting indie developers through practical resources, creative showcases, and community-led events. From hands-on workshops and grassroots meetups to major events like GDLX an indie games showcase and ARCADIA a hybrid games showcase and nightlife experience, we’re building infrastructure where indie creators can thrive, not just survive. Alongside this, I work as an independent consultant for early-stage indie studios, helping founders sharpen their vision, validate their projects, and build toward funding and publishing. Whether it's pitch strategy, IP planning, or studio leadership, I bring grounded insight from over a decade across development, business, and community. I also completed the Unreal Fellowship, where I built solo developer skills with cutting-edge tools and workflows through a personal project built entirely in Unreal Engine 5. Core strengths: Studio and team leadership IP development and narrative design Business development and funding strategy Community building and industry event design If you're working on something ambitious, built with care, and aimed at real impact, I’m open to collaboration and conversation. I move fast, build with purpose, and partner with teams ready to do the same.

Experience

  • Guest Lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London
    Jan 2026 - Present · 7 mos

    Guest Lecturer – Games Art Goldsmiths, University of London Guest lecturing on the Games Art programme, delivering industry-focused sessions that bridge creative practice and real-world game development. Drawing on professional experience across indie studios, events, and consultancy to help students understand how art functions within production, pipelines, teams, and commercial realities. Sessions focus on practical insight, career readiness, and critical thinking, including: The role of art within multidisciplinary game teams Production pipelines and collaboration with design and engineering Scope, polish, and decision-making for indie and small teams Industry expectations, career paths, and sustainable creative practice Emphasis is placed on honesty, clarity, and preparing students for the realities of working in games, not just the theory of it.

  • Game Dev Local (Full-time · 6 yrs 3 mos)
    • CEO
      Nov 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 9 mos

    • Director (Creative)
      May 2020 - Dec 2023 · 3 yrs 8 mos

      Business development, Team management, Organising/Hosting Meet-Ups and events in London and online, hosting Podcasts and livestreams for Games Developers, of all kinds.

  • Director at Fribbly Games
    Oct 2022 - Present · 3 yrs 10 mos

    We are a small collective of creatives with a wide set of creative skills, with 10+ years of experience creating games, and designing creative and artistically rich visuals. Did we mention we are creative? ​ Our goal is to bring something new to the world, to create experiences that connect people and to share wild and wonderful stories. We have spent many years honing our craft, and we are ready to share that with you now!

  • Lecturer - Games & Media, Commercial and Service Industries at Carshalton College
    Sep 2024 - Dec 2024 · 4 mos

    Returning for a short stint to support the team I miss so dearly at Carshalton, excited to return and develop the incredible young minds into fully fledged game developers, and designers.

  • Volunteer Mentor at Limit Break Mentorship
    Jul 2023 - Sep 2024 · 1 yr 3 mos