The Team



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Play Underground Games (PUG!) studio is a new studio composed entirely of up and coming LGBT+, BIPOC creators that are currently developing an unannounced game

This past week they won first place at the 2024 Ubisoft Indie Series competition.


We believe that games are an artful, meaningful medium and self-publishing is powerful

We fight for a world where nobody is afraid to craft and share their wonderful, weird worlds.

We tell diverse stories that center black, brown, and gender-diverse experiences; possessing a passionate hope that these tales will resonate with people like us. 

We take our craft seriously, and we never stop having fun.



Jyudeh J-Max Jarrett

Music Director, UI Designer, Programmer
they/them

Jyu is a Black, African British, non-binary graphic designer and music producer with a passion for working on pop, ambient, and video game tracks.

They produce solo music as Jyu and are in a band with Funk-é called Catdog, collaborating with August, Farouk and many other artists.

They also led the design of a video game magazine with that same team (Play Underground Mag, and its myriad of projects).

 

   
  



Fūnk-é Joseph
Game Director, Narrative Lead, Producer, Writer they/them


Fūnk-é is a Black, non-binary Caribbean-Canadian creator based in Toronto who loves stories and sound.

In May they started working at Larian Studios on the publishing team where they assist in the planning and execution of PR, community, video, and communication strategy for the award-winning RPG Baldur's Gate 3 and other upcoming projects.

Fūnk-é has written, edited, produced, and hosted for: VICE, IGN, MTV, Giant Bomb, Toronto International Film Festival, Kinda Funny, GameSpot, PC Gamer, Fanbyte, Paste Games, the Art Gallery of Ontario.





Haven Daniels-Taylor
Character Artist
he/him

Haven is a Black American freelance illustrator and comics artist creating dynamic and stylish work with a focus on the Black queer experience.

Haven has worked on two previous visual novels; ValiDate: Struggling Singles in your Area (2022), and Pesterquest (2019).

Haven is currently an artist for, and one of the lead writers on the comic Homestuck: Beyond Canon.


















August Polite

Animator, Background Artist
he/him

August is a mixed race Desi/South Asian/White artist working to tell meaningful stories through illustrations, animations and games.

August has worked on animating and editing films that have screened at Sundance, Rotterdam, and the Glas animation festival.

August has worked on animated music videos for indie music artists such as Orion Sun and Shamir. 

He produces music as “August," often collaborating with Funk-é and Jyu on songs as well as cover art/visuals. 









Farouk Kannout

Project Manager, Narrative Designer, Writer
he/him

Farouk Kannout is an Arab Writer, Critic, Filmmaker, Game Dev, and Music Producer/Composer whose passion in life is sharing and making art that moves people. 

Farouk has years of experience working as a freelance filmmaker and writer, as well as doing social media and marketing work for a myriad of companies, studios, and non-profit organizations. Farouk was also one of the lead editors of a video game zine and multiple podcasts with friends Max and Funk-é, that showcase diverse criticism on indie games, media, and pop culture. (Post-Post, PUG!Zine and Twig!).

Boasting an expansive list of personal work, Farouk has released solo albums, short films/documentaries, and runs a monthly Substack newsletter focusing on film/art criticism and the personal creative process.