My name is Joshua Nichols, and I create games under the name BirdPunk Studios. I’m a developer and designer currently working on my first commercial game, Unmoored: Adrift in Space.

I’ve been a gamer for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are playing The Legend of Zelda on the NES when I was two or three years old. Games weren’t just entertainment for me—they were worlds I could explore, problems I could solve, and stories that helped me understand people, systems, and myself. That connection never faded. I’m now 40 years old, and for the past decade, I’ve been working toward bringing my own ideas into the world through game development.

Unmoored is the first of three planned projects. It represents not only years of learning and iteration but also my belief in games as meaningful, personal experiences. My strengths lie in story, narrative design, dialogue, audio, music, systems design, and programming—areas where I can create tension, emotion, and consequence without relying on spectacle or excess.

Games have played a critical role in my life beyond inspiration. Because of my mental disabilities, specifically my autism and schizophrenia, traditional learning environments were often extremely difficult for me. Games, however, taught me skills that no one else could—problem-solving, pattern recognition, persistence, and creative thinking. They helped me grow in ways that were otherwise inaccessible, and they are a large part of why I am able to do what I do today.

My dream is simple and honest: to make games as an independent developer, earn enough to live comfortably, and continue creating thoughtful, narrative-driven experiences for others. I’m not asking for support lightly. My husband and I have pushed as far as we can on our own, and this fundraiser exists so I can continue development while covering essential living and project-related expenses.

If you choose to support this campaign, you’re not just helping fund a game—you’re helping sustain a creator who believes deeply in the power of interactive storytelling. Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and for supporting independent development in any way you can.

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Joshua Nichols

BirdPunk Studios