Our Studio
Why “Paper Cutter Games”?
In university, Val took a course on the psychology of self-deception, which included existentialism philosophy.
During the 20th century when a book was hand-produced, the folding of printed sheets created closed edges that required cutting. A “paper cutter,” “book knife,” or “paper knife” (translated from French), was an object made to cut open these pages so they could be read. Sartre used the paper knife as an example of something that is made for a specific purpose, an object that has meaning (essence) before it exists.
“Existence precedes essence” is the idea that a person exists before they have meaning. A person is not born to fulfill a predetermined purpose, they have to decide the meaning/essence of their life by living it.
The paper cutter later evolved into what is now known as the letter-opener.
Too long; didn’t read: We’re a bunch of nerds.
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Our Team
Founder
Producer
Lead Designer
Sephone Stecyk
SHE/HER
Metalhead, former digital nomad, and infatuated with sushi. She writes sci-fi/fantasy and speculative fiction to distract herself from lack of adventure boofer. Her favorite level to play is the Clockwork Mansion (Dishonored 2).
@heyheysenbei
Co-Founder
Art Supervisor
Lead Artist
Val Sellers
SHE/HER
Val is an expert at chronic fatigue and consuming all snacks within the immediate vicinity. Constantly adding to her vast collection of reference photos “just in case they come in handy someday.”
@squidhop_art
@squidhop
lead programmer
Miles Gordon
He/him
Miles is an audio, multimedia, and game dev on a quest for zen in the digital mediascape. He loves fluffy clouds, old machines, and old-growth forests. In his spare time, he makes quiet bass-music for deep sea plants. Favorite games: Nuclear Throne and Final Fantasy XIV.
@miredly
designer
writer
Executive Assistant
Thomas Bexton
They/Them
Crafter of classification schemes. Forever painting miniature skeletons for Warhammer. They write lore, build worlds, and sometimes make and run tabletop RPG campaigns. Their favorite game is Pillars of Eternity II.
animator
VFX artist
Alex Damas
SHE/they
Fueled by the power of coffee, books and cats, Alex is an Animator/2D Artist enthusiast. With a love for fantasy and fictional universes, Alex’s heart very often and easily gets stolen by fictional characters, especially villains. Her current game obsession is Genshin Impact.
.@althaeart
.@althaeart
Composer
SFX Artist
Sheena Truong
SHE/HER
Sheena is also a singer–songwriter, currently writing music for her upcoming album. Her favorite video game is Return of the Obra Dinn.
@Sheena.Truong
@sheena_truong
What drives us?
As a studio that embraces diversity, Paper Cutter Games is dedicated to giving voice to people and issues that have historically been crushed or swept under the rug.
We believe that our players deserve to feel seen. And this begins with opening doors that help us better understand our peers. So yes, our goal is to challenge stereotypes and the simplifications saturating the video game market. The “international and diverse team” is a power-up we’re proud to keep equipped.