Design the Game to Win

Andrew Greenberg
Georgia Game Developers Executive Director

"Approachable to new audiences, depth experienced attendees want"

"Through the years Chris DeLeon has spoken at our events, he has proven himself able to make difficult concepts approachable to new audiences while providing the depth more experienced attendees want. The variety of topics on which he can speak make him a strong asset for any conference."

Stephanie Barish
IndieCade CEO

"Gift of connecting... practical knowledge while inspiring people"

"Chris DeLeon has the great gift of connecting with others and leverages that ability in his speaking and teaching, sharing practical knowledge while inspiring people on professional development, networking and career goals. Chris has a remarkable ability to connect with participants wherever they are in their journey and provide them with what they need to take their next step. Not only is Chris an excellent presenter, but also a trusted community member for more than a decade. He is thoughtful, collaborative, and deeply invested in the success of others. We hope that everyone is as lucky as we are to have him speak at their events and in their communities."

Gavin Camlin
Event Organizer

"helping people navigate their own personal motivations and passion"

"Chris is one of the most consistent speakers for our community. In one of my favorite talks he gave, he did an excellent job at helping people navigate their own personal motivations and passion."

Tyler Coleman
Greenlight Jam Co-Creator, Retora Games Creative Director

"aware of the role a closing keynote needed to play"

"I invited Chris to give the closing keynote for Greenlight Jam, a five-week game jam built around weekly sprints and public deliverables.We needed the final talk to help teams make sense of what they had just built, especially after several weeks of deadlines, feedback, and unfinished ideas. Chris understood that context. His talk gave participants a practical way to think about finishing, learning from the work, and deciding what to do next.From an organizer’s perspective, Chris was prepared, easy to work with, and aware of the role a closing keynote needed to play. I would recommend him to programs that want a speaker who can speak to creative work without turning it into hype."

Chad Stewart
Mini-Con Organizer

"passionate, knowledgeable speaker with a strong ability to connect"

"Chris DeLeon is a passionate, knowledgeable speaker with a strong ability to connect with our audience. He understands how to correctly weave a story into a relatable lesson. 'Oh, well of course!' you will hear the collective crowd realize as he goes past the surface level and explores what motivates people. I recommend Chris DeLeon to be a speaker at any engagement full-heartedly. He's good."

Nick Carbonara
Game Industry Producer

"left me not only better informed, but also more enthusiastic"

"I was deeply energized by Chris' talk on the power of interdisciplinary collaboration. His eloquence and infectious energy left me not only better informed, but also more enthusiastic about the topic at hand. I would love to attend one of his talks again."

Karlee Perpignant
Meetup Organizer

"chris is a great speaker"

"Caught his inspirational talk live and was moved by it. Chris is a great speaker!"

Chris Maire
Boston GameDev President

"energizing new perspectives... insightful, uplifting, professional"

"Chris has been a frequent speaker at our events, and consistently delivered talks that brought energizing new perspectives. Our community has really benefited. He has a really positive energy, is insightful, uplifting, and professional. I absolutely recommend Chris as a speaker!"

Bilal Cheema

"Helped me present myself in a way that's convincing for my clients"

"I am a freelancer and the processes taught in Complete Every Project helped me present myself in a way that's convincing for my clients. I use a Trello board to create a schedule, share it with my client and leave it to his discretion as to whether he would like to proceed forward. This not only allows me to get clients but also filters out the kind of clients that I don't like to work with. The weekly process not only helps me stay motivated to do the tasks on time but also, allows me to get client feedback and improve the direction of the project. In any business deals, presenting your work is actually as important as the work itself."

BaronJ67

"by applying Chris' method I have been dramatically more productive"

"I was a person who would sit and internally debate about what I need to do next. Then it would turn into hours of me thinking about working/completing task and not actually doing them... by applying Chris' method I have been dramatically more productive. But most importantly I now enjoy my downtime without the stress/anxiety of something needing to be done."

Doug @goodkid-saadcity.bsky.social

"I use the techniques from the course every week in my dev job"

"I’m not a game dev, but I took this course [Complete Every Project] earlier this year because I wanted to learn project management 101. I use the techniques from the course every week in my dev job. I especially recommend it for adhd people — chris’ methods clicked in a way other PM courses I tried didn’t. check it out!"

Diana @Korpii

"One of the most adhd friendly 'productivity' courses"

"One of the most adhd friendly 'productivity' courses I've ever found. I loooove how this course is focused on creative projects. Most of the courses out there are for traditional project management or software. I usually take courses 2x playback, otherwise I get distracted, but this one? There wasn't any need. This teaching style really fits my learning process. It felt more like talking casually while drinking coffee, like we were having an actual conversation. 'Planning to Learn' was among my fav lessons, because when trying new things, we don't know what we don't know. Now when I'm building some things on the side I'm like... wait... this 'task' actually involves X,Y, and Z, too, let's go step by step. It helps fighting adhd paralysis when a task seems daunting."

Rodrigo Bonzerr Lopez

"It helped me finish a book that I've been working on since 2019"

"One of the things I loved in Self-Doubt is the importance of getting your work out there. If you don't publish your work, you will not benefit from it, and the public who you can help will also not be benefitting from it. It helped me finish a book that I've been working on since 2019."

myleah.bsky.social

"helping to reframe the way you think about task management"

"I recommend checking out some of the resources by Chris DeLeon! I recently started listening to some of his stuff and have found it immensely helpful, even for just helping to reframe the way you think about task management. Hope it can help!!"

Tyler Owens

"this strategy has felt like a breakthrough for me"

"I thought I’d give it a try, even implementing some of the suggestions same day. I got more done in an hour after picking up the white board than I had in the 8 hours I had worked prior to getting it. I’ve found it tremendously helpful in developing agency over my attention energy and motivation. I have been more effective at staying on task, which creates space for deliberate self care and helps me write an optimistic personal narrative about how I spent my time.I’m not one for "productivity" but I do often struggle to accomplish both the things I want and need to do, especially dedicating time to resting. Since adopting some strategies learned from the audiobooks I have consistently been able to set clear goals then accomplish them.I’m actually really excited about the future because... this strategy has felt like a breakthrough for me. [followup message months later, added with permission] I continue to find this strategy extremely helpful!"

RethinkJeff

"Find yourself struggling to start, I can not recommend it higher"

"Veteran shoutout for Chris's book Self-Command. Talks about solving a meaningful problem many of us have. If you find yourself struggling to start, I can not recommend it higher. We all know service jacks you up, especially with setting independent, meaningful goals. Check it out."

Hamza "Hums" Sehavdic

"Necessary and sobering for any frustrated and creative person"

"Chris DeLeon's 'Self-Command' is both necessary and sobering for any frustrated and creative person in the post-internet era, where resources are infinitely growing yet attention spans shrink to near-zero. DeLeon's book is unique in the world of self-help, showing a rare empathy as he acknowledges the very real pitfalls people face and offers pragmatic guidance despite our seasonal slumps. My first listen with 'Self-Command' marked a significant turning point, helping me become more robust and achieve my academic and professional goals. Routine re-listenings of the book keep me steadfast."

Phill Hermans
@phillhermans

"For anyone who has projects that they struggle to complete"

"This course [Complete Every Project] is great! Useful for anyone who has projects that they struggle to complete! I wish I had these skills when I was a grad student 🫠"

Martina Natale

"I love it... Listening to it I think gives you a good kick"

"I love it! Honestly. Listening to it I think gives you a good kick! I like to listen to it while I walk or during my workout."

Jacob Vander Ende (Spriteborne)

"Cut through the noise and spend... time on things that matter"

"I have diagnosed ADHD, so it's always hard to make decisions about how I should be spending my time. Self-Command gave me new tools to help cut through the noise and spend more of my time on things that matter... [Complete Every Project, the video course] was a helpful tool to... turn half-baked ideas I had about how to organize, plan, and schedule into something actionable, meaningful, and useful both to myself and other people. There are no miracle solutions to getting things done, especially when you have brain cooties like mine, but I finished this class feeling motivated and focused."

Dannyellis Meléndez

"As of page 46 of 206, it has helped far more than I imagined"

"I do a lot of things. It’s a natural part of being a musician. I teach around 30 students a week, compose for games, implement audio, gig on the weekends, play video games, play Magic, visit family, have fun with friends. All of this is kept together by an eternally under-construction schedule. However, putting events on calendars and writing to-do lists for the day or the week, always made it seem like I was living on the next item.If I made a list of things and then assigned an order, it always felt like I was second-guessing my priority assessment every time I glanced at the list. “What if this takes too much time?“, “should I have done the other thing first?” And so on. This inevitably lead to multi-tasking unrelated tasks, getting things halfway done or, even worse, getting a burst of focus and inspiration at inconvenient times where I had to stop. It seemed like total focus was a happy accident.When I saw the summary for ‘Get Yourself To Do Things’ [bundle combining Self-Command and Self-Doubt] I thought it could offer a solution to the multi-tasking problem I had. As of page 46 of 206, it has helped far more than I imagined."

Brian Nielsen

"changed my level of productivity... it would be selfish not to share"

"Chris' book Self-Command changed the way I do tasks (work related or otherwise). It's a simple and powerful tool that anyone can make use of. It's been the only system I've stuck to for several years without deviation... this changed my level of productivity so profoundly that I feel it would be selfish not to share."

chrisconradie on bluesky

"2 hours later... already planned out two of the personal projects"

"I recently [Nov 2024] finished this course [Complete Every Project]. It's super accessible and hits on a lot of critical points. 2 hours later and I've already planned out two of the personal projects I'm working on. It's an easy recommend from me."

Judy "Jetset" Barbosa

"Very digestible, well structured... Chris was so encouraging!"

"I am so grateful to this program for many things! The course is very digestible, well structured so that I can learn bit by bit and refer back to it often, using different kinds of examples helped me create custom plans for a youtube and social media channel I want to launch, and most importantly Chris was so encouraging! It was very motivating to be constantly reminded without judgement that these are tools to help us accomplish our cool and exciting ideas!"

Joe Cassavaugh
Puzzles By Joe

"A++... Loved the often snappy-answers/reality checks"

"Great book (Self-Doubt), even better than Self-Command - A++. Excellent format. Loved the often snappy-answers/reality checks for the quick answer, followed by the longer explanations. Truly great compilation of questions."

Jonathan Hartley
(excerpt from Amazon review)

"Five stars. Literally life changing."

"A tough period for me interacted with my (undiagnosed, but in-the-family) ADHD/ASD like personality to really undermine my productivity. I was simultaneously both ferociously busy (but working on the wrong things, leaving central but intimidating tasks untouched) and responding to the mounting anxiety of that situation by dropping out, binging hobbies and unproductively clicking around in an effort to escape the stress. I had an ever-growing personal TODO list, and was failing to fulfill my potential at work.These books give tools to rectify situations like this. Their advice is straightforward, demystifying, and immediately actionable. Indeed, possibly the biggest weakness of 'Self-Command' is that its central advice is so simple that it's easy to think it couldn't actually work. But it works for me, I just had to actually do what it says.The mini whiteboard that Self-Command is based around (pictured) forms part of my workflow every hour of every day, and has for a couple of years now, ever since I read this. I'm not going to say I'm now a perfectly efficient machine in all regards, but I can say that I'm now satisfied with my focus and the usefulness of my efforts, whereas before I was a long way from that.To my mind, the fact you're here, reading this page, suggests that maybe you're ready for a change like that too. So, fellow traveler, I'm leaving this wholehearted recommendation here in the hope it helps you out, as others helped me. :-)I read the textual ebook versions, which read like the transcript of the audiobook that they are. This leads to text which is quite informal and more verbose than tightly edited prose would be, but this makes it a quick and easy read, which is exactly what is needed.Five stars. Literally life changing."

Adrian Sanders
QA Analyst

"learned more in the past few months.... [than] the last 5 years"

"With any endeavor, it helps to have a coach, and Chris is a great person to fill this need. I've learned more in the past few months working with Chris DeLeon's one-on-one training than I have in the last 5 years of trying to do it for myself. His years of experience make him invaluable. I'm gaining the skills I need."

Federico Fasche
Senior Lecturer

"Provided me with the perfect exercises for my goals"

"Chris listened to my ideas and personal objectives, and then provided me with the perfect exercises for my goals."

Tim Waskett
Statistical Researcher

"Chris's training can accelerate that process of self learning"

"I've achieved so much more with his guidance than I would have done on my own. Without a doubt a great deal of the project's success has been down to Chris, helping me keep everything on track as well as pushing my own skills.I wasn't even sure what I wanted to get out of our training sessions before we started; I am generally pretty happy trying to learn stuff on my own. But as the weeks progressed I've realized that Chris's training can accelerate that process of self learning, directing it in the most efficient way and getting you to where you want to be faster and with fewer dead ends. I'm months ahead of where I'd have been otherwise and that's time I can make good use of now. That's invaluable.Chris provides a unique service. He knows his stuff, he's been there and done that. I can guarantee there's a lot of stuff he can teach you, or at the very least show you what it is you didn't realize you didn't know before! His passion and professionalism will give you the confidence you need."

June Rockwell
Senior Software Engineer

"Patient, open-minded and thoroughly knowledgeable"

"Chris is a good instructor – patient, open-minded and thoroughly knowledgeable."

Brice Morrison
Professional game developer

"saved me years of effort through tough decisions he surfaced"

"Over the past few months Chris transformed my game development goals from vague fantasy to concrete reality with a timeline.Each session we review the current state and schedule, and his candid feedback uncovers hidden problems that would have caused wasted effort. Prioritization, scheduling strategy, being more efficient, and working with constraints are his specialty.Having easily saved me years of effort through tough decisions he surfaced, it's the best dollar-for-value I've spent on my game so far.Chris has been amazingly helpful and took this project from a complete standstill - on a trajectory to be completed in 10 years - to on a path to getting a demo out soon and shipping within a reasonable amount of time. It’s been hugely valuable."

Philip "Mr. Phil" Ludington
Senior Software Engineer

"Helps me steer clear of tangents, distractions, and feature creep"

"Meeting with Chris keeps my forward momentum going. He helps me steer clear of tangents, distractions, and feature creep."

N.E. Johnson
Author and content creator

"huge help in keeping my ADHD from going completely off the rails"

"It’s amazing how useful it is to have someone to talk to about my work and projects, even more so if they are a professional in the field that can ask the right questions, point out what I’m missing, and keep me focused on my goals. A huge help in keeping my ADHD from going completely off the rails."

Charles Zammit
Cybersecurity Instructor

"Can help bring clarity to complex ideas while keeping you moving"

I've worked with Chris for over a decade on one of the most ambitious projects of my life. While we originally met around game development, what kept me coming back wasn't technical advice - it was his ability to help me think more clearly, stay accountable, and continue making progress year after year.Creative projects inevitably hit periods of uncertainty, burnout, and overwhelming complexity. Chris has a gift for breaking those moments into practical next steps. Instead of telling me what to do, he consistently asked the right questions, challenged my assumptions, and helped me discover solutions that fit my own goals.The project we started together eventually became a published product, but the lasting value went far beyond that. The way I approach planning, problem-solving, and long-term projects today is deeply influenced by our work together. If you're looking for someone who can help bring clarity to complex ideas while keeping you moving forward, I recommend Chris without hesitation.

Sid M.*
(Not related to games)

"Given me a sense of momentum which was missing before I met him"

"I work with Chris to help me move forward in my business, and I've probably saved years of running off in unhelpful directions. His sharp and targeted questions (coming from a large and diverse amount of knowledge and experience) have yielded many helpful insights and given me a sense of momentum which was missing before I met him."

* Why no photo or full name? My clients include people with day jobs in Fortune 500 companies and top universities who prefer to keep discreet that they're experimenting with a side business. If that's your situation, too, it's not an issue!

Chinua White
Graphic Designer

"Solve business logic problems before they derailed... progress"

"Working on ongoing projects one-on-one with Chris has trained me to plan, build and walk my clients through their complex long-term projects to secure their buy-in and confidence. His scheduling flexibility has enabled me to keep skills fresh even when my clients' evolving needs made my schedule chaotic. The added benefit of explaining my intentions when setting our session plans allowed me to solve business logic problems before they derailed precious progress. As a working professional, Chris's coaching gets my highest recommendation!"