Carol Mertz
@carolmertz.itch.io
Game designer. HELLCOUCH, With You, Exploding Kittens: Good vs Evil, & so many more.
🃏 Board games: bit.ly/carolsBGG
🎮 Indie videogames: carolmertz.itch.io
🌱 Sustainable games: PlayWithYourOwnJunk.com
she/her | st. louis, mo | http://carolmertz.com
🃏 Board games: bit.ly/carolsBGG
🎮 Indie videogames: carolmertz.itch.io
🌱 Sustainable games: PlayWithYourOwnJunk.com
she/her | st. louis, mo | http://carolmertz.com
My little game "With You" surpassed a million downloads on Steam! I'm so blown away by all the support its gotten over the last few years — I never expected this many folks to play my little project, but I'm so grateful! 🥹
store.steampowered.com/app/1860570/...
store.steampowered.com/app/1860570/...
September 25, 2025 at 4:24 PM
My little game "With You" surpassed a million downloads on Steam! I'm so blown away by all the support its gotten over the last few years — I never expected this many folks to play my little project, but I'm so grateful! 🥹
store.steampowered.com/app/1860570/...
store.steampowered.com/app/1860570/...
You know, we do what we can to cope. Creativity has pulled me out of some dark places this year.
July 7, 2025 at 12:26 PM
You know, we do what we can to cope. Creativity has pulled me out of some dark places this year.
I turned my apartment into an escape room that only my friends can play. It ended up being an important lesson in art, creativity, and companionship.
The video on YouTube breaks down the idea, process and technology, gameplay and narrative, and lessons learned.
Please share! youtu.be/ISbamI5ODNQ
Please share! youtu.be/ISbamI5ODNQ
June 30, 2025 at 5:13 PM
I turned my apartment into an escape room that only my friends can play. It ended up being an important lesson in art, creativity, and companionship.
The video on YouTube breaks down the idea, process and technology, gameplay and narrative, and lessons learned.
Please share! youtu.be/ISbamI5ODNQ
Please share! youtu.be/ISbamI5ODNQ
been going through a bunch of old photos (for reasons) and found this picture of a jello mario I made in 2008 as a birthday gift for my boyfriend at the time. i literally ate with this
June 19, 2025 at 3:11 PM
been going through a bunch of old photos (for reasons) and found this picture of a jello mario I made in 2008 as a birthday gift for my boyfriend at the time. i literally ate with this
Three people so far have played the puzzle room in my apartment, and I’m super happy with how the design has turned out overall. I’ve made some tweaks after each playthrough, and I have three more folks coming over today to play. This process is so fun.
I’m gonna start cutting a dev video soon. ♥️
I’m gonna start cutting a dev video soon. ♥️
June 17, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Three people so far have played the puzzle room in my apartment, and I’m super happy with how the design has turned out overall. I’ve made some tweaks after each playthrough, and I have three more folks coming over today to play. This process is so fun.
I’m gonna start cutting a dev video soon. ♥️
I’m gonna start cutting a dev video soon. ♥️
To my fellow sensory sensitive sunscreen-hating baddies, I’m begging you to try Korean or Japanese sunscreen. This stuff has become my absolute favorite, smells like nothing, feels like nothing, but still a highly rated SPF 50.
I get the ick of sunblock smell and feel, but there are better options!
I get the ick of sunblock smell and feel, but there are better options!
June 16, 2025 at 12:53 PM
To my fellow sensory sensitive sunscreen-hating baddies, I’m begging you to try Korean or Japanese sunscreen. This stuff has become my absolute favorite, smells like nothing, feels like nothing, but still a highly rated SPF 50.
I get the ick of sunblock smell and feel, but there are better options!
I get the ick of sunblock smell and feel, but there are better options!
This is exactly what I look like after I post on reddit about a game I designed.
June 10, 2025 at 4:31 PM
This is exactly what I look like after I post on reddit about a game I designed.
This is exactly what I look like when a mentor is giving me critical feedback on a game I designed.
June 9, 2025 at 9:00 PM
This is exactly what I look like when a mentor is giving me critical feedback on a game I designed.
This is exactly what I look like when someone tells me they enjoyed playing a game I designed
June 9, 2025 at 1:37 PM
This is exactly what I look like when someone tells me they enjoyed playing a game I designed
This is exactly what I look like when I’m watching people ignore the rules in a game I designed.
June 8, 2025 at 12:35 PM
This is exactly what I look like when I’m watching people ignore the rules in a game I designed.
This is exactly what I look like when I’m watching people playtest a game I designed.
June 7, 2025 at 3:16 PM
This is exactly what I look like when I’m watching people playtest a game I designed.
I have grave news to report.
April 19, 2025 at 12:00 PM
I have grave news to report.
Similarly to everyone who said to set expectations low for Paris, I feel like people are trolling me when they say it’s hard to eat gluten-free in Italy. It’s been so much easier for me here than in the states — more options, better labeling, and higher quality. I’m so happy.
April 18, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Similarly to everyone who said to set expectations low for Paris, I feel like people are trolling me when they say it’s hard to eat gluten-free in Italy. It’s been so much easier for me here than in the states — more options, better labeling, and higher quality. I’m so happy.
Alright, everyone I talked to who said to set my expectations low for Paris was obviously trolling me because this city is incredible???
April 15, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Alright, everyone I talked to who said to set my expectations low for Paris was obviously trolling me because this city is incredible???
Me at a random British bookstore
April 10, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Me at a random British bookstore
bruh one of the times I went to visit my parents in Florida these massive things were everywhere and I felt like I was in goddamn Jurassic park
March 30, 2025 at 2:08 PM
bruh one of the times I went to visit my parents in Florida these massive things were everywhere and I felt like I was in goddamn Jurassic park
Oh dang looks like I need to be a top-50 GDC speaker a few more times so I can get a straight flush
*Balatro juice noises* 
*Balatro juice noises* 
March 27, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Oh dang looks like I need to be a top-50 GDC speaker a few more times so I can get a straight flush
*Balatro juice noises* 
*Balatro juice noises* 
Almost time to party
March 19, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Almost time to party
Hey yooo I made the GDC speaker deck this year, but somehow they managed to butcher my studio name “Insatiable Cycle” pretty atrociously.
“Insationable Cucle” is going to be my new verbal stim whether I like it or not.
“Insationable Cucle” is going to be my new verbal stim whether I like it or not.
March 17, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Hey yooo I made the GDC speaker deck this year, but somehow they managed to butcher my studio name “Insatiable Cycle” pretty atrociously.
“Insationable Cucle” is going to be my new verbal stim whether I like it or not.
“Insationable Cucle” is going to be my new verbal stim whether I like it or not.
As if we needed more reasons to love Costco, THEY HAVE BIG FLUFFY SNORLAXES
March 13, 2025 at 3:15 PM
As if we needed more reasons to love Costco, THEY HAVE BIG FLUFFY SNORLAXES
I’ll be at #GDC2025 next week! This year I reprised my volunteer roles as both a juror for the Best Student Game award category at the Independent Games Festival, as well as a curator and co-organizer of the Experimental Games Showcase (formerly Experimental Game Workshop).
March 10, 2025 at 2:47 PM
I’ll be at #GDC2025 next week! This year I reprised my volunteer roles as both a juror for the Best Student Game award category at the Independent Games Festival, as well as a curator and co-organizer of the Experimental Games Showcase (formerly Experimental Game Workshop).
I cut, folded, assembled, and bound 125 of these lil bad boys for next week.
If you see me around GDC and you want a little zine about my new sustainable games project, just ask! Bonus: it’s on seed paper so once you’re done with it, you can plant it to grow wildflowers.
If you see me around GDC and you want a little zine about my new sustainable games project, just ask! Bonus: it’s on seed paper so once you’re done with it, you can plant it to grow wildflowers.
March 9, 2025 at 5:47 PM
I cut, folded, assembled, and bound 125 of these lil bad boys for next week.
If you see me around GDC and you want a little zine about my new sustainable games project, just ask! Bonus: it’s on seed paper so once you’re done with it, you can plant it to grow wildflowers.
If you see me around GDC and you want a little zine about my new sustainable games project, just ask! Bonus: it’s on seed paper so once you’re done with it, you can plant it to grow wildflowers.
Fun fact: I made the logo for my new sustainable games website out of homemade dough and a marker.
All the game graphics on the website are hand-drawn like this. I want this shit to feel messy and human, because play is messy and human.
All the game graphics on the website are hand-drawn like this. I want this shit to feel messy and human, because play is messy and human.
March 7, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Fun fact: I made the logo for my new sustainable games website out of homemade dough and a marker.
All the game graphics on the website are hand-drawn like this. I want this shit to feel messy and human, because play is messy and human.
All the game graphics on the website are hand-drawn like this. I want this shit to feel messy and human, because play is messy and human.