About Me - Portfolio Sebastian Nussbaum

Sebastian Nußbaum

Vice President Creative

I am Vice President Creative at Berlin-based Wooga, where I’ve been shaping hit games since 2009 – including genre-defining titles like Pearl’s Peril and June’s Journey. In my role, I set the company’s creative vision, decide when and where to launch new products, and build and guide teams from concept through prototyping to production to live ops – always balancing creative ambition with business impact. I aim to empower teams and create an environment where individuals thrive with real ownership.

Before joining Wooga, I worked as a Creative Director, Creative Manager, Designer, and Producer for award-winning studios and agencies, starting my career in 2000 as a level designer for the Game Boy Color.
For a complete career overview, please visit my LinkedIn profile.

Beyond gaming, I am passionate about music production – releasing albums under the alias mabafu that range from dub to Latin and ska. This also inspired the name of this website. I also create indie and board games under the alias Bombini, such as Goldspace.

I studied Media Art & Design at Bauhaus University Weimar.

Biggest financially success:

2017-today: June’s Journey (mobile game): Number one hidden object game worldwide. Over $1.5B lifetime revenue.
2013-2020: Pearl’s Peril (mobile game): Inventing episodic storytelling in the casual games market.
2008: Schnuffel: Platin Single, Gold Album, Merchandise, Radio plays, Games

Awards & Nominations:

2021- 2025: Leading employer Germany 2024. Exclusively awarded to the country’s top 1% (fifth year in a row)
2022: Switchcraft being finalist in best user experience category of Webby Awards
2022: Leading employer Germany 2022. Exclusively awarded to the country’s top 1% (second year in a row)
2021: Best Pick Up & Play in the @GooglePlay Best Of 2021 Awards for Switchcraft
2021: Leading employer Germany 2021. Exclusively awarded to the country’s top 1%
2018: Pearl’s Peril nominated at Mobile Games Awards as Finalist (Best Game Management & Live Ops)
2017: June’s Journey won ‘Best Web Game of 2017’ on Facebook
2015: Best ranked talk @ F2P Summit at GDC 2015 SF, USA
2015: Tabby Awards 2015, Agent Alice is “Best iPad game” in category “Adventure”
2014: Pearl’s Peril nominated at Develop Awards 2014 as Finalist
2008: Platin Single (Schnuffel – Kuschel Song)

Talks & lectures:

Game Developer Conference 2018 San Francisco, USA: Running a Mobile Games Studio for Six Years: A Tale of Four Challenges
Transmedia Storytelling Berlin-Netzwerk 2015: Challenges of episodic storytelling
Quo Vadis 2015 Berlin: Bringing HOG and episodic storytelling to smartphones
Game Developer Conference 2015 San Francisco, USA: How Wooga Boosts Long-Term Retention
- Watch recorded video
HFF München/TU München 2014: Games workshop on storytelling
Casual Connect 2011 Kiev: Secrets to Social Game Success

Former supervising tutor & examiner:

Games which left behind a lasting good impression on me:

Top5 digital games:

BF2142 (PC): The titan mode is one of my favorite multiplayer modes and playing in a squad is so well designed.
Company of Heroes 1, 2, 3 (PC): My preferred RTS game of all time because of the sheer amount of tactics you can use.
Pirates! (PSP + Amiga 500): Explore, struggle, and become famous in an exotic setting was a huge part of my childhood.
Starflight 2 (Amiga 500): The game inspired me as a child a lot and made me wonder how it would be to roam the stars.
XCOM Series (Amiga 500 + PC): I love the tactical gameplay and setting. Apocalypse was one of my favorites. I also like Gears Tactics.

Top board games:

All time digital game favorites:

Advance Wars Series (GBA): I love the complexity and simplicity of these sometimes very difficult games.
Arcanum (PC): A great RPG game by Troika Games whose team developed Fallout 1+2.
Battle Isle (Amiga 500): My entry to turn based strategy because of the interesting setting and the good UX and UI.
Battle Stations: Pacific (PC): A very good mix of rts and an action arcade shooter.
Chaos Engine (Amiga 500): One of my favorite top-down run-and-gun games.
Crusader no remorse (PC): Cool weapons, riddles and action (with a fully destructible environment)
Days Gone: Very authentic end-of-the-world vibe, with fantastic mechanics and story.
FTL (PC + iOS): Loving the vibe and gameplay.
It came from the desert (Amiga 500): The graphics, setting and game elements are fantastic.
Jagged Alliance 2 (PC): First time i seriously thought about using specific ammunition.
Killzone: Liberation (PSP): Best example how to port a first shooter onto a handheld.
Metroid Fusion (GBA) + Turrican (Amgia 500): Fantastic jump n run action.
M.U.D.S (Amiga 500): A very good fantasy sports game. Build up and manage your team. Win the games by points or by killing the opponent.
Oil Imperium (Amiga500): First time i understood a production and demand economy. Very fun multiplayer.
Red Faction Series (PC): Destructible environment at its best.
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (PC) + Desperados 3 (PC): Reinvented the classic Commandos series almost perfect.
Silent Storm Series(PC): An x-com type game with fully destructible environment that overs great tactics.
Space Marhshals Series (iOS): Is a very nice and polished twin-stick shooter for mobile.
Steamworld Heist (iOS): Very tactical game which combines turnbased movement with skill and a very interesting ricochet mechanic.
Super Cars II (Amiga 500): Epic if played with a friend in front of one computer.
Super Mario Cart 8 (Switch): Great family game which needs to explanation
Syndicate (Amiga 500) + Syndicate Wars + Satellite Reign (PC): I love the scenario and the destructible environment.
Wasteland 2 + 3 (PC): I enjoyed this “Old-school RPG” a lot because of its vibe.

No brainers i like:

Civilization Series (PC + Amiga 500):
Command & Conquer Series (PC): The reason i bought a PC and started playing multiplayer
Cyberpunk 2077
Deus Ex Series (PC): Amazing freedom of choice with a super deep game world and story
Division 2: Very nice worldbuilding and shooting mechanic.
Dishonored Series (PC): Has a really unique game world and reminded my of the first Deus Ex.
Fallout Series (PC): I love the setting, artwork and freedom of choice in these games.
Grand Theft Auto Series (PC + Nintendo DS): Just a great game series.
Halflife Series (PC): Just a great game series.
Wichter 3: Reminded me a lot of “Das Schwarze Auge: Schicksalsklinge” but is also just a great game.