You are here

Laure De Mey | Programmer

Laure De Mey | Programmer

Laure’s first memory of gaming rests with Lara Croft, as she remembers watching her dad play Tomb Raider. She was only 4 at the time, so she started playing children’s games instead, like Harry Potter and Rayman. Clicking on the ‘making of’ modes sparked her creativity and she realised she loved learning about the process behind the games. A career in games beckoned, but Laure had no idea how to get into the industry, so she chose to study computer science at university.

After graduating, Laure worked in app development and VR, but got her break as a programmer at Ustwo Games, for which she moved from Belgium to the UK. She worked on games including Assemble with Care and Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, before leaving to work on her own projects. Laure loves escapist adventure games that encourage players to explore environments outside of real life. She is currently working on first-person puzzle game Botany Manor, and she says creating it has felt like living in a dream world - it’s the realisation of lots of her ambitions.

Laure can’t quite believe she’s been selected for Breakthrough UK and is excited not only by the personal recognition, but by BAFTA’s acknowledgement of the artistry in the gaming industry. Having only recently started her own company, she can’t wait to meet new mentors.

Laure wants to create games that appeal to other women, and still finds it frustrating that the female gaming market is overlooked and misunderstood. She hopes her games will transport people away to beautiful, peaceful spaces, spotlighting untold stories.

Laure’s Breakthrough credit is game Assemble with Care (Ustwo Games)

Back to Breakthrough