Who the Howell?
The work of Dr. Peter Howell

Dr. Peter Howell
PhD, Bsc (Hons), PGcert, FHEA
Employment History

Senior Lecturer
July 2016 - Present
University of Portsmouth
I lead the University's Advanced Games Research Group. I am also Deputy Course Leader and Admissions Tutor for our BSc (Hons) Computer Games Technology course.
I coordinate Level 6 Games Research and Game Psychology units along with Level 5 Paper Prototyping. I supervise BSc, MSc, and PhD student projects.
Additionally, I am a member of Faculty Ethics Committee and the coordinator for the School of Creative Technologies' annual Graduate Showcase event.

External Examiner
I am an external examiner for the City of Liverpool College's Game Design and Concept Art course.
October 2021 - October 2025
Open University (City of Liverpool College)

External Examiner
I am an external examiner for Staffordshire University's ESports undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
September 2019 - September 2023
Staffordshire University
External Examiner
September 2017 - September 2021
University of Suffolk
I was an external examiner for the University of Suffolk covering their games technology and games design courses at undergraduate and masters levels.
External Examiner
January 2016 - September 2020
Nottingham Trent University, Confetti Institute
I was an external examiner for Nottingham Trent University's Confetti Institute, covering their games technology and games art courses.

Game Designer
September 2011 - December 2013
The Chinese Room
I was the co-designer on the PC and PlayStation 4 horror-adventure title Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs.
My responsibilities involved scenario design, implementation, and testing, including level editing, in-engine game asset creation, and taking a lead gameplay scripting role using the HPL2 engine's AngelScript API.
Lecturer
July 2014 - July 2016
University of Portsmouth
I coordinated Level 6 Games Research and Game Psychology units along with Level 5 Paper Prototyping. I also lead Level 4 workshops teaching 3ds Max, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash, as well as supervised BSc and MSc student projects.
Lecturer
September 2012 - June 2014
University of Portsmouth
I was hired as part of a new team that designed and planned the college's Gaming and Computing BTEC course, converting the existing IT Practitioners course.
I coordinated Level 3 3D Modelling and Game Platform Technologies units, along with Level 4/5 Game Development units for an accompanying HNC/HND course. I also lead the practical component of Level 3 Website Design and Development for IT students.
Part-Time Lecturer
September 2011 - June 2014
University of Portsmouth
I provided hourly-paid lecturer cover while I was completing my PhD. My main responsibility was to coordinate Level 6 Games Research and Level 4 workshops teaching 3ds Max. I also provided personal tutoring for Level 4 students.
Additionally, I undertook exam invigilation, was an associate member of the Advanced Games Research Group, sat on the Faculty Research Degrees Committee and the Graduate School Management Board as a student representative.
Academic Support Tutor
September 2010 - December 2011
University of Portsmouth
I worked in the School of Creative Technologies' study support centre where I provided one-to-one academic and practical skills sessions for students.
This included academic research and writing skills, 3ds Max, Photoshop, and other art and graphics skills, as well as basic C++ and C# code support.
Professional Skills
Game Design Theory
Specialising in:
Paper prototyping tools
Level design & gameflow
Game balancing
Interactive narrative design
Psychological design tools
Games and player culture
Game Development
Experienced with:
Unreal Engine
GameMaker/GML
articy:Draft
3ds Max
Substance
Photoshop
Illustrator
Teaching & Research
Primary Disciplines:
Curriculum Development
Qualitative Methods
Design Research
Practice Research
Game/Player Psychology
Experienced FE/HE Lecturer
Qualifications & Awards
Higher Education Academy
Fellow (FHEA)
University of Portsmouth
PhD
Fareham College
DTLLS
University of Portsmouth
PGCert
University of Portsmouth