Roots & Pixels: Meet Ruby Walne
From Game Jam Hobbyist to Full-Time Game Developer
For some game developers, the journey begins with a childhood fascination with games.
For Ruby Walne, it began with a fascination with technology itself — and a willingness to figure out how to make it work.
A self-described huge nerd, avid reader, TTRPG game master and lover of all things vintage and whimsical, Ruby is a gameplay programmer and independent game developer based in Cape Town, South Africa.
Her journey into game development started at a young age with Scratch, moved through Visual Basic and Construct 3, and eventually brought her to Godot and Unity. What began as a hobby and passion eventually became a career when Ruby left her office job in 2024 to pursue game development full-time.
Since then, she has continued building games, participating in game jams and becoming increasingly involved in South Africa’s game development community.
Ruby was one of the nine African finalists selected for the inaugural Roots & Pixels programme in 2026. The two-week programme together female-identifying game developers from South Africa and Kenya with participants from Belgium for training, networking and a game jam in Kortrijk, Belgium.
For Ruby, Roots & Pixels wasn’t simply another workshop or game jam. It became an opportunity to meet people, showcase her work internationally and strengthen her place within the South African game development community.
I asked Ruby to reflect on her journey into game development, her Roots & Pixels experience, the opportunities that followed, and what she has learned about being part of a creative community.
Meet Ruby Walne
Name: Ruby Walne
From: Durban, South Africa
Based: Cape Town, South Africa
Role: Gameplay Programmer / Independent Game Developer
Ruby describes herself as a huge nerd, an avid reader, a TTRPG game master and someone who loves all things vintage and whimsical.
Her professional journey into games began long before she considered game development a career.
As a child, she had access to a PC and became fascinated with technology and fixing things. She started making games in Scratch, later experimented with Visual Basic to create text-based games, and eventually moved through Construct 3, Godot and Unity.
In 2024, she made the leap from game development being a hobby to making it her full-time career.
Today, she works as a gameplay programmer contracting for Wind Song Interactive, while continuing to develop smaller independent projects throughout the year.
Her portfolio describes her as a game developer and programmer based in Cape Town, with a collection of personal and game-jam projects.
The Interview
ABOUT YOU
Could you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Ruby Walne. I’m a huge nerd, an avid reader, a TTRPG game master, I love all things vintage and whimsical.
Where are you from, and what do you currently do?
I’m originally from Durban, South Africa, but I’ve lived in a small town in South Africa’s Western Cape for most of my life before moving to the big city, Cape Town. I’m currently a gameplay programmer contracting for Wind Song Interactive, as well as an independent game developer working on smaller projects throughout the year.
How did you first get into game development?
I’ve always had a love for technology and an interest in fixing it. I was very privileged to have had access to a PC from a young age, so I’ve always been around tech that needed a lot of TLC to work. As a kid, I used Scratch (a visual coding language) and became obsessed with creating games. Later, I started using Visual Basic to make text-based games (I was too nervous to try graphics), before moving on to Construct 3, Godot, and now Unity. Game development has always been a part of my life, but only as a hobby and a passion. Then, in 2024, I quit my office job and finally took the leap into making games full-time, and it’s really paid off!
What were you working on before applying to Roots & Pixels?
I’m always working on a game jam project for something or other. When I applied for Roots & Pixels, I was in the middle of preparing for Playtopia 2025, where I was a volunteer and had two games on showcase!
🌱 APPLYING TO ROOTS & PIXELS
How did you hear about Roots & Pixels?
We’ve got an amazing game development community here in Cape Town, South Africa, and through that community I heard about the Roots & Pixels programme.
What motivated you to apply?
I’ve always believed that one of the best ways to grow is by learning from other people. Roots & Pixels seemed like an incredible opportunity to meet talented people from different backgrounds, learn from industry professionals, and experience game development in a different setting.
What were your expectations before arriving?
Having just come from finishing a game course, I thought it might be like any workshop or learning opportunity, with the bonus of a game jam.
🎮 THE EXPERIENCE
What was your first impression when you arrived?
It was a mix of excitement and disbelief. Meeting everyone in person after months of anticipation made it all feel real, and it didn’t take long before everyone started chatting as if we’d known each other for much longer.
Was there a particular workshop, mentor, or activity that had the biggest impact on you?
There was a workshop by Jennifer Lufau and Mickael Newton from Narratify about authentic storytelling. One section touched on how to tell other people’s stories with them rather than for them, and I found that very inspiring.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during the two weeks?
Other than being sick for the entire game jam, I think the biggest challenge was simply trying to take it all in. Honestly, for most of us this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I wanted to make the absolute most of it.
What surprised you the most?
I think the biggest surprise was the game jam. I had no idea how integrated we were going to be with the Xbox Game Camp that was happening at the same time, and it ended up being an incredible experience!
Can you share one memorable moment that you’ll never forget?
Near the end of the game jam, we all left the campus late at night and headed back to the hotel, where we proceeded to move all the tables together in the lobby and kept working! It brought back memories of childhood LAN parties with friends, and it was such a lovely way to spend time with everyone.
What is one lesson from Roots & Pixels that you still apply today?
Say yes to opportunities, even if they feel a little intimidating. Roots & Pixels reminded me that some of the best exepriences come from stepping outside your comfort zone and meeting new people. And being surrounded by so many passionate people reminded me how motivating it is to be part of a creative community.
🚀 ALMOST HALF A YEAR LATER
Looking back, how has the experience influenced your career or personal growth?
It’s had a major impact! Not only am I still in touch with many of the people I met through the programme, but other organisations here in Cape Town also reached out after the programme, and I’ve had amazing opportunities to showcase my games at events that I don’t think I would’ve had access to before. Not only was the Roots & Pixels programme incredible in itself, but being given the chance to represent my work on an international stage has really boosted my presence within my local game development community.
What have you been working on since completing the program?
I started contracting with Wind Song Interactive the day after I returned from Belgium, and I’ve been working on a co-op game called Scallywhackers with them ever since!
Did the experience open any unexpected opportunities?
As I mentioned previously, the opportunities that have come from completing Roots & Pixels have been incredible! A particularly notable one has been my connection with Games for Change Africa, through which I’ve had some fantastic opportunities to showcase my work at amazing events.
Have you stayed in touch with any of the other participants?
Yes! We’ve had an online call once a month ever since the programme ended. We all grew so close over those two weeks that many of us couldn’t imagine not staying in touch.
What’s something you wished you had known before attending?
Wear a mask on the plane so you don’t end up sick… But in all seriousness (though that is a serious point), I don’t think the experience needed any forewarning. I’m actually glad I got to experience the surprises along the way.
💡 ADVICE FOR FUTURE APPLICANTS
What advice would you give someone thinking of applying in the future?
Passion is a powerful thing. When you’re applying, I think it’s important to show how passionate you are about what you do, while also being excited about how much you still have to learn. You’ll be surrounded by passionate people, and it’s incredible to be able to share in that, so don’t be afraid to let your passion show!
If you could describe your Roots & Pixels experience in just three words, what would they be?
Friendship. Community. Passion.
☕️ A FEW FUN QUESTIONS
Coffee or tea during development/design?
Coffee all the way all the time ☕️
Favourite game of all time?
So difficult to choose… It’s gotta be either Stardew Valley or Baldur’s Gate 3
Favourite game made in Africa?
Terra Nil!
Favourite game engine?
Right now it would be Unity purely because it’s what I’m most comfortable with. But I really enjoy Godot when I was using it and hope to return to it again in the near future.
Game you wish you had made?
I would have loved ot have been a part of Caves of Qud.
Biggest game development/design pet peeve?
Inconsistent naming conventions 😅
Music while developing/working on a game project?
Oh yes, if there isn’t music playing while I work I end up talking to myself about what I’m doing to fill the silence…
Current dream project?
I’d love to get the opportunity to work on a long term RPG project!
👩🏽💻 From Hobby to Career
One of the most compelling things about Ruby’s story is that game development was always there.
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She wasn’t someone who suddenly discovered games and decided to become a developer.
She was making games as a child.
She experimented with Scratch.
She created text adventures in Visual Basic.
She moved from one engine and tool to another.
She participated in game jams.
And eventually, after years of treating game development as a hobby and passion, she made a significant decision:
She quit her office job and went all-in on game development.
That leap happened in 2024.
And from the outside, it can be tempting to see a decision like that as a single dramatic moment. But Ruby’s story suggests something different.
The leap was built on years of experimentation.
Every little game.
Every jam.
Every new tool.
Every bug she had to fix.
Every project that didn’t quite work.
They all contributed to the developer she became.
🕹️ A Game Jam Regular
Ruby’s connection to game jams is particularly strong.
When she applied for Roots & Pixels, she was already preparing for Playtopia 2025, volunteering at the event while showcasing two of her games.
Her game jam work has continued since then.
One particularly notable example is Holey Moley, deeloped with a Cape Town team for the 2025 SA Game Jam hosted by Free Lives.
The team created the game in 72 hours around the theme “You are the monster.” Ruby was responsible for programming, and the game went on to win both the Overall and Best Hobbyist categories.
That is pretty fitting achievement for someone who describes game development as a hobby and passion that eventually became her career.
And it also demonstrates something important about game jams:
A small, time-constrained project can become part of a developer’s professional portfolio and reputation.
🌍 Taking the Work Beyond the Jam
Roots & Pixels didn’t end when Ruby returned to Cape Town.
She says that the programme helped create opportunities to showcase her work at events she doesn’t believe she would previously have had access to.
One of the connections she specifically mentions is Games for Change Africa.
That connection has continued to give her opportunities to showcase her work and engage with a broader African games-for-impact community.
And her portfolio continues to grow.
Her most recent projects include Our Last Hand, a deckbuilder/base-builder developed with Garage Bug Games, where Ruby is credited for programming. The game was created during the 2026 Brackeys Game Jam.
Her body of work shows something that is easy to miss when looking only at major commercial releases:
Game developers learn by making games. Lots of them.
🫱🏽🫲🏽 Community Is Part of the Journey
Ruby’s answers repeatedly return to one word: Community.
She describes the Cape Town game development community as the place where she heard about Roots & Pixels.
She describes being surrounded by passionate developers as one of the most motivating parts of the programme.
And even after returning home, she and the other participants have continued meeting online every month.
Her three words for the experience say it all:
Friendship. Community. Passion.
That is perhaps one of the strongest outcomes a programme like Roots & Pixels can produce.
Not just skills.
Not just a game.
Not just a line on a CV.
People.
✨ Final Thoughts
Ruby’s advice to future applicants is wonderfully simple:
“Don’t be afraid to let your passion show!”
It is particularly fitting coming from someone whose journey began with a child experimenting with Scratch and eventually led to making games professionally.
You don’t need to know exactly where your game development journey is going to take you.
You don’t need to have every skill.
You don’t need to fit neatly into somebody else’s definition of a “game developer”.
You can start with curiosity.
You can make something small.
You can join a game jam.
You can meet other people.
You can learn.
You can fail.
You can try again.
And perhaps one day, you may find yourself doing what Ruby did — looking at something that was once “just a hobby” and realizing:
Maybe this can actually be my career.
🔗 Follow Ruby’s Work
🌐 Portfolio: https://ruby-walne.co.za
Ruby’s public portfolio showcases her work as a Cape Town-based game developer and programmer, including personal and game jam projects.
🎮 Itch.io:
Her itch.io work includes projects such as Our Last Hand, Slime Fight Club, and other collaborative and game jam projects.
About This Series
This article is part of Game Jam Pulse’s Roots & Pixels series, featuring African participants from the Roots & Pixels programme and sharing their experiences, lessons and journeys in game development.
Through these profiles, we hope to showcase not only the games being made across Africa, but the people, ideas, skills and perspectives behind them.
If you’re interested in game development in South Africa and across Africa, subscribe to Game Jam Pulse for more interviews, game jam spotlights, resources, opportunities and stories from the African game development community.
