Brenda Romero is an award-winning game designer, Fulbright scholar, entrepreneur, artist, writer and creative director who entered the video game industry in 1981. Brenda has worked with a variety of digital game companies as a game designer, creative director or consultant, including Atari, Sir-tech Software, Electronic Arts and numerous companies in the social and mobile space. From 2016-2019 she was the Program Director of the MSc in Game Design & Development at Limerick University. She is currently co-founder and CEO of independent game developer at Romero Games, Ltd in Galway, Ireland. Brenda has extensive experience in PC, console and casual gaming.

In 2017, she was awarded the Development Legend award at the Develop conference in the UK. In 2015, she won the coveted Ambassador’s Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards.She is a 2014 Fulbright Scholar, and the recipient of the 2013 Women in Games Lifetime Achievement Award awarded by Microsoft. Romero was previously a nominee in Microsoft's 2010 Women in Games game design award. In 2013, she was listed as one of the industry's top 10 game developers by Gamasutra.com, along with the likes of industry giants Naughty Dog, Nintendo and Rockstar North. Develop magazine also listed her among the 25 people who changed games in 2013. Romero was also named one of Forbes' "12 Women in Gaming to Watch" in 2013, one of the top 20 most influential women in the game industry by Gamasutra.com in 2008 and one of the 100 most influential women in the game industry by Next Generation magazine in 2007. Nerve magazine also called her one of the 50 artists, actors, authors, activists and icons who are making the world a more stimulating place.

Associations

  • Board of Advisors, Game Developers Conference – 2015 to Present

  • Lifetime Fellow, Higher Education Video Game Alliance – 2017

  • Co-Chair, IndieCade – 2013

  • Board of Advisors, IndieCade – 2011 to 2015

  • International Game Developers Association Chair of Women’s SIG – 2010 to 2012

  • Game Developer Magazine – 2009 to 2012

  • Board of Advisors, Strong Museum of Play – 2009 to Present

  • Smithsonian Board of Advisors for Game Exhibit (resigned due to removal of Apple II) – 2010

  • Board of Advisors, FantasicFest – 2009

  • International Game Developers Association Board of Directors – Elected March 2008

  • Women in Games International, Steering Committee Member – 2007

  • International Game Developers Association Savannah Chapter Co-Founder – 2007

  • International Game Developers Association Education SIG – Ad Hoc Committee Chair – 2008

Awards

Recent:

  • 2017 – Brenda Romero – Development Legend, Develop Conference

  • 2017 – Brenda Romero – BAFTA Special Award

Personal:

  • 2015 – Brenda Romero – GDC Choice Award, Ambassador Award

  • 2014 – Brenda Romero – Fulbright Scholar / Ireland (6-week commission to study Irish game industry)

  • 2014 – Brenda Romero – Business Insider, "The 100 Most Influential Tech Women on Twitter" (May)

  • 2013 – Brenda Romero – Top 10 Game Developers of 2013, Gamasutra

  • 2013 – Lifetime Achievement Award, Game Developers Conference, Women in Gaming

  • 2013 – Lifetime Achievement Award, Nominee, Game Developers Conference, Woman in Gaming

  • 2013 – Forbes “12 Women in Gaming to Watch”

  • 2010 – Woman of the Year, Charisma+2 Magazine

  • 2010 – Microsoft 2010 Women in Games, Game Design Award, Nominee

  • 2009 – Train, Vanguard Award, IndieCade

  • 2009 – Train, IndieCade Finalist

  • 2008 – Women in Games: The Gamasutra 20, Recognized as one of the top 20 women in games

  • 2007 – Next Generation, one of only six “outstanding female game developer[s]”

  • 2006 – Next Generation, “100 Most Influential Women in the Game Industry”

  • 2006 – New Radical, Radical Game Designer, Nerve Magazine, “The 50 artists, actors, authors, activists and icons who are making the world a more stimulating place”

  • 2005 – GamerGod.com, Top 10 Most Interesting People of 2005, #3

  • 2005 – Guardian Unlimited, Top 10 Most Interesting People of 2005, #5

Ghost Recon:

  • 2013 February - GANG Award for Berst Audio in a Casual, Indie or Social Game

  • 2012 – Golden Joystick, Nominee, Best Browser/Flash Games, September 2012

Ravenwood Fair:

  • 2011 – Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, Nominee, Social Networking Game of the Year

  • 2011 – Game Developers Choice Online Award, Nominee, Best Social Network Game

  • 2011 – Game Developers Choice Online Award, Nominee, Best Online Game Design

  • 2011 – Game Developers Choice Online Award, Nominee, Best Audio Design

D&D Heroes:

  • 2003 – Official Xbox Magazine’s Editors Choice Award

  • 2003 – Gamer’s Pulse Editor’s Choice Award

Wizardry 8:

  • 2002 – Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, Finalist, Computer Role Playing Game of the Year

  • 2001 – Computer Games Magazine, 2001 RPG Game of the Year (Tie)

  • 2001 – GameSpot, Best Single Player RPG, Top Ten Best PC Games

  • 2001 – GameSpy, Runner Up – PC RPG of the Year

  • 2001 – Games Domain, Games Domain Highly Recommended Game

  • 2001 – RPG Vault, Lifetime Achievement Award, RPG of the Year: Honorable Mention

  • 2001 – GamePen, Best RPG of 2001, Best PC Game of 2001 Nominee

  • 2001 – GamePen, Editor’s Choice Award

  • 2001 – ActionTrip, Editor’s Choice Award

  • 2001 – FBI Reviews, Best RPG of 2001, Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence

  • 2001 – RPGDot, Best Single Player RPG in 2001