Happy National Video Game Day! To celebrate, we caught up with one of University of Advancing Technology's (UAT) most recent Alum, 2026 Graduate Baylee Balsimo Kettelhut, who's been busy shipping titles, leading art teams, and figuring out what it really takes to work well with other developers.
Baylee's schedule is a masterclass in balancing a day job with a passion for games. "I am fortunate enough to have contractual remote opportunities aside from my day-job," Baylee explains. That means an early start — driving to a coffee shop at 7 AM, laptop open, ready to be "a supportive hand" for the team. Baylee recently wrapped up a role as Lead Artist with Death Knight Studios LLC, and is now shifting gears into marketing for the game the team just finished building.
Baylee worked as a 3D Artist on The Incident at Galley House with Evil Trout Inc., a studio Baylee describes as "incredibly supportive." Then there's the bigger project: serving as Lead Artist on Stella Astrum, which is set to release on Steam later this month.
Looking back at their time at UAT, Baylee credits two professors for shaping their path. Professor Matthew Marquit helped Baylee find the confidence to recognize just how strong an asset they are for any role, while Dr. Hue Henry stood out as a professor genuinely invested in student success — something Baylee says shows up in every interaction, even now. "Many things they both have said to me still stick, and I'll forever be grateful for the knowledge they share," Baylee said.
Perhaps the most candid piece of advice from Baylee is about navigating team dynamics after graduation. "UAT will never be able to prepare you for how other developers are going to react to your ideas and communication style," Baylee notes — but the answer isn't to go it alone as a solo developer. Having worked across teams of varying sizes, Baylee is still learning that compatibility with every project isn't guaranteed. Sometimes you just don't mesh with a department, and that's okay. What matters is how you handle it: staying transparent, honest, and humble enough to push through the discomfort. As Baylee puts it, "It's our responsibility as professionals to find ways that we can work well together without pushing our insecurities onto others."
Even industry professionals need a change of pace. Lately, Baylee has stepped away from the usual action/adventure genre to unwind with cozy titles like Dorfromantik, drawn in by studying its procedural design — a perfect example, in Baylee's words, of "a small scope with big impact." And as Baylee's output picks up speed, so does exposure to player feedback, including the not-so-kind kind. "A hurdle I never thought of crossing was seeing how critical reviews can be," Baylee admits. "It's obvious that the internet is cruel, but it's hard to be in those shoes until you've walked in them!"
Baylee also wanted to give a shoutout to the local game dev scene. Watching fellow UAT alumni branch out to build their own projects has been a highlight. "There are some amazing games being worked on in Phoenix, lately, and I'm excited to see what comes up in the next few months," Baylee said, pointing to two titles worth watching from fellow alumni: Knockout Arcade and pnoq.
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